HOW IS ELECTRICITY MADE? Your Electrical Supplier in the Philippines

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Vince Lombardi 
 

At the atomic level

All matter on earth is made up of atoms, and atoms are made up of smaller elements called protons, neutrons and electrons.

Electrons orbit the nucleus of the atom

Electrons orbit the nucleus of the atom, just like the earth moves around the sun. When electrons have enough energy, they can move from atom to atom. When they move between atoms, they carry electrical energy from one place to another and this is called an electrical current.

The world’s first electric generator

Ever wondered how magnets and copper coils create electricity? This video uses an experiment to explain the basic principles.

Source: Veritasium 2012, Worlds First Electric Generator

Wires conduct electricity

Some atoms have electrons that can flow easily from one atom to another, such as metal. This is why metal is used in wires that conduct electricity. Other materials, such as rubber, have atoms that resist the flow of electricity and that’s why rubber is used to insulate against the flow of electricity.

How is electricity measured?

There are a couple of different ways to measure electricity, but the main one is the watt-hour.

The watt (W) is a measure of electrical power. Light bulbs are marked with a watt rating, such as 40 W, and so are appliances such as air-blow heaters (around 1,000 W). This gives an indication of the amount of electrical power they need in order to work.

Electricity consumption is a combination of the amount of electricity (that is, the watt) and the period of time for which it is used. So a standard measure of electricity consumption is the amount of watts used over an hour: the watt-hour (Wh). For example, a 40 W light bulb turned on for one hour will use 40 Wh of electricity.

An electricity bill records the number of kilowatt-hours (kWh) consumed over a period, which is usually around three months. A kilowatt-hour is simply a thousand watt-hours.

How is electricity made?

Generating electricity requires a fuel source, such as coal, gas, hydropower or wind. Regardless of the fuel, most generators operate on the same principle, which is to turn a turbine so that it spins magnets surrounded by copper wire to get the flow of electrons across atoms and generate electricity.

Traditional fuels, such as coal and natural gas, are used to create the majority of Australia’s electricity supply. These fuels are used to heat water which creates steam that turns a turbine.

Renewable energy sources, such as hydropower and wind, generate electricity similarly by turning turbines.

Solar photovoltaic panels take a different approach. They generate electrical power by converting solar radiation into electricity usingsemiconductors.

Australia’s networked grid delivers electricity

Electricity leaves generators and travels along conductor wires via a networked grid to homes and businesses. Australia has the largest interconnected power system in the world.

Why is electricity nearly always available?

People want electricity to be instantly available at all times - day and night, in all seasons and weather conditions. Australia’s National Electricity Marketensures the amount of electricity produced is equal to demand so all consumers have reliable access to power. Western Australia , Northern Territory and Mt Isa have separate grid arrangements.

Two types of power generation are required for a reliable supply

• baseload generation, which provides a steady supply of electricity day and night
• peaking generation, which provides extra power when demand is high.

Electricity consumption changes throughout the day

Australians use the most electricity at around 6pm in the evening when many people are at home, either cooking dinner or watching television and often using their heating or air conditioning too. This is when having adequate peaking generation is critical.

The least amount of electricity is consumed during the night when most people are asleep. This is when just a steady supply of baseload generation is necessary.

Centralised versus decentralised generators

Centralised large-scale generators, using energy sources such as coal, gas, hydropower and wind, supply the vast majority (more than 97 per cent) of Australia’s electricity. They are often located in rural areas close to their fuel sources.

Decentralised energy simply means energy generated where it will be used (for example, in the home). Decentralised energy is starting to become more important as an alternative way to supply electricity. For example, the installation of rooftop solar panels on homes and businesses has increased in recent years. Another form of decentralised energy technology being used is cogeneration.

What is cogeneration?

Increasingly, large buildings such as hospitals and universities are installing cogeneration facilities to efficiently produce energy onsite. Cogeneration typically uses natural gas-powered engines to produce two types of energy in the same process: electricity and heat.

The electricity meets the building’s needs. The heat made from generating the electricity is captured and then used to provide heating or to produce chilled water for cooling through an absorption chiller. Using gas as a fuel also offers a significant reduction in carbon emissions when compared with coal-fired power generation.

Cogeneration - combined heat and power plant