Electricity is always there whenever you flip a switch or plug in a cord, always nearby when necessity arrises. But its very likely that your house is not capable of producing its own electricity; in that case, electricity has to travel a long way to get to your house. In fact, the power plant where the electricity that reaches your house is produced might be hundreds of miles away.All the poles and wires you see along streets, roads and highways and in both residential and industrial areas are all part of the electrical transmission and distribution system. Today, power plants from all across a country are connected to each other through the electrical system (commonly known as the "power grid"). If one power plant can't produce enough electricity to run all the air conditioners when it's hot, another power plant can send extra energy whenever it's needed.
Electricity is made at a power plant by huge generators. Power plants differ in the way in which they turn these generators, some use hot steam (coal, nuclear), wind or water currents (windmills, hydroelectric) and others are even capable of directly producing an electric current (solar panels). The current produced in power plants is sent through transformers to increase the voltage to push the power long distances.
The electrical charge goes through high-voltage transmission lines that stretch across the country.
It travels through distribution lines to all the different areas across a country, including your neighbourhood. Here, smaller pole-top transformers reduce the voltage again to make the power safe to use in our homes.
It travels through distribution lines to all the different areas across a country, including your neighbourhood. Here, smaller pole-top transformers reduce the voltage again to make the power safe to use in our homes.
These poles connect to your house through the service drop and passes through a meter that measures the amount of electricity used in your house. This electricity then goes to the service panel in your house; where fuses protect the wires inside your house from being overloaded.
Electricity then travels through wires inside the walls of your house to the outlets and pre-integrated lighting and appliances.