Description
The Open Direct Current Alliance (ODCA) is a working party within the ZVEI (German Electro and Digital Industry Association) that is developing a direct current (DC) ecosystem. Building upon the success of the DC-INDUSTRIE2 research project, the ODCA aims to disseminate knowledge and solutions related to direct current technology worldwide.
Direct current offers several advantages for modern industrial power networks:
- Efficient integration of renewable energy sources
- Reduced resource consumption
- Lower power feed-in requirements
- Stable networks
- An open system for users
In existing installations, up to 10 percent energy savings, approximately 50 percent copper savings in wiring and depending on the application, up to 85% reduction in peak power demand from the AC grid have been achieved. Additionally, coupling the particularly climate-relevant sectors of buildings and mobility enables significant efficiency gains.
In order to further promote the activities of DC grids and to bring them to the market, ZVEI and companies, academia and research institutes founded the Open Direct Current Alliance. The use of DC technology is intended to support and implement the social goal of a resource-saving and CO2-neutral world. Meanwhile, more than 60 companies (33 at the start in 2022) are working in the ODCA together. The ODCA’s mission is to promote the adoption of direct current technology and share insights and solutions internationally.
Role under the Project
The ODCA serves as a multiplier and reviewer of the results achieved in the project. Thanks to the large network of experts in the DC field, the ideas and solutions can be disseminated and evaluated with practical relevance. In addition, the experience from the previous research projects DC-INDUSTRIE and DC-INDUSTRIE2 as well as the knowledge of the alliance can be utilized and existing solutions can be taken into account.
