• Feb 9, 2021

How does electricity get to your home?

Using a higher voltage in transmission lines is more efficient because it reduces the losses along the way.

But it is also much more dangerous. Hence overhead transmission lines are so tall.

The journey from Generation to Transmission to Use is common in most countries including Australia.

Increasingly the generation will be from renewable sources.

Substations are used to step up or step down the voltage as necessary

Mini substations are used to monitor and control the power on the grid.

All substations are built with a grid of earthing rods and conductors buried below the surface.

In the event of a fault, the substation needs to be able to sink lots of current into the ground to trip the breakers as quickly as possible.

The Australian electricity network is one of the safest in the world. Legislation and regulation, and a series of standards and codes govern how the network is to be built in a way that maintains safety.

Earth wires are your life-lines, conveying electricity from a faulty appliance through the wire to earth rather than through your body.

If a fault occurs, power will flow to the earth by the shortest and easiest path. If an appliance is not properly earthed, the power could flow through it and then through any person touching or using it, causing serious injury or even death.

Refer Earthing your Home