Direct current (“DC”) power such as from solar panels is used by home appliances directly without conversion to AC. The large direct current spark problem is alleviated by interrupting the DC current at periodicities of at least 120 hertz and typically 99 percent duty cycle. This interrupted DC power is less harmful to switches and circuit breakers than equivalent AC power. Furthermore, the interrupted DC power is used with greater efficiency by computers, and can be used to power a wide range of appliances. Exceptions are inductive appliances, which are detected and treated differently, by a smart power receptacle embodiment. These embodiments provide a very low cost and efficient path to an all DC electric power future.