Electricity generation

Electricity generation is the process of generating electric power from sources of primary energy. For utilities in the electric power industry, it is the first stage in the delivery of electricity to end users, the other stages being transmission, distribution, and energy storage and recovery, using the pumped-storage method.

Sources of energy

Electricity is most often generated at a power station by electromechanical generators, primarily driven by heat engines fueled by 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.

Methods of generating electricity

Electricity generation methods include the following:

• Turbine generator: A machine that converts one form of energy into another, especially mechanical energy into electrical energy.
• Photovoltaic cell: A device that converts light into electric current using the photovoltaic effect.
• Thermoelectric generator: A solid state device that converts heat flux directly into electrical energy.
• Piezoelectric generator: A device that uses the piezoelectric effect to measure changes in pressure, acceleration, temperature, strain, or force by converting them to an electrical charge.
• Optical rectenna: A rectifying antenna that is used to convert electromagnetic energy into direct current electricity.
• Beta decay battery: A type of atomic battery in which energy is generated from radioactive decay.

Environmental considerations

The environmental impact of electricity generation is significant because modern society uses large amounts of electrical power. This power is normally generated at power plants that convert some other kind of energy into electrical power. Each system has advantages and disadvantages, but many of them pose environmental concerns.

See also

• Electric power distribution
• Electric power transmission
• Energy development
• Energy storage
• List of energy storage projects
• Power station
• Renewable energy

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