Could mixed AC/DC power systems support more sustainable communities?

The main contribution of this paper is to challenge the current understanding in Swedish spatial planning of power systems being, inherently, alternating current (AC) systems. We propose two areas for piloting local direct current (DC) systems as a way of introducing the concept of mixed AC/DC power systems with the aim of supporting more (self-)sustainable local communities. One is local recreational areas, so called ‘green spaces’ in urban planning. The other is eHealth, when it involves spatial planning and building, or rebuilding existing living space, for supporting healthcare provision in the patient's own home. The paper discusses how mixed AC/DC power systems might be introduced into the current planning discourse and practice in Sweden as part of the necessary reconceptualization of what sustainability means in spatial planning. The paper is based on the authors' previous and on-going research, in spatial planning and eHealth respectively, and has been inspired by the on-going research and development at IIT-M on robust and affordable local DC solutions for Indian households. It is an early-stage exploratory paper based on a recently initiated interdisciplinary dialogue between computer scientists and spatial planning researchers at Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden, about green infrastructuring for a more sustainable society.