ALL ABOUT YOUR ELECTRIC POWER

3 STAGES OF DELIVERING ELECTRICAL POWER

• POWER GENERATION
• ELECTRIC POWER TRANSMISSION
• ELECTRIC POWER DISTRIBUTION

֍POWER GENERATION
➢ Electricity generation is the process of generating electric power from sources of primary energy.
➢ For utilities in the electric power industry, it is the stage prior to its delivery to end users
(transmission, distribution, etc.) or its storage Production is carried out in power stations (also
called “Electric power plants").

POWER PLANTS
➢ A power plant is an industrial facility that generates electricity from primary energy.
➢ Most power plants use one or more generators that convert mechanical energy into electrical
energy.
➢ The type of primary fuel or primary energy flow that provides a power plant its primary energy
varies. The most common fuels are coal, natural gas, and bunker oil, uranium,etc.

TYPES OF POWER PLANTS

1. HYDRO ELECTRIC POWER PLANT

➢ Hydroelectric power plants are one of the most effective and eco-friendliest of all power
plants. In a hydroelectric power plant, electricity is generated from water.
➢ In detail, the potential energy of water is converted to electrical energy.
➢ When water is made to fall from a height on to a turbine, it spins the armature which is
connected to a generator.

PROS
➢ Hydroelectric energy is renewable
➢ Hydroelectric power is one of the “green” and
“clean” alternative energy sources that are
out there.
➢ The lake that forms behind the dam can be
used for recreational opportunities
➢ Hydroelectric power is a cost-competitive
source of energy
CONS
➢ Interruptions of natural water flow can have a
great impact on the river ecosystem and the
environment.
➢
Power plants can be incredibly expensive to
build, no matter what type you maybe
building.
➢ The risk of local droughts.

HYDRO ELECTRIC POWER PLANT IN THE PHILIPPINES

• Angat Dam - Bulacan, Philippines
• Magat Dam - Alfonso Lista, Ifugao / Ramon, Isabela
• Ambuklao Dam - Bokod, Benguet
 2. NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
➢ A nuclear power plant works by converting nuclear energy into electricity.
➢ Nuclear power stations also top the list of power plants that can produce massive
amounts of energy.
➢ The heat from the nuclear reactor is used to convert water into steam.
➢ The pressurized steam is then used to turn turbines connected to a generator.

• Bataan Nuclear Power Plant - Morong, Bataan

3. COAL RUN POWER PLANT / COAL-FIRED THERMAL POWER PLANT

➢ Coal Run Power Plant have a large carbon footprint, yet coal-run power plants account
for nearly 40% of the world’s energy needs.
➢ Coal run or coal-fired power plants burn coal to convert water into steam. This steam is
then used to turn turbines which produces electricity with the help of a generator.

PROS
➢ One of the greatest advantages of coal fired
power plants boiler is reliability.
➢ Energy produced from coal fired plants is
cheaper and more affordable than other
energy sources.
➢ There are approximately over 300 years of
economic coal deposits still accessible.
CONS
➢ It cannot be denied that coal leaves behind
harmful byproducts upon combustion.
➢ Mining of coal not only results in the
destruction of habitat and scenery, but it also
displaces humans as well.
➢ Millions of tons of waste products which can
no longer be reused are generated from coal
fired plants.

COAL RUN POWER PLANT IN THE PHILIPPINES

• Mariveles Coal-Fired Power Plant - Mariveles, Bataan

• Sual Port - Sual, Pangasinan

4. SOLAR POWER PLANT

➢ Solar power plants use the energy of the sun to produce electricity. Solar panels capture
the sunlight using photovoltaic cells and convert it into electricity.
➢ Today, an increasing number of countries are looking towards solar energy to offset their
dependence on fossil fuels.
PROS
➢ It can be harnessed in all areas of the world and
is available every day.
➢ We cannot run out of solar energy, unlike
some of the other sources of energy.
➢ Solar energy can be used for diverse purposes.
➢ Solar energy systems generally don’t require a
lot of maintenance.
CONS
➢ The initial cost of purchasing a solar system is
fairly high.
➢ Solar panels are dependent on sunlight to
effectively gather solar energy.
➢ Solar energy has to be used right away, or it can
be stored in large batteries.
➢ The more electricity you want to produce, the
more solar panels you will need.

SOLAR POWER PLANT IN THE PHILIPPINES

• San Carlos Solar Energy Inc. - San Carlos, Negros OccidentaL
• Toledo project of Citicore Power - Cebu

5. WIND POWER PLANT

PROS
➢ Unlike coal, natural gas, or oil, generating
electricity from wind doesn’t result in
greenhouse gas emissions.
➢ Operating costs are relatively low
➢ Wind farms can take up a lot of land space;
however, the actual turbines and equipment
don’t use up a lot of real-estate.
CONS
➢ A wind turbine’s effectiveness in generating
electricity depends on the weather; thus, it
can be difficult to predict.
➢ One of the biggest downsides of wind energy
is the noise and visual pollution.
➢ Their blades can harm and kill species that fly
into them, like birds and bats.

WIND POWER PLANT IN THE PHILIPPINES

• Bangui Wind Farm - Bangui, Ilocos Norte
• North Luzon Renewables - Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

6. GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANT

➢ Geothermal powerplants are similar to the steam turbine power stations that we discussed
earlier.
➢ However, instead of burning fossil fuels, geothermal power plants use the heat from the
earth’s core to create steam.

PROS
➢ Geothermal energy is more environmentally
friendly than conventional fuel sources such
as coal and other fossil fuels. In addition, the
carbon footprint of a geothermal power plant
is low.
CONS
➢ Geothermal plants need to be built in places
where the energy is accessible, which means
that some areas are not able to exploit this
resource.
➢ There are many of these gases stored under
the Earth’s surface which are released into
the atmosphere during digging.
 ➢ Geothermal provides a reliable source of
energy as compared to other renewable
resources such as wind and solar power.

֍ ELECTRICAL POWER TRANSMISSION

➢ Transmission and distribution refers to the different stages of carrying electricity over poles and
wires from generators to a home or a business.
➢ The primary distinction between the two is the voltage level at which electricity moves in each
stage.

➢ After electricity has been generated, a system of electrical wires carries the electricity from the
source of generation to our homes and businesses.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

➢ Transmission is the “interstate highway” of electricity delivery.

➢ It refers to the part of electricity delivery that moves bulk electricity from the generation sites
over long distances to substations closer to areas of demand for electricity.
➢ Consumers may recognize transmission lines as the larger, taller poles/towers carrying many
wires over longer distances.
Transmission lines move large amounts of power at a high voltage level – a level that is too much
to be delivered directly to a home or business.
 OVERHEAD TRANSMISSION VS UNDERGROUND TRANSMISSION

OVERHEAD TRANSMISSION
- An overhead power line is an electric power transmission line suspended by towers or
poles.
- Since most of the insulation is provided by air, overhead power lines are generally the
lowest-cost method of transmission for large quantities of electric power.
- Towers for support of the lines are made of wood (as-grown or laminated), steel (either
lattice structures or tubular poles), concrete, aluminum, and occasionally reinforced
plastics.

PROS CONS
➢High Power transmission. ➢ As it is exposed to the surroundings the safety
➢Low installation and material cost. risk is high.
➢Long-distance transmissions.
➢The fault or damage in overhead lines can ➢ A continuous pathway for the line creates
easily locate. obstructions.Vulnerable to lightning strikes
➢ Maintenance of the line is easier.
➢ Extension or joining on overhead lines can be
performed easily and also it facilitates easy
replacing.

UNDERGROUND TRANSMISSION
- Underground transmission lines are electrical or telecommunications cables that are
installed beneath the ground.
- Large natural gas pipelines are also called transmission lines, but the term underground
transmission lines is normally used to distinguish underground from overhead cabling.
- Trenchless construction is often used to install transmission lines for all kinds of utilities.
PROS
➢ Reduces outages because buried lines are not
susceptible to damage from high winds or
falling trees
➢ Looks better aesthetically
➢ Generates a positive economic impact by
reducing outage-caused downtime for local
businesses
➢ Can be coordinated with road repair activity
to reduce excavation costs
CONS
➢ Installing underground lines can cost 7-10
times more than overhead lines
Buried lines must be protected by conduit,
otherwise they are susceptible to shortages
from groundwater infiltration
➢ Buried lines can take longer to repair because
the damaged area is usually more difficult to
locate

֍ELECTRIC POWER DISTRIBUTION

TRANSFERING AC/DC ELECTRICAL POWER

➢ Electrical distribution systems are an essential part of the electrical power system. In order to
transfer electrical power from an alternating current (AC) or a direct current (DC) source to the
place where it will be used, some type of distribution network must be utilized.

➢ The method used to distribute power from where it is produced to where it is used can be quite
simple. More complex power distribution systems are used, to transfer electrical power from the
power plant to industries, homes, and commercial buildings.

DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IN GENERAL

➢ Distribution systems usually employ such equipment as

transformers, circuit breakers, and protective devices.
➢ The original electrical distribution system developed by Thomas
Edison was an underground direct current (DC) system.
➢ It generally consists of feeders, distributors. The single line
diagram of a typical distribution system is shown

CLASSIFICATION
➢ ACCORDING TO THE NATURE OF CURRENT
• Direct Current – the flow of electric charge is in only one direction
• Alternating Current – the flow of electric charge periodicallt changes direction

➢ ACCORDING TO SCHEME OF CONNECTION

• Radial System - separate feeders radiate from a single substation and feed the
distributors at one end only.
• Ring Main System - the primaries of distribution transformers form a loop.
 • Inter-connected system - when the feeder ring is energized by two or more than two
source

REQUIREMENTS OF A GOOD DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

- A considerable amount of effort is necessary to maintain an electric power supply within the
requirements of various types of consumers. Some of the requirements of a good distribution
system are:

• Proper Voltage - voltage variations at consumer’s terminals should be as low as possible.

• Availability of power on demand - Power must be available to the consumers in any
amount that they may require from time to time.
• Reliability - Modern industry is almost dependent on electric power for its operation.

֍END USERS OF ELECTRICITY POWER

END USE OF ENERGY

- End use energy is the energy directly consumed by the

user, as opposed to primary energy which is the energy
that is harvested directly from natural resources.
- End use energy includes electricity, gasoline, and
natural gas. Primary energy has energy that is usually in
a form that is difficult for a consumer to extract, so
energy conversion technology is used to change the
form of the energy.
- A country's complete profile of end use energy is often
called total final consumption.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT LIGHT ENERGY

▪ Electric eels can produce strong electric shocks of around 500 volts for both self-defense and
hunting.

▪ If a bird sits on just one power line it is safe. However, if the bird touches another line with a wing
or a foot, it creates a circuit, causing the electricity to flow through the bird’s body. This results in
electrocution.

▪ Electricity causes muscle cells in the heart to contract. Electrocardiogram (ECG) machines, used
by medical professionals, measure the electricity going through the heart.
▪
 POWER AND ENERGY

POWER

• A source of energy is required to drive current around a complete circuit.

• A circuit is complete when there is a
complete path or loop for current to
circulate in that loop. This is possible when
a circuit is provided by batteries or any
source of power in the circuits you have
been looking at. It is therefore, the power
that consummates the circulation of current
and use of energy in any circuit.
• The batteries, for example, is one of the
most common power source,
• The battery converts chemical potential
energy into electrical energy.
• The energy is used to do work on the electrons in the circuit. The fig. shows the three basic
components of a circuit: Power source(battery, load(lamp) and conductors(wires). Switches are
options to control operation.

➢ Power is a measure of how rapidly work is done.

➢ Power is the rate at which the work is done, work done per unit time.
➢ Work is measured in joules (J) and time in seconds (s) so power will be in Joules(J)/sec which we
call a watt (W). It is also expressed in KW like in our monthly household consumption.
➢ In electric circuits, power is a function of both voltage and current and we talk about the power
dissipated in a circuit element

Algebraically : Power = Work (Joules) = Joules/sec = watts

Time (sec)

Electrical Power

Electrical power is the rate at which electrical energy is converted in an electric circuit. It
calculated as:

P = V (I)
Power (P) is exactly equal to current (I), in Amp multiplied by voltage (V), in volts there is no extra
constant of proportionality. The unit of measurement for power is the watt (abbreviated W).

It was James Prescott Joule, not Georg Simon Ohm, who first discovered the mathematical relationship
between power dissipation and current through a resistance. This discovery, published in 1841, followed
the form of the equation: P=I2R, and is properly known as Joule's Law. However, these power equations
are so commonly associated with the Ohm's Law equations relating voltage, current, and resistance that
they are frequently credited to Ohm.
Equivalent forms

We can use Ohm's Law to show that P=V(I) to P=I2R and P = V2./R
Using V=I⋅R
P=V⋅I, and (I = V/R), then P = V2/R Ohm's Law=I2R

ILLUSTRATION : ELECTRICAL POWER

Given a circuit component that has a voltage of 55 V and a resistance of 22 Ω, what is the power
dissipated?
▪ Write down what you are given and what you need to find

V=5 VOLTS; R =2 Ω ; P = ______W

▪ Write down an equation for power

The equation for power is: P=V2//R

▪ Solve the problem

P=V2/R=(5)2//(2)=12.5 Watts

EXAMPLE 2: ELECTRICAL POWER

Study the circuit diagram:

The resistance of the resistor is 15 Ω and the

current going through the resistor is 4 A. What is
the power for the resistor?

▪ Determine how to approach the

problem

We are given the resistance of the resistor and the current passing through it and are
asked to calculate the power. We can have verified that:

P=I2R=I2R
▪ Solve the problem
We can simply substitute the known values for RR and II to solve for PP.

P=I2R=(4)2×15=240 watts
▪ Write the final answer

The power for the resistor is 240 W.

EXAMPLE 3: POWER IN SERIES CIRCUIT

Two ohmic resistors (R1 and R2) are connected in series with a cell. Find the resistance and power of R2,
given that the current flowing through R1 and R2 is 0.250A and that the voltage across the cell is 66 V. R1
= 1 Ω.
▪ Draw the circuit and fill in all known values.
▪ Determine how to approach the problem.

We can use Ohm's Law to find the total resistance R in

the circuit, and then calculate the unknown resistance
using:

R=R1+R2=R1+R2
because it is in a series circuit.

▪ Find the total resistance

V= IR=6 ; subst. I = 0.25 and V = 6; Then I = V/I =24 Ω

▪ Find the unknown resistance

We know that: R=24 Ω and R1=1 Ω

Since R=R1+R2
R2=R−R1 : R2 = 24 -1 = 23 Ω
Therefore, R=23 Ω
▪ Solve the problem

Now that the resistance is known and the current, we can determine the power on R 2

P2 =I2R=(0.25)2(23)=1.44 W
▪ Write the final answer

The power for the resistor R2 is 1.441 watts

Notice that we use the same circuits in examples as we extend our knowledge of electric circuits. This is
to emphasise that you can always combine all of the principles you have learnt when dealing with any
circuit.
EXAMPLE 4: POWER IN SERIES AND PARALLEL NETWORKS OF RESISTORS

Given the following circuit:

The current leaving the battery is 1,071,07 AA, the

total power dissipated in the circuit is 6,426,42 WW,
the ratio of the total resistances of the two parallel
networks RP1:RP2RP1:RP2 is 1:2, the ratio
R1:R2R1:R2 is 3:5 and R3=7 ΩR3=7 Ω.
Determine the:

1. voltage of the battery,

2. the power dissipated in RP1RP1 and RP2RP2,
and
3. the value of each resistor and the power
dissipated in each of them.
▪ What is required
o In this question you are given various pieces of information and asked to determine the
power dissipated in each resistor and each combination of resistors. Notice that the
information given is mostly for the overall circuit. This is a clue that you should start with
the overall circuit and work downwards to more specific circuit elements.

▪ Calculating the voltage of the battery

o Firstly we focus on the battery. We are given the power for the overall circuit as well as the
current leaving the battery. We know that the voltage across the terminals of the battery is
the voltage across the circuit as a whole.

o We can use the relationship P=VIP=VI for the entire circuit because the voltage is the same as
the voltage across the terminals of the battery:

PV=VI=PI=6,421,07=6,00 VP=VIV=PI=6,421,07=6,00 V
The voltage across the battery is 6,006,00 VV.
Power dissipated in RP1RP1 and RP2RP2
Remember that we are working from the overall circuit details down towards those for individual
elements, this is opposite to how you treated this circuit earlier.

We can treat the parallel networks like the equivalent

resistors so the circuit we are currently dealing with looks
like:
We know that the current through the two circuit elements will be the same because it is a series circuit
and that the resistance for the total circuit must be: RT=RP1+RP2RT=RP1+RP2. We can determine the total
resistance from Ohm's Law for the circuit as a whole:

VbatteryRT=IRT=VbatteryI=6,001,07=5,61 ΩVbattery=IRTRT=VbatteryI=6,001,07=5,61 Ω
We know that the ratio between RP1:RP2RP1:RP2 is 1:2 which means that we know:
• RP1RT(5,61)RP2RP2=12RP2
• RP1+RP2=12RP2+RP2=32RP2=32RP2=23(5,61)=3,74
• ΩRP1=12RP2
• RT=RP1+RP2=12RP2+RP2=32RP2(5,61)=32RP2RP2=23(5,61)RP2=3,74 Ω
and therefore:
RP1=12RP2=12(3.74)=1,87 ΩRP1=12RP2=12(3.74)=1,87 Ω
Now that we know the total resistance of each of the parallel networks we can calculate the power
dissipated in each:

PP1=I2RP1=(1,07)2(1,87)=2,14 WPP1=I2RP1=(1,07)2(1,87)=2,14 W
PP2=I2RP2=(1,07)2(3,74)=4,28 WPP2=I2RP2=(1,07)2(3,74)=4,28 W

▪ Parallel network 1 calculations

Now we can begin to do the detailed calculation

for the first set of parallel resistors.

We know that the ratio between R1:R2R1:R2 is

3:5 which means that we know
R1=35R2R1=35R2. We also know the total
resistance for the two parallel resistors in this
network is 1,871,87 ΩΩ. We can use the
relationship between the values of the two
resistors as well as the formula for the total
resistance (1RPT=1R1+1R21RPT=1R1+1R2) to
find the resistor values:

1RP11RP11RP11RP11RP1R2=1R1+1R2=53R2+1R2=1R2(53+1)=1R2(53+33)=1R283=RP183=(1,87)83=4,99
Ω1RP1=1R1+1R21RP1=53R2+1R21RP1=1R2(53+1)1RP1=1R2(53+33)1RP1=1R283R2=RP183=(1,87)83=4,9
9Ω
We can also calculate R1R1:
R1=35R2=35(4,99)=2,99 ΩR1=35R2=35(4,99)=2,99 Ω
 To determine the power we need the resistance which we have calculated and either the voltage
or current. The two resistors are in parallel so the voltage across them is the same as well as the
same as the voltage across the parallel network. We can use Ohm's Law to determine the voltage
across the network of parallel resistors as we know the total resistance and we know the current:

V=IR=(1,07)(1,87)=2,00 VV=IR=(1,07)(1,87)=2,00 V
We now have the information we need to determine the power through each resistor:

P1=V2R1=(2,00)22,99=1,34 WP1=V2R1=(2,00)22,99=1,34 W
P2=V2R2=(2,00)24,99=0,80 WP2=V2R2=(2,00)24,99=0,80 W

• Parallel network 2 calculations

Now we can begin to do the detailed calculation for the second set of parallel resistors

We are given R3=7,00 ΩR3=7,00 Ω and we know RP2RP2 so we can calculate R4R4 from:

1RP213,74R4=1R3+1R4=17,00+1R4=8,03 Ω1RP2=1R3+1R413,74=17,00+1R4R4=8,03 Ω
- We can calculate the voltage across the second parallel network by subtracting the
voltage of the first parallel network from the battery voltage, VP2=6,00−2,00=4,00
VVP2=6,00−2,00=4,00 V.
-
We can now determine the power dissipated in each resistor:

P3=V2R3=(4,00)27,00=2,29 WP3=V2R3=(4,00)27,00=2,29 W
P4=V2R2=(4,00)28,03=1,99 WP4=V2R2=(4,00)28,03=1,99 W
P=VI=(3,00)(0,333)=0,99 WP=VI=(3,00)(0,333)=0,99 W

Assignment : Solve the following problems. Use step by step solution of simplifying series and parallel
parts/branch. Compute only the current and power in the 4 ohm resistance.

Electrical Energy

When power is dissipated in a device there is a transfer of energy from one kind to another. For example,
a resistor may get very hot which indicates that the energy is being dissipated as heat. Power was the rate
at which work was done, the rate at which energy is transferred. If we want to calculate the total amount
of energy we need to multiply the rate of energy transfer by the time over which that energy transfer took
place.
Electrical energy is simply power times time. Mathematically we write:
E=P×t
; where P is the power in watts; and t is TIME IN hrs.

➢ In terms of Work done in a circuit, Energy is measured in joules (J) and time in seconds (s).

EXAMPLE 1 : ELECTRICAL ENERGY

A 30 W light bulb is left on for 8 hours overnight, how much energy was wasted?
▪ What is required
We need to determine the total amount of electrical energy dissipated by the light bulb. We know
the relationship between the power and energy and we are given the time. Time is not given in
the correct units so we first need to convert to S.I. units:
TIME t =8; hr=8×3 600 s/hr ; t = 28800sec
▪ Calculate the energy

We know that:
E=Pt=(30w)(28 800s)=864 000 Ws = 864,000J

EXAMPLE 2 : ELECTRICAL ENERGY

Study the circuit diagram:

The resistance of the resistor is 27 Ω and the current

going through the resistor is 3.3 A. What is the power
for the resistor and how much energy is dissipated in
35 s?
▪ Determine how to approach the problem
We are given the resistance of the resistor and the current passing through it and are asked to
calculate the power. We have verified that:
P = I2R
and we know that E = Pt
▪ Solve the problem
We can simply substitute the known values for RR and II to solve for PP.
P=I2R=(3.3)2×27=294.03 W
Now that we have determined the power we can calculate the energy:
E=Pt=(294.03)(35)=10 291.05 J
▪ Write the final answer

The power for the resistor is 294,03W and 10,291,05 J.

 o Electricity is sold in units which are one kilowatt hour (kWh). A kilowatt hour is simply the use of
1kW for 1 hr. Using this you can work out exactly how much electricity different appliances will
use and how much this will cost you.
o We are given the details for a device that uses electrical energy and the price of electricity. Given
a certain amount of time for use we need to determine how much energy was used and what the
cost of that would be.
o The various quantities provided are in different units. We need to use consistent units to get an
answer that makes sense.

The microwave, for example, has a nameplate of 900W. We can convert this to kW :900 W/1000 =0.9
kW. If we use this for 30 min, the energy consumed will be :
▪ Calculate usage
The electrical power is:

E=Pt=(0.9 kW)x (30 min)(1Hr/60min) = 0.9x0.5 kWH – 0.45 KWh

▪ Calculate cost (C) of electricity
If electricity cost P12.00 per kwh ; then the cost of operation is :

C=E×price = 0.45 kwh x P12.00/kwh = P5.40

Given the following appliances and their corresponding power consumptions. Complete the following
table.

Appliance Power rating Appliance Cost to run for 1 hour

Stove 600 W Stove

Microwave 1 200 W Microwave

Washing Washing
200 W machine
machine
Kettle 1200W Kettle
Fridge 230 W Fridge
Toaster 750 W Toaster
Energy
40W Energy
saver lamp
saver globe
Light bulb 120 W
Vacuum Vacuum
1 600 W
cleaner cleaner