We're looking forward to meet you.
It always seems impossible, until it's done
Mission
Providing free access to IP, for safe and stable DC-based infrastructures in which congestion is avoided without central control.
The Foundation was set up to assure the availability of the Current/OS Set of Rules to any product manufacturer. It aims to come to a unified standard for DC microgrid control purposes. The foundation provides to its partners an open set of rules and clear guidelines on how to manufacture products that work in a Current/OS based DC environment.
Structure
Simple and agile!
The Current/OS Foundation Board is expected to have around ten members. Today, the board members are Eaton and Schneider Electric as founding members of the foundation, joined in 2022 by ABB and UL.
The board members are today among the Gold partners. The board has the firm intention to extend its number of board members, and an invitation to join the board for other members is quite a possibility to better represent the Current/OS Foundation.
For now, 4 working groups are activated by board decision, being:
- Partner Relationships:
- Animate and maintain the relationship with existing partners
- Inviting potential Partners to participate in one of the Partner programs of the Foundation.
- Marketing:
- Communicate the goals and activities of the Foundation through its website and social media
- Organizing Partner events mostly during the major exhibitions of the industry
- Technical:
- Technical Working Group
- Create manuals to guide the Partners participating in the different Partner programs on how to adopt their product to make it Current/OS ready.
- Take care of continuous improvement of the Rules by using the input from the Partners.
- Secure a high level of expertise. Recognized industry experts are invited by the Foundation to participate.
- Standardization Relationships Working Group:
This committee filled with industry experts focusses on helping standardization committees around the globe to understand the requirements for safe DC based energy distribution.
- Technical Working Group
- Certification Scheme
- Define and create the certification scheme of the foundation
Partner Programs
We welcome you to board on, and work together with us on making the energy transition a success.
We distinguish between product manufacturers and other partners through our level of membership:
Gold, Silver & Bronze Partners: An entity requiring full access to IP to develop/manufacture Current/OS Ready products.
Ruby Partners: A Ruby Partner has IP access with restricted right of use but still wishing to participate and support the roll out of Current/OS based DC microgrids. Examples of Ruby partners could be Universities, Installers, Designers, etc.
The partnership you need depends on the product(s) you wish to make available for use in DC microgrids.
Ruby
- Does not manufacture or supply products
- Engaged in research and provides services
- Strong supporter of the foundation
Bronze
- Loads in zone 3 and 4 (see Zoning) with limited impact on system stability.
- Precharge Box.
- Variable speed drives without reverse power.
Silver
- All loads
- Secondary power sources
- Managed bidirectional systems (batteries, car chargers)
Gold
- All loads
- All sources incl. grid stability features
- All bidirectional systems incl. unmanaged (Variable speed drives with reverse power)
- Protection devices
- Black start devices
- Stability devices
Fee Structure
Fees support the expenses of the foundation.
Intellectual Property
The IP is fully controlled by the Foundation. Access to this IP only depends on your decision to team up as a Partner.
Below you find a listing of IP you will have has access to. It all depends on the type Partnership you choose!
Intellectual PropertyCurrent/OS IP listing |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby | Bronze | Silver | Gold | |
| Current/OS Technical documentation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Current/OS Brand and logo | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Current/OS conformity Mark (on certified products) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Energy Management | ||||
| Operating Voltages & limits | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Linear droop | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Non linear droop response | ✓ | |||
| Node voltage calibration | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Prioritizations on/off thresholds | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Prioritizations offset | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Prioritizations calibration | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Ride through capacity | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Safety | ||||
| Precharge | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| EMC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Safety wire (passive) | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Active safety wire (input/control/feed) | ✓ | |||
| Blackstarter | ✓ | |||
| Earth Vault (>10A) | ✓ | |||
| Arc (>10A) | ✓ | |||
| Bidirectional protection (>10A) | ✓ | |||
| Communication | ||||
| Modbus communication | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| IP for PV | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Paralelling sources (converters) | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Undirectional over current protection (<10A) | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Undirectional short circuit protection (<10A) | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Downloads
Below you can download some useful documents regarding our Foundation.
Videos
To better understand Current/OS architectures and the challenges of power availability
DC SYSTEMS presentation during the Europo LVDC event