Electricity Generation

What Is Electricity Generation ?

Electricity generation is the process of generating electric power from other sources of primary energy. The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday. His basic method is still used today: electricity is generated by the movement of a loop of wire, or disc of copper between the poles of a magnet. For electric utilities, it is the first process in the delivery of electricity to consumers. The other processes, electricity transmission, distribution, and electrical power storage and recovery using pumped-storage methods are normally carried out by the electric power industry. Electricity is most often generated at a power station by electromechanical generators, primarily driven by heat engines fueled by chemical combustion or nuclear fission but also by other means such as the kinetic energy of flowing water and wind. Other energy sources include solar photovoltaics and geothermal power. 

Electricity Problem in Pakistan

Energy Crisis in Pakistan is one of the severe challenges the country is facing today. Electricity, gas, water, fuel is essential part of our daily life and its outage has severely affected the economy and overall living of ours. Thousands have lost their jobs, businesses; our daily life has become miserable. Pakistan is currently facing up to 18 hours of electricity outage a day, is expected to face more if not dealt with in time.The country may plunge into energy crisis by year 2007 due to rising electricity demands into which double digit figure following increasing sale of electrical and electronic appliances on lease finance, The shortage in electricity production in Pakistan is worsening day by day which is causing long break downs and load shedding as called by government. The crisis started about a year ago when all of sudden the electricity consumption increased to a point where all the electricity producing sources failed to fulfill the demand. Apparently it is a matter of supply and demand.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the nature of this crisis and to propose some short-term as well as long-term solutions to this problem. This study is exploratory in nature.

Causes:

The country is facing a huge electric power crisis today. This crisis appears insurmountable in the near or even long-term future, unless proper understanding and correct implementation is undertaken on priority basis. The demand for electricity in Pakistan during the winter months actually goes down and this winter has not been an exception. The systemic issues such as the failure to build new dams and Gen. Mushraf Government's inability to add even a single megawatt of new power to the grid during 9 years of his rule, it seems that the present crisis is a result of bad management and the lack of foresight. The total installed capacity of WAPDA and KESC totals around 19,500 megawatts. Almost two third of this power comes from thermal power plants (fossil fuels), one third is generated by water and about 2% comes from nuclear power plants.
Throughout the month of December, the electricity consumption in Pakistan hovered around 11,000 MW, down from the peak levels of 17,500 MW seen in summer. This demand was well within the installed capacity of WAPDA & KESC yet they were only generating a meager one third (6500MW) of their maximum capacity during this period leaving a huge gap between supply and demand. There are two main reasons for this:
1. The water flow from all major dams was halted starting mid December to allow the annual cleaning of canals in January. This action effectively took all the hydro power off line.
2. The thermal power plants were working far below their potential due to the lack of money caused by the circular debt between various government agencies reaching a staggering 400 billion Rupees.

Solution To The Crisis

Through my investigation and discovery, I suggest that the country that i am referring can solve this crisis by refering to the solution below :

1. Government should not get such kind of IPP’s (Independent Power Producers) circular Debts if Government  is unable to pay the charges.

2,Government must produce electricity from coal because their country are having a huge amount of coal they should generate electricity from it.

3.They should make phases and upgrade transmissions lines according to the usage of electricity in Pakistan.
If there is any kind of lack in investment to settle new plants of energy than the Government should sale shares in market to have more investment to cover up energy crisis.

4.If K.E.S.C can generate the electricity for two provinces (Sindh, Balouchistan) than Govt: should get interest in that case.

5.The government should try to make alternative way to produce Electricity at least cost per unit so we can consume and run our factories and so on for having least cost goods production.

As a conclusion, people from other countries should save electricity to avoid electricity crisis. So you won't regret when electrical crisis happen. 

Source From :

Prof Zahid Ali Mangi
D J Sindh Government Science College
Karachi
http://wikianswer.com
http://www.ukessays.com/essays/economics/shortage-of-electricity-energy-crisis-in-pakistan-economics-essay.php#ixzz35vQ3V1MD

Electrical Saving II

 

In the previous post , we had talk about examples of saving electricity and here was the second part of post save electricity .Saving electricity doesn't just save money, it also saves the environment. This is news to a lot of people. After all, when you plug something into the wall, it seems clean enough you don't see or smell any pollution, like you do with your car. But the pollution is there it just happens at the power plant. Most electricity is generated by burning coal and other fossil fuels. Every time you turn on the lights, you create a little pollution.

 

Invest in appliances 

There's lots you can do to start saving energy and money.  You can also invest in more energy-efficient household appliances when it's time to replace them. Or, if you want to go straight to the heart of the problem, consider generating your own electricity or switching to a green electricity tariff. But it's not all about grand gestures. Smaller changes, such as unplugging your mobile phone's charger when the battery is fully charged, may shave only a few pence off your electricity bill, but can have a huge impact on the environment if we all get in the habit.

Making your own electricity

Though it takes time to recoup the installation cost, if you want to go the extra mile for energy efficiency, you could try producing your own electricity. Solar panels can generate electricity (solar PV panels) or, for a much lower initial cost, just help you heat water (solar thermal panels) - this can slash your water heating bill by a third. You could also have small domestic wind turbines . The wind turbines are much cheaper to install so have shorter payback periods than solar panels. The average wind speed around your house is key to how your small domestic turbine will perform. For most people in the UK, it won't be worth it. Find out more in our wind turbine guide.

Optimize the energy consumption of your PC

Modern PCs can be set up to enter energy saving modes from both the BIOS settings page and directly from the Windows Operating system. Enable "Sleep" and "Hybrid Sleep" for desktops and "Hibernation" for notebook PCs running Windows.

Applications of electricity

ELECTRICITY PYLONS

The light bulb is an early application of electricity, operates by Joule heating: the passage of current through resistance generating heat. Electricity is a very convenient way to transfer energy, and it has been adapted to a huge and growing number of uses. The invention of a practical incandescent light bulb in the 1870s led to lighting becoming one of the first publicly available applications of electrical power.

           Although electrification brought with it its own dangers, replacing the naked flames of gas lighting greatly reduced fire hazards within homes and factories.Public utilities were set up in many cities targeting the burgeoning market for electrical lighting.The Joule heating effect employed in the light bulb also sees more direct use in electric heating. While this is versatile and controllable, it can be seen as wasteful, since most electrical generation has already required the production of heat at a power station. A number of countries, such as Denmark, have issued legislation restricting or banning the use of electric heating in new buildings.

             Electricity is however a highly practical energy source for refrigeration, with air conditioning representing a growing sector for electricity demand, the effects of which electricity utilities are increasingly obliged to accommodate^. Electricity is used within telecommunications, and indeed the electrical telegraph, demonstrated commercially in 1837 by Cooke and Wheatstone, was one of its earliest applications. 

            With the construction of first intercontinental, and then transatlantic, telegraph systems in the 1860s, electricity had enabled communications in minutes across the globe. Optical fiber and satellite communication technology have taken a share of the market for communications systems, but electricity can be expected to remain an essential part of the process.

           The effects of electromagnetism are most visibly employed in the electric motor, which provides a clean and efficient means of motive power. A stationary motor such as a winch is easily provided with a supply of power, but a motor that moves with its application, such as an electric vehicle, is obliged to either carry along a power source such as a battery, or to collect current from a sliding contact such as a pantograph.

^{Reference: http://wikipedia.com}

Electrical Energy Conservation

Introduction

Electrical energy conservation is an important element of energy policy.Energy conservation reduces the energy consumption and energy demand per capita and thus offsets some of the growth in energy supply needed to keep up with population growth. This reduces the rise in energy costs, and can reduce the need for new power plants, and energy imports. The reduced energy demand can provide more flexibility in choosing the most preferred methods of energy production. By reducing emissions, energy conservation is an important part of lessening climate change. Energy conservation facilitates the replacement of non-renewable resources with renewable energy. Energy conservation is often the most economical solution to energy shortages, and is a more environmentally benign alternative to increased energy production. Energy conservation is the practice of decreasing the quantity of energy used. It may be achieved through efficient energy use, in which case energy use is decreased while achieving a similar outcome, or by reduced consumption of energy services. Energy conservation may result in increase of financial capital, environmental value, national security, personal security, and human comfort. Individuals and organizations that are direct consumers of energy may want to conserve energy in order to reduce energy costs and promote economic security. Industrial and commercial users may want to increase efficiency and thus maximize profit.

 

Issues with energy conservation

• Standard economic theory suggests that technological improvements that increase energy efficiency will tend to increase, rather than reduce energy use. This is called the Jevons Paradox and it is said to occur in two ways. Firstly, increased energy efficiency makes the use of energy relatively cheaper, thus encouraging increased use. Secondly, increased energy efficiency leads to increased economic growth, which pulls up energy use in the whole economy. This does not imply that increased fuel efficiency is worthless, increased fuel efficiency enables greater production and a higher quality of life. However, in order to reduce energy consumption, efficiency gains must be paired with a government intervention that reduces demand (a green tax, cap and trade).
• The use of telecommuting by major corporations is a significant opportunity to conserve energy, as many Americans now work in service jobs that enable them to work from home instead of commuting to work each day.
• Consumers are often poorly informed of the savings of energy efficient products. The research one must put into conserving energy often is too time consuming and costly when there are cheaper products and technology available using today's fossil fuels.
• Some of the energy we can use is called renewable energy. These include solar, wind, geothermal and hydro. These types of energy are constantly being renewed or restored.
• But many of the other forms of energy we use in our homes and cars are not being replenished. Fossil fuels took millions of years to create. They cannot be made over night.
• And there are finite or limited amounts of these non-renewable energy sources. That means they cannot be renewed or replenished. Once they are gone they cannot be used again. So, we must all do our part in saving as much energy as we can.
• In your home, you can save energy by turning off appliances, TVs and radios that are not being used, watched or listened to.
• You can turn off lights when no one is in the room.
• By putting insulation in walls and attics, we can reduce the amount of energy it takes to heat or cool our homes.
• Insulating a home is like putting on a sweater or jacket when we're cold...instead of turning up the heat.
• The outer layers trap the heat inside, keeping it nice and warm.

Recycling

• To make all of our newspapers, aluminum cans, plastic bottles and other goods takes lots of energy.
• Recycling these items -- grinding them up and reusing the material again -- uses less energy than it takes to make them from brand new, raw material.
• So, we must all recycle as much as we can.
• We can also save energy in our cars and trucks.
• Make sure the tires are properly inflated.
• A car that is tuned up, has clean air and oil filters, and is running right will use less gasoline.
• Don't over-load a car. For every extra 100 pounds, you cut your mileage by one mile per gallon.
• When your parents buy a new car, tell them to compare the fuel efficiency of different models and buy a car that gets higher miles per gallon.
• You can also save energy in your school.
• Each week you can choose an energy monitor who will make sure energy is being used properly.
• The energy monitor will turn off the lights during recess and after class.
• You can make "Turn It Off" signs for hanging above the light switches to remind yourself.
• Also check out our on-line pages on Saving Energy.
• You can make sure your classmates recycle all aluminum cans and plastic bottles, and make sure the library is recycling the newspapers and the school is recycling its paper

Fuel Cell Uses

Fuel cells are a promising technology for use as a source of heat and electricity in buildings, and as an electrical power source for vehicles. Auto companies are working on building cars and trucks that use fuel cells. In a fuel cell vehicle, an electrochemical device converts hydrogen (stored on board) and oxygen from the air into electricity, to drive an electric motor and power the vehicle. Although these applications would ideally run off pure hydrogen, in the near term they are likely to be fueled with natural gas, methanol or even gasoline. Reforming these fuels to create hydrogen will allow the use of much of our current energy infrastructure - gas stations, natural gas pipelines, etc. - while fuel cells are phased in. In the future, hydrogen could also join electricity as an important energy carrier. An energy carrier stores, moves and delivers energy in a usable form to consumers.

• Renewable energy sources, like the sun, can't produce energy all the time. The sun doesn't always shine. But hydrogen can store this energy until it is needed and can be transported to where it is needed.

Some experts think that hydrogen will form the basic energy infrastructure that will power future societies, replacing today's natural gas, oil, coal, and electricity infrastructures. They see a new "hydrogen economy" to replace our current "fossil fuel-based economy," although that vision probably won't happen until far in the future.

 

Solar Power Satellites

 One suggestion for energy in the future is to put huge solar power satellites into orbit around the earth. They would collect solar energy from the sun, convert it to electricity and beam it to Earth as microwaves or some other form of transmission. The power would have no greenhouse gas emissions, but microwave beams might affect health adversely. And frequent rocket launches may harm the upper atmosphere. This idea may not be practical for another century; if at all.

 

Law of Conservation of Energy

Law of conservation of energy states that the energy can neither be created nor destroyed but can be transformed from one form to another.

 

Advantages

1. Saves OUR money

• After the initial investment has been recovered, the energy from the sun is practically FREE.
• The recovery/ payback period for this investment can be very short depending on how much electricity your household uses.
• Financial incentives are available form the government that will reduce your cost.
• If your system produce more energy than you use, your utility company can buy it from you, building up a credit on your account! This is called net metering.
• It will save you money on your electricity bill if you have one at all.
• Solar energy does not require any fuel.
• It's not affected by the supply and demand of fuel and is therefore not subjected to the ever-increasing price of gasoline.
• The savings are immediate and for many years to come.
• The use of solar energy indirectly reduces health costs.

2. Environmentally friendly

• Solar Energy is clean, renewable (unlike gas, oil and coal) and sustainable, helping to protect our environment.
• It does not pollute our air by releasing carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide or mercury into the atmosphere like many traditional forms of electrical generations does.
• Therefore Solar Energy does not contribute to global warming, acid rain or smog.
• It actively contributes to the decrease of harmful green house gas emissions.
• It's generated where it is needed.
• By not using any fuel, Solar Energy does not contribute to the cost and problems of the recovery and transportation of fuel or the storage of radioactive waste.

3. Independent/ semi-independent

• Solar Energy can be utilized to offset utility-supplied energy consumption. It does not only reduce your electricity bill, but will also continue to supply your home/ business with electricity in the event of a power outage.
• A Solar Energy system can operate entirely independent, not requiring a connection to a power or gas grid at all. Systems can therefore be installed in remote locations (like holiday log cabins), making it more practical and cost-effective than the supply of utility electricity to a new site.
• The use of Solar Energy reduces our dependence on foreign and/or centralized sources of energy, influenced by natural disasters or international events and so contributes to a sustainable future.
• Solar Energy supports local job and wealth creation, fuelling local economies.

4. Low/ no maintenance

• Solar Energy systems are virtually maintenance free and will last for decades.
• Once installed, there are no recurring costs.
• They operate silently, have no moving parts, do not release offensive smells and do not require you to add any fuel.
• More solar panels can easily be added in the future when your family's needs grow.

Disadvantages

• The initial cost is the main disadvantage of installing a solar energy system, largely because of the high cost of the semi-conducting materials used in building one.
• The cost of solar energy is also high compared to non-renewable utility-supplied electricity. As energy shortages are becoming more common, solar energy is becoming more price-competitive.
• Solar panels require quite a large area for installation to achieve a good level of efficiency.
• The efficiency of the system also relies on the location of the sun, although this problem can be overcome with the installation of certain components.
• The production of solar energy is influenced by the presence of clouds or pollution in the air.

WAYS TO CONSERVE ENERGY

Sometimes, when people hear the words energy conservation, they think that it takes a rocket scientist or some super hero to make it happen. What most of us don't realize is that energy conservation is well within our reach and capability, and when done on a bigger scale and participated by more people, we can do so much positive effect to the environment and actually make it a better place for the future generation.
Energy conservation means that you are cutting back on your energy consumption and using energy-efficient products and appliances. It also means that the energy you are using is coming from other alternative energy resources that are not harmful to the environment, as opposed to the traditional sources of energy like coal and fossil fuels which are already limited.
There are a lot of simple ways in energy conservation without even spending money. These include unplugging any appliance in your home when not in use. There are people who don't realize that when only turning an appliance off, it still consumes energy, and if left all night, it can add up immensely on your electrical bill.

• Not only does this mean bigger expenses for you, but also a more adverse effect to the environment. Although unplugging the appliances, you are completely stopping to use the energy. You can also simply switch to more energy-efficient light bulbs. By doing this you can instantly cut down your electricity consumption up to 30%. Energy-efficient light bulbs are more durable, not to mention less harmful to the environment.

• We should be active with our efforts to save the environment, especially now that a lot of people worldwide are beginning to really experience the negative effects of global warming. All it takes is the first step forward and everything will else will be easy.

 

Source from :

 http://www.ukessays.com/essays/chemistry/electrical-energy-conservation.php#ixzz360TjXQ6d

History of electricity

Electricity is a form of energy and it occurs in nature, so it was not “invented.” As to who discovered it, many misconceptions abound. Some give credit to Benjamin Franklin for discovering electricity, but his experiments only helped establish the connection between lightning and electricity, nothing more.
The truth about the discovery of electricity is a bit more complex than a man flying his kite. It actually goes back more than two thousand years.

In about 600 BC, the Ancient Greeks discovered that rubbing fur on amber (fossilized tree resin) caused an attraction between the two – and so what the Greeks discovered was actually static electricity. Additionally, researchers and archeologists in the 1930’s discovered pots with sheets of copper inside that they believe may have been ancient batteries meant to produce light at ancient Roman sites. Similar devices were found in archeological digs near Baghdad meaning ancient Persians may have also used an early form of batteries.

A replica and diagram of one of the ancient electric cells (batteries) found near Bagdad.

But by the 17th century, many electricity-related discoveries had been made, such as the invention of an early electrostatic generator, the differentiation between positive and negative currents, and the classification of materials as conductors or insulators. In the year 1600, English physician William Gilbert used the Latin word “electricus” to describe the force that certain substances exert when rubbed against each other. A few years later another English scientist, Thomas Browne, wrote several books and he used the word “electricity” to describe his investigations based on Gilbert’s work.

BEN FRANKLIN

                                                        

In 1752, Ben Franklin conducted his experiment with a kite, a key, and a storm. This simply proved that lightning and tiny electric sparks were the same thing. Italian physicist Alessandro Volta discovered that particular chemical reactions could produce electricity, and in 1800 he constructed the voltaic pile (an early electric battery) that produced a steady electric current, and so he was the first person to create a steady flow of electrical charge. Volta also created the first transmission of electricity by linking positively-charged and negatively-charged connectors and driving an electrical charge, or voltage, through them.
In 1831 electricity became viable for use in technology when Michael Faraday created the electric dynamo (a crude power generator), which solved the problem of generating electric current in an ongoing and practical way. Faraday’s rather crude invention used a magnet that was moved inside a coil of copper wire, creating a tiny electric current that flowed through the wire. This opened the door to American Thomas Edison and British scientist Joseph Swan who each invented the incandescent filament light bulb in their respective countries in about 1878. Previously, light bulbs had been invented by others, but the incandescent bulb was the first practical bulb that would light for hours on end.

How to save electricity ?

 

 Examples of saving electricity:

Use More Energy-efficient Appliances

If you are shopping for new appliances, make sure to look for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star label before making a purchase. Energy Star appliances use between 10 and 50 percent less energy and water than their conventional counterparts. They may cost more than appliances without the Energy Star designation, but in most cases they will more than make up that additional cost through energy savings.

 

Change Your Light Bulbs

One of the least expensive and most effective changes you can make in your home is replacing your light bulbs. According to Energy Star, one of its qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL), which cost just a few dollars, “will save our money . It only uses 75 percent less energy and lasts about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb.” Although some people are concerned because CFLs contain mercury, Energy Star says that CFLs do not release any mercury when in use, and actually reduce mercury emissions because they lessen the need for electricity from power plants that emit mercury. Learn more at Energy Star’s CFLs and Mercury page. For more energy-efficient lighting, see Bright Ideas for Home Lighting or the Energy Star CFL page.

 

Use Fans for Cooling

During hot weathers,  use stationary, ceiling and whole-house fans to cool your home, reducing the need for air conditioning. As air conditioning used up a lot of electricity and will increase the cost of electrical bills. However, if its during cold seasons , close the fans instead of opening the fans to save electricity.

 Switching off  

If you really want to go all out, have your family use just one or two rooms at night, rather than spreading out all over the house and keeping your entire home lit.For maximum electricity savings, use candles! This old-fashioned system of providing light at night is effective, romantic and peaceful. If you don't find it practical to use candles every night, try doing it just once or twice a week. Be careful doing this with little kids, though - make sure all of your family members know how to handle candles safely.

Unplug appliances when they aren't in use. 

Did you know that appliances that are plugged in keep using energy, even when they're switched off? Even an appliance as small as a coffee pot continues slowly sapping energy every moment it stays plugged in, long after the last cup of coffee has been consumed. Example like power down your computer and unplug it at the end of the day. Computers use a lot of energy, and when they stay plugged in you're wasting both energy and money.Don't leave your TV plugged in all the time. It may seem inconvenient to unplug it when you're finished watching, but the savings are worth the trouble.Unplug your sound system and speakers. These are some of the worst culprits when it comes to sapping extra energy when they aren't in use.And don't forget about small appliances such as phone chargers, kitchen appliances, hair dryers, and anything else you've got that runs on electricity.

Electricity consumption

 

What is electricity consumption ?

Electric energy consumption is the form of energy consumption that uses electric energy.

Usage of electric energy around the world

Nowadays, people around the world used up too much electric energy. In the consumption rate in Industry, China is the highest with 67.8% while in the Commercial and Public Service, Japan is highest with 36.4%. Other than that, for Domestic usage, Saudi Arabia is the highest with 56.9. As a conclusion, China was the highest in energy consumption by using up 5,245,100,000 watt in 2013 while our country,Malaysia was the 31st by using up 93,800,000watt in 2009.

Importance of electricity

 

Electricity is important to life. A vast number of machines which are invented nowadays cannot be operated without it. As a matter of fact, electricity is used mostly in four main areas such as industry, public health, media and transportation.

First of all, electricity plays a vital part in industry. Thanks to the invention of electricity, a lot of equipment has been invented including computers, subways, bulbs,etc.Electricity is the crucial factor in operating most devices. As a matter of fact, we now lighten our lives with electricity, which is inexpensive and friendly-environment.Everything is produced by machines precisely and constantly, saving us a great amount of time and money. Apparently, electricity is used by all walks of life everyday in all aspects. For example, in summer and winter air conditioning systems are used to modify the condition of air inside the building, offices and houses.

Secondly, electricity is essential in our daily transportation. Only with the advent of electricity can people create the traffic light. This is a great contribution to the safety of people on the street. Additionally, because steam engines are now replaced with electric engines, global warming and greenhouse effect are reduced considerably. Obviously, not only the speed is increased but the journey is smoke free, so less pollution are added into the atmosphere just to help to protect the environment.

Besides that, another area in our life on which electricity has a great influence is media both in communication and entertainment. Taking telegraphs and telephones for examples, both of them are common place today and they need electricity to operate. With these devices, we can talk to our friends and family at a great distance or we can even fax to every corner of the world within no time. Similarly, televisions enable everyone to update information around the world and see what is happening at the other side of the globe simultaneously. Needless to say, without these speedy means of communications, many business would come to a halt. More significantly, electricity makes entertainment possible, creating a much more interesting and fascinating world. It can't be denied that books, which are now available everywhere are not only knowledgeable but they are also entertaining. Since the invention of electricity, the number of books and periodicals released has been noticeably increasing. Therefore, the utility of electricity has not only brightened our homes but also our heads.

Finally, electricity is helpful in health services and treatment. Due to electricity, medical technology are improved. In hospitals, surgeons are able to carry operation in a more effective and efficient way. Most of the diseases which used to be fatal in the past cannot kill people now. For instance, X-ray machines enables doctors to take photographs of internal parts of the body so that the surgery and operation are much safer and more accurate.

In a nutshell, the importance of electricity in our daily routine is undeniable.However, the demand for it is increasing because more and more people have access to it. As a result, everyone should make an attempt to reduce the consumption of electricity in family as well as in office by using it more reasonably.