Concepts integral to the generation, transmission, storage, and use of electrical power are introduced with particular emphasis on economic, environmental, and regulatory influences that have shaped the structure of our power grid for over 100 years. Power generators, including those powered by traditional fossil fuels and renewable sources, are covered, providing a background of technology evolution that leads to distributed energy resources (DERs), energy storage systems, and smart grid solutions. Three-phase lines, loads, and generators are discussed together with the need for power factor calculation and correction. Construction and performance of high voltage transmission lines is introduced. Power flow analysis across a power network from generation to transmission to consumption is provided and modeled, including consideration of basic faults at various points in the network. Methods of energy storage are considered together with basic power grid protection techniques. These technologies converge toward the construction of robust smart grids that employ advanced data analytics and communications for real-time fault identification, load balancing, and correction.
Recommended background: ECE 2010