Turning the AC-DC switch: A legacy technology has reached its limits.
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/turning-the-ac-dc-switch-learning-from-the-past-to-power-the-future/814988/
AC is no longer the preferred current for many applications. A transition is underway, but it calls for new technology to be deliberately deployed, writes Shaun Walsh at Peak Nano. ... Some of today’s most important technologies didn’t come to dominate because they were better. They won over alternatives because they were easier to deploy, ..... History offers plenty of examples where a stronger technology lost the market. ... Similarly, in the “War of the Currents,” AC’s advantage wasn’t efficiency but because it was easier to change voltage for long‑distance transmission and a rapidly expanding grid. .... DC distribution isn’t new. Telecommunications networks have run on DC for most of the last century to provide stable service. .... AC is no longer the preferred current. A transition is underway, but it calls for technology leaders to prepare new technology and components that smooth and stabilize power for a radically different duty cycle. ...... The last century of energy was defined by AC and a centralized grid. The next hinges on how well we integrate DC into a more flexible, resilient, intelligent system. The leaders in this transition are already moving, systematically redesigning core components so today’s grid can power tomorrow’s economy.