Question

Thomas Edison felt the grid would be most efficient if it were direct current. Do you think that renewable energy would be further along if the grid was a direct current system?

Answer 1

YES: In DC we have only resistance and no capacitance and inductance effects ,so that the losses are low. In DC the power can be transmitted through using two conductors and hence DC grid is economical. Transient state can be easily resuced in DC.

If the grid is connected with DC system then there is no frequency disturbances and no need of frequency control devices and hence the renewable enrgy generation can be easily connected to grid. BUT the problem in DC sysyem is the dc cannont be stepped up or down and also need of converting devicces at load centers. But due to adavncement of power electronic devices we can convert fixed dc to variable dc. But note that the generation of DC is always difficult and we can generate bulk amount of power in AC ONLY, we cannot generate bulk amount of power in DC.