As obvious as it may seem, many people are curious about this and yes, it is a great question to ask, – How Exactly is Electricity generated for my home?
Every day, you put on a switch and light comes on, you plug in a cord and you get to use your iron.
Every one of us needs electricity to survive daily and carry out major and minor tasks from day to day.
From preparing water for your morning coffee, to using your laptop to work, or charging your iPhone, a lot happens in between these activities, but not many people stop to ask “wait, how is all these happening?”
In this article, we will solve one more mystery, – How is electricity generated for your home?
Before reading this, we must warn you that if you do have any electrical problems, be sure to contact electricians in Sydney as electrical work can be very dangerous. The first thing you should know is that electricity travels a long distance to get directly to your house.
The crazy thing is that the power station where your electricity is generated from can be hundreds of miles away from your house.
This is why you see lots of poles and wires in front of your home and along the highways.
All these poles and wires are to help carry the electricity from the station to your home, this is why they are called the electrical distribution system or transmission system.
Now, electricity generating stations across the country are connected through the electrical system which is often referred to as “the power grid.”
So, how does the Power grid work?
First, what is the power grid?
The power grid is a multifaceted and important system which is in fact, one of the4 most remarkable and outstanding engineering achievements of the modern age.
What does it do and what role does it play in generating electricity for your home?
Well, the power grid transmits power that is being generated at different facilities and distributes the power generated to end-users who are most time at extensive distances.
Also, it provides electricity to industrial buildings, facilities, schools, and homes.
Guess the amazing part? The power grid does this every single minute of every single day for every year!
Considering the National Grid now, it is vital for energy generation because it guarantees that both gas and electricity are transported safely to your home and every other place they need to be used.
This is the purpose of the power grid, – to get electricity into the homes of different people.
Here’s something interesting: electricity gets to your home in three stages, – generation, transmission, and distribution.
This is quite a complex procedure and involves careful and advanced processes to be carried out.
These processes use huge investments and skilled manpower to work.
Let’s break them down in details for better understanding.
1. Generation
Electricity generation begins its adventure at the power plant we early spoke about. It is birthed through fossil fuels or renewable resources like coal, natural gas, or even hydroelectric or wind power.
There are various origins or sources of power, and also a variety of ways this power can be generated. But before we proceed any further, you should know that electricity is man-made and it is created in an electrical power generator.
So, power generation starts with an energy source that is controllable and transformed to create electric power which is then delivered through electric current via power lines.
This is the first step in the process of getting electricity to your home.
2. Transmission
The second stage is transmission. This involves the mass transfer of electrical energy from the generating power plants to where it begins to break out into different electrical substations.
The electricity is then transported over an extended distance at high volatges which helps to cut down on the loss of electricity.
Transmission lines then carry ekectricity over long distances from the generating facility to your home and everywhere it is needed.
3. Distribution
This is the third stage of the process. Electricity has been generated, transmitted, and now is being distributed.
Electricity is distributed through electric distribution substation. At the substation, the high voltage electricity from the high voltage transmission lines is channeled through step-down transformers that help to lower the voltage making it safe.
Now, this is where your home comes in. in homes, electricity is distributed to different outlets by a network of wires which function through electrical wiring.
Your own share of electricity passes through the service drops and gets recorded at your meter.
The meter is responsible for tracking how much electricity you use. Meanwhile, at the switchboard, a distribution is going on. Your electricity then gets divided into circuits for each connected area of your house.
Then, the electricity moves through wires on the backside of your walls to your power outlets and switches where you then operate your lights and appliances. For proper installation or measurement of your electrical work, contact your local electricians in castle hill to get a proper job completed by licensed professionals.
Electrical journeys happen in minutes, so it’s easy to pay less attention, but the next time you put on a switch, remember that electricity has travelled a long way to come to you.
Share this article
