On 15 and 16 September 2025, 117 experts from the Open Direct Current Alliance, the world’s leading direct current organization, met for their biannual conference in Bad Pyrmont.
“Direct current is a megatrend in the industry,” emphasizes Dr. Martin Wetter, Executive Vice President Phoenix Contact and one of the drivers of the topic of direct current within the ZVEI (German Electrical and Digital Manufacturers’ Association). “The importance of direct current is growing exponentially for the industry, including among our international partners.”
This was also emphasized by the head of the ODCA, Dominik Maihöfner from ZVEI, in his welcoming address. Launched in 2022 as a small group of 33 industry representatives, the ODCA now has 86 members. And these are no longer just from German-speaking countries – there is a close exchange with organizations from China and Korea, among others, which have recognized the importance and opportunities of direct current. “And next year we will be holding a conference in Italy,” says Martin Wetter happily. Phoenix Contact was a founding member of the ODCA in 2022 and sees itself as a driver of DC technology.
Direct current surrounds us in everyday life, because every wind turbine and every solar cell initially generates direct current. Every battery cell stores and emits direct current. And every electric car uses direct current for propulsion. Conversion to alternating current (AC) has advantages, especially when transporting energy. However, whenever electricity has to be converted from AC to DC, losses occur. Generation, storage and consumption are therefore more effective if as little conversion as possible has to be carried out from one type of electricity to another.
On the following day, the DC experts, led by Tobias Lüke from Phoenix Contact, were able to see for themselves how this already works in reality. A good 70 participants took the opportunity to visit two lighthouse projects. In the All Electric Society Park, Phoenix Contact demonstrates in a unique way how the coupling of energy and heat, from production to storage to consumption, can pave the way to an All Electric Society.
And at the All Electric Society Factory, conference participants were able to experience the technological innovations that can already be used to produce almost energy-neutrally in a DC grid. Tobias Lüke sums up his impressions of the conference and tour: “The event was a complete success for the topic of direct current. The exchange within the organization across borders is the common spirit to help the necessary technological change to succeed. And as we were able to show, not least through our guided tours, products and applications are ready for use. We are in agreement – concrete projects can now follow. It’s simply time for DC.”
