October 16, 2013  – The market for direct current (DC) distribution networks consists of several disparate opportunities but, according to a recent report from Navigant Research, the worldwide market for these networks will grow from $2.5 billion in annual revenue in 2013 to $24.1 billion in 2025.

A growing list of technology vendors is targeting this space (e.g. data centres, mobile telecom towers, DC subsystems within grid-tied commercial buildings and off-grid military networks), says Navigant, including ABB, Johnson Controls, Intel and a cadre of smaller specialists.

One of the primary drivers of this market, according to Navigant’s report, is the expansion of small, distributed energy sources at the retail distribution level of power service, including solar PV and wind turbines below 100 kW in size.

Along with the rapid proliferation of corresponding new battery technologies to help firm up these variable renewable energy generators, says Navigant, this trend has opened up new possibilities for distributing power via DC distribution networks, including microgrids, nanogrids and other alternative network architectures.