Proposed smart DC nano-grid for green buildings — A reflective view

Abstract

Almost all small scale renewable generators generate low voltage DC power. To supply power to the AC mains network, costly and inefficient power invertors/convertors setups are used. But ultimately, the generated power from such renewable energy sources may deliver to a DC load. A possible solution that can omit the usage of costly and inefficient power invertors/convertor setups is to install a DC network linking the DC devices to DC power supplies. This paper is to develop concepts and an outline of DC nano-network for a Smart Home, composed of: a home area network with a Smart Meter and Intelligent Devices. The Smart Meter and Intelligent Devices manage and control the loads by group using different wireless nodes. Efficient algorithms will be developed to manage loads during peak hours, to coordinate between the Smart Meters and Intelligent Devices and to monitor the power flow. The total load of the building will be categorized and managed. Intelligent Devices are attached to each load, monitoring and controlling the power flow individually. These Intelligent Devices can communicate with the Smart Meter and based on the decision making algorithms, the load can be managed during peak hours.