How many stages does one kilowatt-hour of electricity go through before traveling from a photovoltaic panel to lighting up a laboratory lamp?

The traditional answer would be:

Inverter → Distribution Cabinet → Transformer → …

Each device manages one part of the process. Energy flows through multiple conversion stages, with efficiency losses accumulating along the way.

Today, in a large-scale microgrid laboratory in China, the answer has become:

Just one.

The multi-port PV + Storage + DC Flexible Power Router developed by GCEVO Energy has officially been deployed in this laboratory.

PV generation, energy storage, grid connection, EV charging, and AC/DC loads are all connected through a single 750V DC bus, integrating the entire “Source-Grid-Load-Storage” system into one cabinet.

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A Testing Platform for Next-Generation Microgrid Technologies

As a cutting-edge platform for microgrid technology validation, this laboratory has extremely demanding energy requirements.

The system needs to:

• Connect PV simulators to reproduce real photovoltaic generation profiles
• Integrate energy storage batteries to validate charging and discharging strategies
• Support DC charging piles for 750V DC fast-charging scenarios
• Supply AC loads
• Maintain two grid connection channels for bidirectional interaction with the power grid

With mixed AC/DC systems and multiple voltage levels coexisting, traditional power distribution solutions would require numerous cabinets and result in complicated efficiency calculations.

The solution:

A DZ-DCnex-PR5 Series Multi-Port PV + Storage + DC Flexible Power Router.

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One Device Connecting Source, Grid, Load, and Storage

Using a 750V DC bus as the energy hub, the Power Router integrates generation, grid, loads, and storage into a unified energy network.

The system includes:

• Two bidirectional grid interaction ports
• PV input port supporting 200–750V DC wide voltage range
• 10kW / 20kWh lithium iron phosphate bidirectional energy storage port
• Two 10kW 380Vac AC load ports
• One 10kW 750Vdc EV charging port

The most impressive feature is its efficiency:

• Grid port peak efficiency ≥99%
• Energy storage port efficiency ≥99.3%
• Load port efficiency ≥99.8%

With fewer energy conversion stages and shorter power paths, energy losses are minimized and electricity costs are naturally reduced.

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Three Flexible Operating Modes

▍Low-Carbon Grid-Connected Mode (Default)

The system prioritizes renewable energy utilization:

PV → Load → Energy Storage → Grid Export

Power supply priority:

PV > Battery > Grid

PV generation is first used locally. Surplus energy charges the battery, and only after the battery is fully charged is excess power exported to the grid.

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▍Independent Operation Mode

When the grid fails:

The energy storage system takes over as the core power source, maintaining DC bus stability and ensuring critical loads remain powered for up to 4 hours.

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▍Flexible Interconnection Mode

The system enables:

• Multi-distribution-area power sharing
• Dynamic capacity expansion
• Peak-load mutual support
• Emergency power backup

By allowing power resources to support each other, it reduces transformer investment requirements and lowers fixed electricity capacity costs.

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Intelligent Control Strategies Make the System Truly “Alive”

Beyond hardware integration, intelligent control strategies are what bring the system’s real value.

▍Minimum PV Curtailment + Minimum Electricity Cost

Within safe operating limits and available capacity, the system continuously optimizes operation to maximize economic benefits.

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▍Night-Time Valley Electricity Charging

During low-price electricity periods, the system automatically charges the energy storage battery.

The charging rate can be flexibly adjusted between:

0.1C–0.3C

balancing charging efficiency and battery lifetime.

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▍Real-Time Carbon Accounting

Based on an emission factor of 0.5257, the system provides transparent carbon accounting.

Users can clearly monitor:

• PV generation carbon reduction
• Load electricity consumption
• Grid electricity carbon impact

making the carbon footprint visible and measurable.

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Digital Monitoring and Intelligent Operation

The system is equipped with:

• 10.1-inch industrial touchscreen
• Data storage every 60 seconds
• Standard Modbus TCP communication interface
• Remote upgrade capability

Every experimental result and operational data point in the laboratory is recorded, traceable, and available for analysis.

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From Passive Energy Consumption to Active Energy Management

Under the “Dual Carbon” goals, energy consumption is transforming from passive acceptance toward active management.

This laboratory is not only a technology validation platform but also a demonstration model.

The mature PV + Storage + DC Flexible technologies verified here can be replicated across a wide range of large-scale applications:

• Industrial parks
• Commercial buildings
• Data centers
• Zero-carbon communities
• Distributed microgrids

From optimizing the value of a single kilowatt-hour to enabling flexible energy interconnection across entire regions, the possibilities of microgrids are only beginning to unfold.