Electricity production and national grid

Electricity production in South Africa

1. Electricity Generation and the National Grid Let us explore how electricity is generated and delivered nationwide efficiently.

2. Lesson Objectives By the end of the lesson you should be able to: List the energy sources used in generating electricity in South Africa. Explain the electricity generating process from different energy sources. Explain how electricity is transported into our homes. Evaluate the constrains put onto the national grid and suggest solutions to ease them.

3. Power station: an industrial facility used to generate electric power.

4. Soweto towers. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

5. Energy sources Renewable(alternatives) Non-Renewable(traditional)

6. Non-Renewable Energy Sources Example: Fossil fuels( Coal, oil, and gas) Takes Millions of Years to form(cannot be easily replaced). Limited supply . Environmental impacts. Coal plants emit significant greenhouse gases such as CO2 and pollutants like sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides, contributing to air pollution and climate change.

7. Generating Electricity Using Coal Coal Combustion Coal is burned in a furnace to produce heat energy. 1 Steam Production Heat converts water into high-pressure steam in boilers. 2 Turbine Rotation Steam drives turbines that spin to generate mechanical energy. 3 Electricity Generation Turbines turn generators that produce electric power. 4 Emission Control Smoke and gases are filtered to reduce pollution before release. 5 Tradtional power station may not always meet the demand.

8. A diagram of coal powered electricity generation process.

9. Alternative Energy Sources Wind Power l Solar Power l Hydro

10. Generating Electricity Using Wind Power Wind turbines harness kinetic energy from wind to generate electricity. This renewable source is clean and reduces dependence on fossil fuels. Location dependent (Needs a windy location) Can contribute to noise pollution

11. Hydro-powered electricity generation

12. Hydroelectric Generation How It Works Flowing water spins turbines connected to generators. Benefits It produces clean, renewable electricity with zero emissions. Challenges Construction impacts ecosystems and requires large initial investment.

13. Solar Power Generation Solar panels convert sunlight energy directly into electricity using photovoltaic cells. This renewable source is clean, sustainable, and growing rapidly worldwide.

14. Think-pair-share activity Which method of electricity generation do you prefer? Support with a reason.

15. Advantages and Disadvantages of Energy Sources Energy Source Advantages Disadvantages Hydro Clean, reliable, renewable, low operating costs Ecological impact, dependent on rainfall, expensive initial setup Wind Renewable, no pollution, low operating costs Intermittent, visual/auditory impact, location dependent Solar Renewable, abundant, no emissions during use, can be installed for both small scale and large scale. Weather and location dependent, high initial cost, requires space

16. Who is the primary supplier of electricity in South Africa? This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

17. National grid The network of high-voltage power lines linking the power station to the cities, towns, rural and residential area.

18. The National Grid Generation Electricity is produced at power stations. Transmission As it leaves power stations, transformers raise the voltage And lower the current for efficiency in long distances travel Distribution Voltage is lowered in transformers as the electricity reaches homes and businesses.

19. Do you think the SAn national grid is in good condition?

20. Activity 29 July 2025