Can AC power be changed into DC power?
Yes, but with some efficiency loss. Think of the “brick” you use to charge your digital devices, like laptops or cell phones. This is an external converter for changing AC to DC power. However, most conversions occurring in buildings today are “invisible,” occurring internally within power-using devices, like electronic lighting ballasts. This causes them to be relatively inefficient due to scale and cost considerations of the individual converters. It’s generally better to make AC to DC conversions with more efficient components in more economic, larger scale converters.
