UNIT-2

Building Electrification (Part

1)
LECTURE-05
ARC 3107: Building Services – II (HVAC & Electrical Systems)

Prepared by

Vidya Rao
 Topics
Power generation, transmission, and distribution.
Concepts, technological options, concerns, and benefits.  
Natural Electrical Energy
Natural
• Energy occurring naturally only in unusable forms such as
lightning and other static discharges or in corrosion
causing natural galvanic cells.

• Unlike fuels or heat, electricity cannot be readily stored

and, therefore, must be generated and utilized in the same
instance.
Types of Power Plants
• Hydro-electric power plants Fossil Fueled
• Nuclear Power Plants • Coal-fired power plants
• Geothermal • Diesel-powered plants
• Solar • Gas fired
• Wind
• Tidal
• Biogas
Hydro-electric power plants
• Produced by harnessing the gravitational force of
flowing water.
• Compared to fossil fuel-powered energy plants,
hydroelectric power plants emit fewer greenhouse
gases. But the construction of hydroelectric power Shivanasamudra 1902 across river
plants and dams requires huge investment. Kaveri Oldest in Asia
• According to the International Hydropower
Association’s 2021 status report Global installed
hydropower capacity rose by 1.6 per cent to 1,330
gigawatts in 2020.
• China is the world leader with total hydropower
installed capacity with over 370 GW. Brazil (109 Linganmakki dam 1951
GW), the USA (102 GW), Canada (82 GW) and
India (50 GW) make up the rest of the top five.
Nuclear power plants
• Using a nuclear fission reaction and uranium as fuel, a
high amount of electricity is generated.
• nuclear power plants are considered a low-carbon energy
source; the technology is widely considered a more
environmentally-friendly option.
• more reliable when compared to renewable sources of
energy such as solar and wind, the power generation from
nuclear power plants
• Investment required to bring a nuclear power plant is
significant, but the operating costs are relatively low.
• Nuclear energy sources also have a higher density than
fossil fuels and release large amounts of energy.
• Due to this, nuclear power plants require low quantities of
fuel but produce a vast amount of power, making them Kakrapar Atomic Power Station – 1993, 2020 Gujrat
particularly efficient once they are up and running.
• India’s anti-nuclear sentiment and slow initialization
Geothermal power plants
• The three main types of geothermal plants include dry
steam power stations, flash steam power stations, and
binary cycle power stations, all of which use steam turbines
to produce electricity.
• The installed capacity of geothermal energy has gradually
increased worldwide over the past decade, from just short
of 10 GW in 2010 to almost 14 GW in 2019.
• Geothermal power plants are environmentally friendly and
emit lower levels of harmful gases compared with coal-
fired power plants

Geothermal plant Puga village Ladakh 2021

Wind power plants
• Global installed wind-generation capacity onshore and offshore
has increased by almost 75 in the past two decades, jumping from
7.5 GW in 1997 to 564 GW by 2018, according to the IRENA.

• After the wind turbines are built, operational costs involved in

maintaining wind power plants are low, and they are generally
considered to be relatively cost-effective.

• Wind farms can also be constructed on agricultural lands without

causing any interruption to cultivation activities.

• But the maintenance of wind turbines may vary, as some need to

be frequently checked, and wind power projects typically require
huge capital expenditure.

Offshore and Onshore leading state Tamilnadu

 Power Transmission

Electrical power transmission involves the bulk movement of electrical energy from the generating site to an electrical
substation, where voltage is transformed and distributed to consumers or other substations.
The interconnected lines that enable the movement of electrical energy are known as a transmission network, and these
form an electrical power transmission system—or the power grid.
 Power Transmission

Primary Transmission: At a power station, electrical energy will typically be e between 11kV and 33kV. Before it is sent to
distribution centers via transmission lines, it is stepped up using a transformer to a voltage level between 100kV and 700kV or
more, depending on the distance that it needs to be transmitted; the longer the distance, the higher the voltage level. The
reason electrical power is stepped up is to make it more efficient by reducing the I2R losses that take place when power is
transmitted. When voltage is stepped up, the current reduces relative to the voltage so that power remains constant, thus
reducing these I2R losses. The interconnected lines that enable the movement of electrical energy are known as a transmission
network, and these form an electrical power transmission system—or the power grid.
 Power Transmission
Secondary transmission
When electrical power reaches a receiving station, the voltage is stepped back down to a voltage typically between 33kV and
66kV. It is then sent to transmission lines emerging from this receiving station to electrical substations closer to “load centers”
such as cities, villages, and urban areas. This process is known as secondary transmission.

When electrical power reaches a substation, it is stepped down once more by a step-down transformer to voltages closer to
what was generated—usually around 11kV. From here, the transmission phase graduates to the distribution phase, and
electrical power is used to meet demand from primary and secondary consumers.
Step up Transformer • The power at any power station is produced at a relatively low
voltage between about 2.3 kV and 30 kV, depending on the size
of the unit.

• For significantly improving the transmission efficiency, devices

called Step-Up Transformers are used.

• These increase the voltage (and thereby proportionately

reduce the current) in the line conductors, thus allowing power
to be transmitted with acceptable losses.

• Reducing the current flowing through the line also reduces the
heating losses in the conductors.
• Power generation is three-phase, 50-Hz, usually at 11 kV.
• The generated voltage is increased to 132, 220, or 400 kV using
step-up transformers for transmission over long distances.

• The voltage “upped” varies depending upon the transmission

system and the country.
Transmission Line • Once the voltage is increased and current reduced,
the power is transmitted over long distances using
high voltage transmission cables.

• For underground and underwater power

transmission, a cable that includes a conductor and
insulation is used.

• However, overhead transmission cables do not have

any insulation since air naturally insulates the cables.

• Moreover, insulation on kilometers of transmission

lines is not practically viable.

• In the case of Underground cables, insulation is

required so that the live cables don't touch the earth
and get shorted.
Transmission Line – Different Grades
Step-Down Transformer
• Step-down transformers are also called
substations.

• It is uneconomical to connect all distribution

substations to the high main transmission voltage.
Therefore, the voltage has to be reduced.

• Moreover, the equipment used for stepping-down

voltage is larger and more expensive.

• Typically, only larger substations connect with this

high voltage.

• It is stepped down and sent to smaller substations

in towns and neighborhoods.
Step-Down Transformer
• Like transmission, sub-transmission moves relatively large
amounts of power, and like distribution, sub-transmission
covers an area instead of just point-to-point.

• At the substations, transformers reduce the voltage to a

lower level for distribution to commercial and residential
users.

• This distribution is accomplished with a combination of

sub-transmission and distribution.

• Here the voltage is stepped down to 66 or 33 kV.

• This is further carried through three-wire transmission

lines to various sub-stations in the cities where the
voltage is further stepped down to 11, 6.6, or 3.3 kV. 
Types of Transmission
 • Principal advantage is low cost.
• Depending upon terrain and other factors, the cost saving of overhead

Overhead Wiring
compared to underground installation have historically ranged from 10%
to 50%.
• Overhead cables are of several types –
1. Bare
2. Weatherproof
3. Preassembled aerial cable
• BARE COPPER CABLES supported on porcelain or glass insulators on
cross arms are normally used for high voltage lines (2.4 kV and higher).
• Low-voltage circuits (600 V and below) run on porcelain spool secondary
racks using single-conductor (1/c) WEATHERPROOF CABLE.
• PREASSEMBLED AERIAL CABLE consists of three or four insulated cables
wrapped together with metallic tape and suspended by hooks from
poles.
• This type of construction may be used for voltages of up to 15 kV (Fig.
26.1), and is often more economical than a cross arm or rack installation
and more resistant to damage from severe weather conditions.
Underground
Wiring • The advantages are lack of physical and visual
clutter overhead, service reliability, and long life.

• The principal disadvantage is high cost.

• To overcome this, utilities frequently use direct

burial techniques that, by eliminating a raceway,
reduce costs considerably.

• Because direct buried cable cannot be pulled out if

it faults, as is the case with raceway-installed cable,
restoration of service after a cable fault is time-
consuming.
Underground Wiring Underground Wiring Methods

1. Direct burial
Offers low cost and ease of installation, with the
disadvantage regarding repairs.

2. Installation in Type I, concrete-encased duct

It offers high strength and permanence but the highest
cost of the other two.

3. Installation in Type II, direct burial duct

Offers median cost but little strength.
It applies only to installations on undisturbed earth and
under light paving.
Electrical Supply System
System of Power
Distribution.
• Electric power in India is supplied to the
consumers by the State Electricity Boards. The
following are the different systems by which
power is distributed to the consumer:
1. Single-phase AC supply using a 2-wire
system;
2. Three-phase AC supply using a 3-wire
system;
3. Supply of Three-phase and neutral using a 4-
wire system.

• D.C. supply is not commonly provided in India.

Supply Voltage
• The standard voltages at which the supply authorities deliver
power to the consumer are generally as follows:
1. Single phase: 240 V, 50 Hz, 2 wire
2. Three phase: 415 V, 50 Hz. 4 wire.
• In India and in many European countries the frequency of the
supply is 50 Hz.
• In the USA the power supply frequency is 60 Hz.
• Standardization of supply voltage and frequency is extremely
important to both electricity supply authorities as well as the
manufacturers of electrical equipment.
• In the 3-phase, 4-wire power distribution system, power is
supplied from the sub-station through 4-wires.
• Three of these wires are called live or phase or line wires. The
fourth wire is usually at zero voltage and is called neutral wire.
The neutral wire is earthed at the sub-station.
3 Phase AC Power
System
• In a 3 phase system there are three power wires,
each phase peaks and dips at 120⁰ with each
other in a synchronised manner.
• Delta and wye are the two types of circuits use to
maintain equal load across a three phase system,
each resulting in different wire configurations.
• By the time a complete cycle of 360⁰ has
completed, three phases of power have each
peaked in voltage twice.
• A steady stream of power is delivered at a
constant rate.
• It can carry more load.
Building Electrical System
 Building Electrical
System

• Single-line diagram of a typical building electrical distribution system, from the incoming service to the utilization items at the end of the system.

• This is also referred to as a BLOCK DIAGRAM because the major components are shown as rectangles or blocks.

• When this type of information shows the vertical spatial relationship between components, it is called a RISER DIAGRAM.

• When electrical symbols are used instead of the blocks, it is called a ONE-LINE or SINGLE-LINE DIAGRAM.
 Building Electrical System

• The connecting conductors between the major system components are drawn here with varying thickness to reflect the size and power-
handling capacity.

• In usual practice, all connecting lines are shown the same weight.

• Also, branch circuits are not usually shown; the typical diagram ends at the lighting and appliance panels.