DC Vision to Reality

By Harry Stokman

For almost four decades I have been working on Direct Current (DC) technology, Converters, DC power systems, and energy infrastructures. As the originator of the concepts and technical framework behind Current/OS, I have been involved in the development of practical approaches that enable DC systems to operate safely, interoperable, and at scale.

While many discussions about DC remain theoretical, I felt it was important to demonstrate what these principles look like in everyday life. If we believe that DC can play a meaningful role in the future energy system, we must also be willing to prove its value in our own environments.

For that reason, I converted my private home, where my wife and I live in, into a fully integrated DC-based energy system.

The project was driven by the following objectives:

Demonstrate That It Is Possible

A great deal has been written about the potential advantages of DC, yet relatively few examples exist that show a complete implementation in a normal residential setting.

I wanted to demonstrate that a modern home can successfully integrate solar generation, battery storage, electric mobility, building automation, and household loads through a DC-centric architecture using technologies that are available today.

The house serves as a practical proof-of-concept that moves the discussion from theory to reality.

Inspire the Ecosystem

Innovation accelerates when people can see, touch, and experience it.

By opening my home to industry partners, researchers, students, policymakers, and fellow enthusiasts, I hope to contribute to a broader understanding of what DC can offer. Sharing both successes and lessons learned helps the ecosystem mature faster and create better solutions.

The goal is not to promote a particular product, but to stimulate collaboration and accelerate the transition toward more efficient energy systems.

Learn Through Real-World Experience

As an engineer and entrepreneur, I have always believed that practical experience is the ultimate teacher.

Living with a DC system every day provides insights that no simulation or laboratory setup can fully replicate. It reveals where the technology delivers value, where improvements are needed, and how users actually interact with the system.

This continuous learning process not only improves the installation itself but also helps shape future developments within Current/OS and the wider DC ecosystem.

           Making mistakes is moving forward, don’t be chicken 

Build Towards a Physical Energy Community

The house itself is not the end goal. The longer-term vision is the creation of a physical energy community, where homes, buildings, batteries, renewable generation, electric vehicles, and flexible loads are interconnected through a local DC microgrid.

In this vision, the DC microgrid becomes a second energy infrastructure “SECOND GRID”, operating alongside the public AC utility grid. Energy can be shared locally, stored collectively, and managed intelligently according to the needs of the community.

Current/OS provides the framework that makes such an ecosystem possible by enabling devices, assets, and stakeholders to interact in a safe, interoperable, and technology-neutral manner.

My home serves as the first node of that future network—a living laboratory where technical solutions, operational concepts, and business models can be tested and refined before being applied at community scale.

A Live Demonstration of the Future

Ultimately, this project is not about a house. It is about demonstrating a pathway toward a more efficient, resilient, and participatory energy system.

By developing Current/OS, implementing it in my own home, and sharing the lessons learned, I hope to help bridge the gap between vision and reality. The objective is not simply to build a better home, but to contribute to the emergence of local DC energy communities that empower people to produce, store, share, and manage energy together.

In that sense, the house is both a demonstration project and the first step toward a much larger transformation.