>>>>>>I know some guys here who had some electronics specialist (or a real supplier of such stuff, don't remember - that was in 1999.) who had some robust and crude electronics hooked into the largest battery they could find - something designed for a tractor or truck - and used that for years. That baby could sustain a server and a workstation for a couple of hours. And mind you, the monitors weren't flat back then.
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>>>>>Some companies are experimenting with DC power in data centers, to avoid conversion losses. Maybe your guys were ahead of their time ;)
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>>>>Looking at the dozens of converters just for phones, external disks other small gadgets I often wonder if it were not more efficient to standardize on a given voltage, say 6, 12 or 24 and have additional set of DC wiring throughout the house for gadgets below hair dryer or coffee machine. Gaming PC and laser printers probably on the border...
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>>>https://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/stories/the-home-of-tomorrow-will-run-on-direct-current
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>>nice! Besides the equipment I described I had already pegged lighting, but air conditioning and the other, high energy drawing stuff had been off list for me. Although I doubt you really can confine the stronger lines to kitchen and bathroom, as everybody will have between 1 and 6 very personal, unidentical high-drawing needs outside of those, from giant water-bed heating to coffee machine right besides the desktop ;-))
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>Some people brag that their hair dryer is 1500W, when their friend's is only 1200W ;)

'xactly! And of course it is a matter of life and death that you blowdry in front of the full length mirror in dressing room via power strip :-o