Posted Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Service-Level Voltage Regulation – Grid of the Future?

When power is generated by any large-scale source like a nuclear generator, a steam turbine or a coal plant, it has to be transmitted over long distances and distributed to thousands of different final destinations before it can be used. Throughout this Generation and Distribution (G&D) journey, power must be kept at certain voltages in order to keep consumers and utility workers safe, and to ensure that the power is transmitted efficiently. Voltages vary from hundreds of kilovolts (kV) at the generation side, to only a few kV at the pole-top (where it then drops down into your home or business).

The final leg of power’s journey to your building is called the ‘service’ level of power distribution. Service-level power transformers take the power from the power lines and step down the voltage so that the power can be used by ‘final destination’ locations. More often than not, the voltage of a pole-top transformer is around 7.2 kV, or thereabouts. This is still considered very, very high voltage when taking into account human safety. This is why it’s always a good idea to stay far away from power lines, especially in the event of a storm or other accident.

A big discussion in today’s power markets is voltage regulation at the service level. What this means is that within the transformer that is sitting on that pole, there could eventually be a voltage regulator that monitors the voltages of the homes or businesses that are being served by the transformer. This is a big deal, because when a consumer uses solar power to generate electricity, the voltage of their electrical system must necessarily go up. This change in voltage affects every other home sharing that circuit, which is why service-level voltage regulation will eventually become the future of the power.

At Urban Solar, we are ready for what’s next in solar power technology. We have a long, proud history of adopting new solar technology as soon as it’s generally available for the consumer. If you have questions about your home or business and it’s suitability for solar, contact us and learn more about getting a complimentary energy assessment conducted. It’s fast, free and you might be surprised at how much you’ll save every month. Contact us today, and let’s get started – we look forward to helping make solar power a reality for you.