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Direct Current (DC)
- Current in which charge particles travel through a circuit in only one direction
- e.g. Cellphone, flashlight
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Alternating Current (AC)
- Current in which electrons move back and forth in a circuit
- e.g. Oven, heater, toaster
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Transformer
- An electrical device that changes the size of the potential difference of an alternating current
- Types of transformers: Step up, step down, three phase, single phase
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Circuit Breaker
- A safety device that is placed in series with other circuits, which lead to appliances and outlets
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Fuse
- A safety device that is found in older buildings and some appliances; like a circuit breaker, it is placed in series with other circuits, which lead to appliances and outlets
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Electrical Power
- The rate at which an appliance uses electrical energy
- Measured in Watts (W), although the practical unit for most appliances is the kilowatt (kW)
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Watt (W)
A unit of electrical power
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Kilowatt (kW)
A practical unit of electrical power; 1 kW = 1000 W
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Electrical Energy
- The energy that is used by an appliance at a given setting; determined by multiplying the power rating of an appliance by the length of time it is used
- Refer to kW⋅h
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Kilowatt-hour (kW⋅h)
- The practical unit of electrical energy
- Combines the units for power x time.
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EnerGuide Label
- A label that gives details about how much energy an appliance uses in one year of normal use
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Smart Meter
- A meter that records the total electrical energy used hour by hour and sends this information to the utility company automatically
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Time of use pricing
- A system of pricing in which the cost of each kW⋅h of energy used is different at different times of the day
- There are three different time of use prices: off-peak, mid-peak, and on-peak use.
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Phantom Load
- The electricity that is consumed by an appliance or device when it is turned off
- You can prevent a phantom load by unplugging the device
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Efficiency
- The ratio of useful energy output to total energy input, expressed as a percentage
- Formula: Percent Efficiency = useful energy output/total energy output x 100 %
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Base Load
- The continuous minimum demand for electrical power
- In Ontario the minimum amount is about 12 000 MW.
- Generated Mainly by hydroelectric and nuclear generating stations, also by some coal-fired generating stations
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Hydroelectric Power Generation
- The generation of electrical power using a source of moving water
- Types of hydroelectric plants: dam stations and run-of-river stations
- Run-of-river ex. Niagara Falls
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Intermediate Load
- A demand for electricity that is greater than the base load and is met by burning coal and natural gas
- Roughly between 15 000 MW and 20 000 MW
- Met by fossil fuel generating stations
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Peak Load
- The greatest demand for electricity, which is met by using hydroelectric power and natural gas
- Above 20 000 MW, and met by using hydroelectric and gas turbines
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Renewable Energy Source
- A source of energy that can be replaced in a relatively short period of time
- e.g. Hydroelectric energy, and Wind energy
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Non-Renewable Energy Source
- A source of energy that cannot be replaced as quickly as it is used
- e.g. Fossil fuels, nuclear power
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Solar Energy
- Energy that is directly converted from the sun into electricity
- Solar energy is a renewable source of energy
- About 25% efficient, and are expensive to install
- e.g. Solar panels on houses, or solar cells on calculators
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Photovoltaic Effect
- The generation of a direct current when certain materials are exposed to light
- Photovoltaic materials in a solar cell generate direct current when light strikes their surface
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Biomass Energy
- Energy that is generated from plant and animal matter
- This process adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, but is carbon neutral because plant combustion returns to the atmosphere only as much carbon as the plants absorbed during their growth
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