{"id":1412,"date":"2018-09-20T19:09:20","date_gmt":"2018-09-20T19:09:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/upgifs.com\/blog\/?p=1412"},"modified":"2023-02-12T06:50:39","modified_gmt":"2023-02-12T06:50:39","slug":"how-does-a-generator-produce-electricity-everything-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/upgifs.com\/blog\/1412\/how-does-a-generator-produce-electricity-everything-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"How Does a Generator Produce Electricity? Everything You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The aging US power grid is an innovation from the last mid-century. Now, more than 50 years later, the American Society of Civil Engineers rates it a D-minus.<\/p>\n<p>Its lifespan is almost over, and grids are at capacity. The result is more power interruptions. Couple this with fiercer each year, and we&#8217;ve got more homes than ever in the dark. If there&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/upgifs.com\/blog\/1157\/8-different-types-of-insurance-you-really-should-have\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">storm damage<\/a> as well, power outages can last weeks.<\/p>\n<p>This makes generators a necessary home appliance in some areas. In fact, for public services such as hospitals, backup generators are an integral part of the construction. So, how does a generator produce electricity?<\/p>\n<p>Whether they are for a single home or a major airport, they all work on the same basic principle. Here&#8217;s how.<\/p>\n<h2>Generators Don&#8217;t Actually Make Electricity<\/h2>\n<p>Though we may think of grids and transformers as creating electricity, the truth is, they don&#8217;t. At its core, electricity is energy. The way we harness energy can differ.<\/p>\n<p>Solar panels, wind turbines, and nuclear plants harness energy. Then it&#8217;s converted to power. There is a constant source of energy around the earth.<\/p>\n<p>Once solar panels, turbines, and nuclear plants tap into that power, generators are responsible for the conversion of energy into electricity.<\/p>\n<h2>Magnets and Magic<\/h2>\n<p>Generators create energy with a spinning electromagnet (armature) and a stationary field (stator). Most of us are familiar with the <a href=\"https:\/\/education.jlab.org\/qa\/createenergy_02.html\">power of a magnetic field<\/a>, and how it can move objects like magic.<\/p>\n<p>This energy produces an electrical current. The power to run the armature can come from a small gas-powered engine.<\/p>\n<p>For industrial sizes, an enormous wind turbine can do the same. Of course, the size of the generator makes a vast difference in the amount of output.<\/p>\n<h2>How Many Volts Does It Take to Charge a Light Bulb?<\/h2>\n<p>We often gauge generators by how much work they can do. A portable generator may work for tools, but can&#8217;t power a home appliance.<\/p>\n<p>Large, industrial generators can power an entire warehouse or public building. The amount of current and voltage the engine produces determines the output of watts.<\/p>\n<p>Wattage is a measurement we see on everything from light bulbs to microwave ovens. So, a home generator which puts out 2,000 watts can run 200 light bulbs (100 watts).<\/p>\n<p>No one needs that many light bulbs. But, the 2,000 watts can also run a refrigerator, coffee maker, and television.<\/p>\n<h2>How Does a Generator Produce Electricity for Large Areas?<\/h2>\n<p>How a generator works does not change, but the size and means of power does. Large generators from Able Sales which produce up to 800k watts.<\/p>\n<p>This requires a six-cylinder engine or the size a car needs. This type of machine has an automatic start and can run in any weather.<\/p>\n<p>These commercial generators are necessary to support businesses, small grids, and public services. If you are a homeowner or a business owner, the question to ask is how does a generator produce electricity for you?<\/p>\n<h2>What the Best Generator For Your Home?<\/h2>\n<p>Finding the safest and least expensive generator is a great start. Check our <a href=\"https:\/\/upgifs.com\/blog\/1394\/first-time-buyers-guide-how-to-pick-a-generator-for-your-home\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">first-time buyer&#8217;s guide<\/a> for more help!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How does a generator produce electricity? If you&#8217;ve ever wondered how a generator works, you need to read this article to learn how the magic happens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1413,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/upgifs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1412"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/upgifs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/upgifs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upgifs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upgifs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1412"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/upgifs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1412\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22758,"href":"https:\/\/upgifs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1412\/revisions\/22758"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upgifs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1413"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/upgifs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1412"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upgifs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1412"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upgifs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}