Mitsubishi Electric launched Diamond-Smart Medium Voltage Direct Current Distribution Network System for Innovative Reliable Economical Ecology (D-SMiree) for medium- and low-voltage direct-current (MV/LV DC) distribution systems of voltages 1,500V DC.
Product development and testing, as well as the exhibition and promotion of direct-current distribution systems, will be handled at the DC Development and Demonstration Facility, which was inaugurated in July at Mitsubishi Electric’s Power Distribution Systems Center in Marugame, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. D-SMiree sales for MV/LV DC distribution systems are expected to reach 10 billion yen, or approximately US$94.1 million, by 2025.
In line with the increasing importance of data centers and cloud services, as well as the business continuity plans of corporations, particularly since the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake in 2011, a growing focus is being cast on solar-power generation systems that incorporate storage batteries and Net Zero Energy Buildings. Consequently, environmentally conscious direct-current distribution systems that combine renewable energy and electrical accumulators are gaining popularity.
Mitsubishi Electric has been contributing to the growing direct-current ecosystem by leveraging technologies that it originally developed for DC power generation, high-speed circuits for railways and data-center energy systems. D-SMiree now unifies these initiatives under a single brand.
The facility in Marugame will develop next-generation MV/LV DC distribution systems for DC power distribution based on enhanced reliability, environmental friendliness and cost effectiveness. Advanced smart-grid technologies and storage-battery systems will be incorporated in enhanced, extra-efficient solutions for purposes including the following:
Power generation — Easy interconnection of diversified renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and fuel cells, without the need for electrical synchronization
Energy storage — Highly efficient operation of storage batteries by leveraging Energy Management System power-generation and demand-forecast functions
Efficiency — Reduced electrical loss through reduced power conversion compared to traditional AC distribution systems
The D-SMiree lineup will feature products and applicable systems, eventually including 380V systems that are undergoing verification testing. 1500V systems are expected to be introduced to the global market by 2017.