Searching for USB Power Supplies That Won't Explode
Makes me wonder if DC wiring will ever catch on in newer homes.  We don&#x27;t have much need for AC anymore.  The only places in a home where one needs AC is in the kitchen for large appliances, and garage&#x2F;laundry room.  And really that&#x27;s just because of the motors.  I&#x27;m not sure if those could be converted to DC motors and what powerloss that might entail.  But the point stands; you could totally get away with building a new home where you drop AC to the kitchen and garage, and then 12VDC+5VDC everywhere else (12V on the wires, put a regulator to drop to 5V in the outlet for USB-C ports).  The power-loss of DC in a home won&#x27;t be that large.  The end result is that the AC to DC transformer will be centralized to one location, where you can spend more money up front to get higher reliability, cleaner power, better safety, and better efficiency.  Plus, if you have solar, you can avoid AC to DC conversation altogether, saving on a good chunk of powerloss there.<p>The caveat, of course, is that lots of devices don&#x27;t natively support DC input.  Phones, tablets, and modern USB-C laptops are fine.  Lighting is easy; just do permanent LED installations.  The LEDs will last a very long time since they won&#x27;t have regulators in them.  Desktops are an issue.  I believe the only desktops that support DC input are HTPC builds, using those micro PSUs.  Perhaps there&#x27;s an HTPC PSU that&#x27;s got enough beef to power a normal desktop?  You&#x27;d also have to find monitors that accept DC input, which do exist but that will narrow your market significantly.<p>Rob Rhinehart is an early adopter (see: <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;robrhinehart.com&#x2F;?p=1331" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;robrhinehart.com&#x2F;?p=1331</a>) of this type of home.  Sounds crazy, but it seemed like a glimpse at a hopeful future, at least everything outside of the kitchen.