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Energy Delivery -- Getting Power from the Plant to Your Home
Generating energy and distributing it to hundreds of thousands of users is a complex process. Energy is created in a variety of ways. For example, CPS Energy uses a diverse menu of fuels, including coal, natural gas, nuclear power and renewable energy, to provide reliable electrical service to its customers. Once this energy is generated, it must be delivered through a sophisticated distribution system before it reaches your home or business.
Step One:
Stepping Up the Voltage
Electricity is generated at 20,000 volts at a typical power plant, generating station or wind farm. After electricity is generated, it first travels through a transformer that "steps up" or increases the voltage to either 138,000 volts (138 KV) or 345,000 volts (345 KV) to allow it to travel more efficiently over a long distance through large transmission lines carried by steel transmission towers. CPS Energy maintains more than 1,400 miles of transmission lines and over 6,600 transmission towers.
Step Two:
Stepping Down from Transmission
to Distribution
Transmission lines carry ramped-up electricity to distribution substations located throughout our 1,566-square-mile service area. Banks of Transformers at more than 100 substations "step down" or decrease the electricity's voltage to 34,500 volts (34.5 KV) or 13,800 volts (13.8 KV) so it can travel through smaller distribution lines and make its way to specific residential and commercial districts throughout the service area.
Step Three:
Heading for Home
More than 7,500 miles of distribution lines across Greater San Antonio branch out through neighborhoods, sending the electricity through overhead or underground power lines. The power lines connect to transformers located on "telephone" poles or underground near a home or business. Transformers, more than 206,000 in our customer service area, reduce the voltage of electricity again so it can be safely delivered into your home and business.
From transformers, electricity travels into buildings through wires called service drops. The service drops connect to a meter box, which measures the amount of electricity being used by a customer. The drops also connect to all of the wires that run inside a home or building's walls to outlets and switches.
When an electrical device is plugged in, electricity flows from electrical wires in the wall through a plug's metal prongs, which then carries power through the appliance cord to the motor of the appliance. After powering the device, it then flows back through the appliance cord to the outlet, out to the wires and into the grid again.
What else can I help you with?
What is the percentage of energy that's available to the consumer?
Typically, about 30-40% of the energy from the primary source (like coal, gas, or oil) reaches the consumer in usable form. This is due to losses in generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.
What kind of energy is produced by battery?
Batteries produce electrical energy through a chemical reaction that converts stored chemical energy into electrical energy. This electrical energy can then be used to power various devices.
What is the applications of electrical steel?
Electrical steel, also known as silicon steel, is primarily used in the manufacturing of electrical components due to its magnetic properties. It is widely applied in transformers, electric motors, generators, and inductors, where it enhances efficiency by minimizing energy losses from magnetic hysteresis and eddy currents. Additionally, electrical steel is used in various consumer electronics and renewable energy systems, such as wind turbines, to improve performance and energy conversion efficiency.
What energy transformation in an electrochemical cell cell when charging and discharging?
When charging, electrical energy from an external source is converted into chemical energy, which is stored in the cell. During discharging, the stored chemical energy is converted back into electrical energy that can be used to power devices.
What is the energy change in a LED?
In a LED, electrical energy is converted directly into light energy, resulting in a decrease in electrical energy and an increase in light energy. This process is much more efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs, which waste energy as heat.
How much of the energy in burning coal reaches the consumer as electricity?
One third of coal's energy reaches the consumer.
How do you get energy through solar panels?
Solar panels use the energy of the sun to operate. Some panels will produce an electrical current when sunlight reaches them. Others use fluid filled pipes to turn the sun's energy into heat. With either method, energy from the sun reaches the panel as radiated energy and is converted to electrical or heat energy.
What is the percentage of energy that's available to the consumer?
Typically, about 30-40% of the energy from the primary source (like coal, gas, or oil) reaches the consumer in usable form. This is due to losses in generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.
How does the electrical energy coming from the power plant reachest the customer?
The electrical energy generated at the generating station reaches the consumer through the transmission and distribution systems. The transmission system generally consists of overhead transmission lines, towers, safety equipment and transformers and is used to transmit the generated electricity to the load centres (i.e. places where electrical energy is consumed). This energy is then distributed to various consumers using the distribution system - which consists of underground cables, overhead lines, transformers, safety equipment etc etc...
What are some consumer products or services that come from or are created for the electrical energy generation sector sectors?
it was JIMMY CARTER:)
What type of energy conversion takes place in a doorbell?
Kinetic energy from the finger is converted to electrical energy when the button completes the circuit. Then when the electrical energy reaches the bell it is converted into sound energy.
How will hydro electric energy be used?
It will go into the electric power grid and be used as any other form of electricity - by the time it reaches the consumer the source is unknown
Why is less resistance for a conductor wire good?
Resistance in a wire restricts the movement of the electrons through the wire. This restriction transfers some of the energy contained in the electrons into the material of the wire and as this energy accumulates in the material of the wire the wire starts to heat. Therefore, there the energy that is transferred into the wire material is considered wasted because it is not available as electrical energy, which means the consumer who is using that wire is charge for the electrical energy that is waste. It the resistance is less in that conductor the consumer will save money.
How can you describe electrical energy?
Electrical energy is the energy in electricity - mainly in electrical currents.
When electrical current flows through the metal filament of a light bulbelectrical energy is coverted to?
When electrical current flows through the metal filament of a light bulb, electrical energy is converted to heat and light energy. The filament heats up due to the resistance it provides, emitting light as it reaches high temperatures.
How formed electrical energy?
Electrical energy can be formed by solar, wind or hydro energy. This energy is transformed into electrical energy.
Why are electrical devices represented in watts?
A Watts is a measurement of power or energy usage represented by W. When you see this on an electrical device, say a sticker on an appliance, it tells you how much energy it will use in watts, or Joules per hour. This allows the consumer to compare similar appliances based on energy usage.
