Electricity generation involves central generation, transmission, distribution, and retail. Power plants use various technologies to generate electricity, which is transmitted through networks and distributed to end users. Energy companies charge customers for electricity use in the final stage of the process.
Energy supply, also known as “electricity generation”, is a term used to describe the generation of electricity for human consumption. Simply put, electricity is supplied to people via a centralized electricity distribution system, starting at the power plant, then to a substation, and finally to residential and commercial buildings via electricity transmission lines. There are typically four phases of energy delivery: central generation, transmission, distribution and retail.
Central generation of electricity takes place in a power plant, where electricity is generated via mechanical generators. These generators use heat engines which are generally powered by a number of technologies. Nuclear power plants use nuclear fission to power heat engines. Kinetic energy powers heat engines in renewable energy power plants, such as those that supply wind energy, which is becoming more prevalent due to the growing demand for renewable energy sources.
The transmission phase of the energy supply process involves the use of transmission networks. Transmission networks include components such as power lines – the medium through which electric current travels – transformers and circuit breakers. During the transmission process, transformers are used to step up or step down the voltage of the current, depending on the type of transmission required. Typically, the electricity arrives at a substation, where the voltage of the current is stepped down, after which the electricity is distributed to end users, including residential and commercial properties.
Within the distribution stage, power is typically at a lower voltage. Power is transferred from a substation transformer to an electrical power distribution bus, which is designed to route power to nearby distribution lines. The electricity, which travels through distribution lines, goes through another voltage regulation process, reducing it to 240 volts, for example, via a transformer drum, before being delivered to an end user.
The retail sale of electricity is typically the final stage in the energy delivery process. In developed nations, energy companies charge customers for electricity use. The clients in question could be organisations, businesses or individual homeowners, for example; if energy company customers consistently fail to pay their electricity bills, the final destination for the energy supply, such as a residential property, could find itself without electricity.
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