up:: Microgrids
Description of need
The copper cables that are used for DC power transmission in microgrids or data centers are lossy and expensive.
Problem severity (1-10)
2
Who has this need
- Companies that design, build, operate Data centers, like Peter Feldman’s
- Other microgrids, e.g. for the military, electric ships.
Total addressable market (TAM)
Unknown
Solutions today, and their shortcomings
- Copper cabling:
- Joule losses in the copper cable tray
- Cost of copper
- Installation is expensive, especially in urban buildings (e.g. data centers in Manhattan)
- Supernode (Irish company) makes superconducting DC cables for offshore wind
- VEIR does both DC and AC cables