1. What is a SUBSTATION ?

2. . These are excellent questions! Let’s deal with them one at a time. What is a substation? … what does it do? … how does it work?

3. but first.... What is a voltage? (Only 1st 6 minutes of the video is necessary) Voltage is the measure of force in an electric current.

4. . Electricity is transported at a very high, powerful voltages. A substation safely changes the electricity from very high voltage to lower voltage we can use. What does a substation do?

5. . Water comes from the water plant in very big pipes, yet it comes out in your kitchen or bathroom in much smaller pipes. Think of it like a connector for different sized water pipes. What is a substation?

6. . Substations have HUGE power poles to bring in the high voltage electricity. How does a substation work?

7. . The substation then takes electricity from a very high voltage and lowers it to the voltage we use in our homes & businesses. What is a substation?

8. 7. Substations are have complex circuit breakers, switches, relays, capacitors, and transformers. How does a substation work?

9. . Transformers ‘step down’ the electricity from the high voltage needed to economically transmit the electricity. How does a substation work?

10. . There are detectors for fire and line breaks. There is automatic fire suppression. How does a substation work?

11. A quick picture of how substation works

12. Can a substation harm me?. The short answer is YES! That’s why there are fences around them. They can electrocute people.

13. . We need them to cheaply transfer electricity. Substations are a part of what we call essential infrastructure. So why do we have substations?

14. Essential Infrastructure Streets & highways Radio, cell phone & microwave towers Railroads & bridges Pipelines for natural gas & other chemicals Water & wastewater treatment plants

15. How would you... explain the need for substations to a 6 year old? demonstrate what a substation does? describe how voltages need to be changed for use to use it safely?