Transformers
Electrical energy is transferred from one circuit to another by means of electromagnetic induction. This basic principle underlies the operation of transformers, which are ubiquitous in the power distribution systems that bring electrical energy over long distances to billions of people around the world. Working in tandem, transformers located at power plants and those in substations boost the voltage of the electrical current to be efficiently transmitted, or step it down for safe usage by electric power customers in homes and businesses.
There are many different types of transformers, each with their own way of working and their own size. As power transformers, they transmit higher voltages, like those in the charging stations for electric cars. But you might also have a small one in your bedroom that reduces your wall socket’s 120 V voltage to 12 V. Many transformers are chips integrated into the circuit boards of all kinds of electronic devices: they step down the high voltage in AC to a lower voltage your device can use.
Renewable energy systems require transformers. They allow wind and solar power to be integrated into the power grid by ensuring that the power from those sources is delivered via the proper voltage levels. This is necessary because energy from the wind and the sun is harvested at a number of voltage levels, which must be increased or decreased to match the grid. Industrial applications also rely on transformers. Indeed, places like factories and hospitals are heavy users of these energy-harvesting technologies, and they also serve as places where new industrial designs for wind and solar power are trying to demonstrate both manufacturability and reliability.
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