Alternating current (AC) beat out direct current (DC) because it worked well over short distances. But direct current is significantly easier to control on a smart grid and travels better, says Herman J. Trabish.
Trabish talks with Aftab Khan, Vice President and General Manager of U.S. Grid Systems, about why DC will be a big part of the country's smart grid:
"Power on a DC line is completely controlled. If you say, 'I want to bring power from point A to point B and I want exactly this many megawatts on that line,'" Khan said, "the power goes." Theoretically, he added, AC lines can do the same. But in an AC system, "you don't have the ability to manage the power flow from point A to point B directly."
High-voltage direct current (HVDC) lines are currently in use in China, delivering hydroelectric current from remote resources.
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
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