A Beginners Guide to Power Engineering Systems

A Beginners Guide to Power Engineering Systems

If, one day you switch on a light and it fails to turn on, then you will need to learn, pretty quickly, that the likely problem is failure of a power system. Power, as any high school student will tell you, is usually derived from sources like burning natural gas or coal, not to mention solar energy or even hydroelectric power. These disparate sources mean that, of course, there are different kinds of power systems, and in addition to the normal ones that we use on a daily basis; there are also alternative electrical power systems that you should be aware of.

One such electrical power system are wind turbines, which are used to harness wind energy for use in our homes and businesses. Another very accessible and easy to install form of electrical power system are solar panels which are used to harness energy from the sun. The energy derived from the sun can be used for powering home appliances and is also one of the most environmentally friendly energy sources you can get.

Prior to installing any of the electrical power systems in our homes, there are a number of factors that need to be considered when determining the steps we need to take to implement them. I should know, I work for a high voltage engineering company and I am responsible for hooking up large wind farms into the grid as well as helping people change their domestic systems over to renewable forms of energy. In most cases the first step is to conduct a thorough energy audit. Basically, an energy audit involves determining the amount of power that you consume and the items that are consuming the power.

The main things to determine in an energy survey are the kilowatts or watt hours that you use in a day. Power bills can be very helpful in working this figure out but if you want real-time data, you should get a good energy monitor. The next step is to rationalize your usage of power, and this could involve taking a look at how efficient your appliances are.

The next step when you want to install electrical power systems is to eliminate the heating effects associated with burning electricity. These include heating hot water and heating the home. You should, therefore, consider the different forms of cooking and heating. The major alternatives are the ones that are fuelled using bottled gas, wood, and natural gas.

The decision on how you are going to come up with the power should be the next thing that you should think about. Will the power be stored in batteries? And if this is the way to go then how will you charge your batteries? Some good alternatives to these will be solar power, which is ever green, and windmill power. Other sources that could be helpful to you include hydro power and steam generation of power.

The last stage should be designing the system, and this will involve looking at the details of the different components that make up your power system. The components can be grouped into sources of power charge, power users and power storage. Once all these steps are taken, you can now start using your electrical power systems comfortably.

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