How Does the Power Grid Work?

Which of the following statements is true?

• A benefit of renewable energy such as wind or solar is that the energy generated is stored and we can use it whenever we want.

• Energy on our grid system that powers our homes, schools and businesses is energy that was just produced seconds earlier. Energy on the grid is not stored. It is used as it is generated.

How many electrical grids service the North American continent?

• 2

• 3

• 4

What are the three components of the power grid?

What is the purpose of a transformer?

What is the cylindrical object on the power pole and what is its purpose?

• It is a battery, and it stores energy in case of an outage.

• It is a transformer, and it "steps-down" high voltage electricity to low voltage to make it safe for residential use.

• It is a tools and spare parts storage unit for the people who work on the power lines.

What is true about power QUALITY.

• It has to be an even flow without a lot of spikes that can ruin the things it is powering.

• It has to always be maintained at the highest voltage.

In engineering, "redundancy" is the inclusion of extra components which are not strictly necessary to functioning, in case of failure in other components. There is redundancy built into the power grid for the purpose of...

• making it RELIABLE.

• ensuring power QUALITY

Energy demands must be met ON DEMAND in REAL TIME. This means that as consumers plug things in and turns things on, energy must be supplied immediately to meet those demands. If demand increases, supply on the grid must also increase. When we have a heat wave, the grid is under great strain to meet extra needs. What is the main reason for this?

• People are plugging in their electric cars to make extra trips to the beach.

• People are turning up the air conditioning in their homes in the afternoon and evening and the portion of our energy that comes from solar can't keep up when the sun gets lower in the sky.

If you took a little time and effort, you could probably fairly easily approximate how much water you drink each day and give a number in ounces, gallons or liters. If you took a few minutes, you could probably even estimate how much that water would cost if it was all bottled water.

Do you have any idea how much energy you use each day or how much it costs?

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