Lvdc Rules – towards Industrial-scale Application of Low-voltage Direct Current in Public Power Distribution

The modern low-voltage direct current (LVDC) distribution system merges ICT, power electronics and conventional grid technologies into single system. This paper gives an overview to the LVDC RULES research project and presents its first key results. The foundations of the project are laid by the lessons learned during earlier research projects. Impacts of providing ancillary services for the network operators and an infrastructure for emerging energy market services are discussed. Studies of the impacts of the system properties and active functionalities on the economic feasibility are presented. Finally the paper converges into the introduction of a modular LVDC concept, and a summary of the main specifications for equipment design.