Turning on a light switch is easy, right? However, producing the electricity required to light up your life is actually a long process. Electricity is a secondary source of energy, meaning that you have to use a primary source to get to it. The majority of the electricity that we use here is produced from thermal power, or stemming from heat. Water is heated until it makes steam by burning natural gas, coal, biomass, or the reaction of uranium. The steam is used to turn large propeller blades inside a turbine. The blades themselves surround a rotor, which connects to a shaft. The shaft spins magnets around a coil inside a generator. The generator is the essential part of this process; it converts energy from one form to another, in this case, mechanical to electrical energy.
Consequently, once electricity is made, getting it to your house is an entirely different process. Because there is no efficient way to store energy for the long term, just the right amount of electricity has to be produced each day. Too much or too little electricity will cause the transformers to fail, creating a total blackout. Therefore, we have to figure out how to send electricity over long distances for long periods of time. Transformers “power up” the electricity to millions of times the voltage that is required for your home use. This high voltage electricity flows across high voltage transmission lines and is powered down again before it reaches your home.
So as I sit here, with my Christmas lights on, the side lamp on, the fan constantly blowing dully, the nightlight glowing softly in the corner, and my PS3 softly humming on the TV stand, I’m feeling a little guilty. All of this electricity adds up to your carbon footprint, which is pretty important if you are a believer in global warming. So as easy as it is to turn off a light switch, it’s just as easy to flip it off. This sustainability blogger is going on a month-long trek to lower her electric use by unplugging as many unnecessary electronics as possible. It only takes a little effort on my part, and I can see my efforts hard at work in the environment.
Sources:
About.com: Understanding Electricity
Energy 101: Electricity Generation