Friday Fact: Where Does Moreton Bay’s Electricity Actually Come From?
Every time you turn on a light, boil the kettle or start the air conditioner, electricity appears almost instantly.
But where did that electricity actually come from?
You might imagine that Moreton Bay has one large power station supplying homes across Narangba, North Lakes, Caboolture, Redcliffe and the surrounding suburbs.
The real system is far more complex.
Moreton Bay does not rely on one central power station. Our homes are connected to Queensland’s wider electricity grid, which combines power from generators, transmission lines, substations, local distribution networks and, increasingly, thousands of rooftop solar systems.
Does Moreton Bay Have Its Own Power Station?
There is no single power station responsible for supplying electricity to Moreton Bay.
Electricity enters Queensland’s interconnected grid from a mixture of sources, including coal, gas, hydroelectric generation, solar farms, wind farms, biomass facilities and other generators located throughout the state.
Once electricity enters the grid, it becomes part of a shared system.
That means the electricity powering your home cannot usually be traced back to one specific power station. Multiple generators may be contributing electricity to the network at the same time, with the mix constantly changing according to demand, weather conditions and available generation.
How Does Electricity Reach a Moreton Bay Home?
The journey from a power generator to a household happens across several stages.
1. Electricity Is Generated
Large power stations and renewable energy facilities generate electricity and feed it into the grid.
This includes traditional power stations, solar farms, wind farms, hydroelectric facilities and smaller local generation systems.
Rooftop solar has also become an important part of Queensland’s electricity system. Homes and businesses with solar panels can generate electricity locally and export excess power back into the network.
2. Powerlink Transports Electricity Across Queensland
Electricity often needs to travel a considerable distance before reaching the communities that use it.
Powerlink operates Queensland’s high-voltage transmission network. These are the large transmission towers and powerlines commonly seen crossing rural areas and major transport corridors.
Transmission lines carry electricity at extremely high voltages, often hundreds of thousands of volts. Using high voltage allows large quantities of electricity to travel long distances more efficiently.
3. Substations Reduce the Voltage
Electricity cannot enter a home at transmission-line voltage.
Substations use transformers and switching equipment to control the flow of electricity and progressively reduce its voltage.
Substations do not normally generate electricity. Their job is to receive electricity, transform it to a lower voltage and redirect it into different parts of the network.
Moreton Bay has numerous substations supporting different suburbs and growth areas throughout the region.
4. Energex Distributes Electricity Through Moreton Bay
Energex operates the electricity distribution network throughout South East Queensland, including Moreton Bay.
The distribution network takes electricity from the high-voltage transmission system and delivers it through local substations, overhead powerlines, underground cables and street-level transformers.
The voltage is reduced again before electricity reaches residential properties at approximately 230 volts.
From there, electricity passes through the property’s meter and switchboard before being distributed through the circuits, lights, appliances and power points inside the home.
What Happens If Your Home Has Solar Power?
A home with solar is still usually connected to the Energex network, but it does not rely entirely on electricity arriving from distant generators.
During daylight hours, solar panels generate direct current electricity. The solar inverter converts this into alternating current electricity that can be used by the home.
The household generally uses the solar electricity first.
If the solar system is producing more electricity than the home is using, the excess may be exported through the electricity meter into the local distribution network.
If the home is using more electricity than the solar panels are producing, the remaining power is imported from the grid.
For example, if a solar system is generating 5 kilowatts while the home is using 3 kilowatts, the home may use 3 kilowatts directly and export the remaining 2 kilowatts.
If the home suddenly begins using 7 kilowatts, the solar system may provide 5 kilowatts while the grid supplies the remaining 2 kilowatts.
The direction of electricity can therefore change throughout the day.
When solar production is high, electricity may flow from the house into the local network. When production falls, electricity flows from the network back into the house.
This means many Moreton Bay homes are no longer simply electricity consumers. During sunny periods, they also become small local electricity generators.
What If the Home Has a Battery?
A battery allows some of the excess electricity produced during the day to be stored rather than immediately exported to the grid.
That stored electricity can then be used later in the evening, overnight or during periods when the solar panels are producing less power.
A typical solar and battery system may operate like this:
During the day, the solar panels power the home first.
Excess solar electricity charges the battery.
Once the battery is full, additional electricity may be exported to the grid.
After sunset, the battery supplies the home.
When the battery reaches its minimum charge level, the home begins importing electricity from the grid again.
The exact behaviour depends on the battery system, inverter settings, electricity tariff and how the installation has been configured.
Do Solar Panels Work During a Blackout?
One of the most common misunderstandings about solar power is that solar panels will automatically keep a home operating during a blackout.
Most standard grid-connected solar systems shut down when the electricity network loses power.
This is an important safety feature. If a solar system continued exporting electricity during a blackout, it could energise powerlines while Energex workers were attempting to repair them.
A home generally needs a compatible battery, backup equipment and specifically configured backup circuits to continue operating during a blackout.
Even then, the backup system may only supply selected essential circuits, such as:
- refrigerators
- lighting
- internet equipment
- selected power points
- medical equipment
- garage doors
Large appliances such as air conditioners, ovens, electric hot water systems and pool pumps may not be connected to the backup supply because of their high electricity demand.
Solar panels alone do not necessarily make a home independent from the electricity grid.
Your Electricity Retailer Does Not Own the Powerlines
Another interesting part of the electricity system is the difference between an electricity retailer and an electricity distributor.
Your electricity retailer purchases electricity through the market, manages your electricity plan and sends you a bill.
Energex operates and maintains the physical electricity network supplying Moreton Bay homes.
This includes infrastructure such as:
- power poles
- overhead lines
- underground cables
- transformers
- network substations
- electricity meters
- outage response
Changing electricity retailers may change your electricity plan, rates and bill, but it does not change the poles, wires or local network supplying the property.
When Did Electricity Reach Moreton Bay?
Electricity was not always available throughout the region.
Electricity supply began expanding into the former Pine Rivers Shire during the 1930s, but it took decades for the network to reach many smaller and more rural communities.
By 1952, electricity had been supplied to most parts of the shire, including rural districts such as Kobble Creek.
Before widespread electrification, households relied on candles, kerosene lamps, wood-burning stoves, iceboxes and manually operated equipment.
Connecting rural properties required the construction of kilometres of powerlines, poles, transformers and local distribution infrastructure.
The arrival of electricity transformed almost every part of daily life, including lighting, refrigeration, cooking, farming, manufacturing, communications and household work.
Does Moreton Bay Generate Any Electricity Locally?
Although Moreton Bay does not have one central power station, electricity is generated within the region.
Landfill gas-to-energy facilities operate at waste sites in Dakabin, Bunya and Caboolture.
These facilities capture methane produced by decomposing waste and use it to generate electricity. Together, they can produce enough electricity to power thousands of homes.
Rooftop solar systems are another major source of local electricity generation.
Every solar-equipped home has the potential to reduce its demand on distant generators and contribute excess electricity to the surrounding network.
The traditional electricity system was designed primarily for power to travel in one direction:
Power station to transmission network, transmission network to distribution network, and distribution network to the home.
Solar has changed that model.
Electricity now moves in both directions, with homes and businesses sometimes supplying power back into the same network that supplies them.
From the Queensland Grid to Your Power Point
Electricity reaching your home depends on a huge system working together every second of the day.
Generators produce electricity.
Powerlink transports it across Queensland.
Substations control and reduce the voltage.
Energex distributes it through Moreton Bay.
Solar panels generate electricity locally.
Batteries can store excess solar energy for later use.
Your meter records the electricity flowing into and, in some cases, out of the property.
Your switchboard and electrical circuits safely distribute that electricity throughout the home.
It is an enormous chain of infrastructure that operates almost invisibly whenever you turn on a light.
Power Bolt Electrical provides residential electrical services throughout Narangba, North Lakes, Burpengary and surrounding Moreton Bay suburbs.
Whether you need a switchboard upgrade, solar-related electrical work, new circuits, lighting, safety switches or help investigating an electrical fault, contact the Power Bolt Electrical team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does electricity for Moreton Bay homes come from?
Moreton Bay does not rely on one central power station. Homes are connected to Queensland's wider electricity grid, which receives electricity from a mixture of coal, gas, hydroelectric, wind, solar and other generation sources.
How does electricity reach a home in Moreton Bay?
Electricity is generated and transported across Queensland through Powerlink's high-voltage transmission network. Substations reduce the voltage before Energex distributes the electricity through local powerlines, underground cables and transformers. It then enters the property through the meter and switchboard.
Does Energex generate electricity?
Energex does not generally generate the electricity used by Moreton Bay homes. Energex operates and maintains the local distribution network, including power poles, cables, transformers and other infrastructure that delivers electricity to properties.
What happens to excess electricity from home solar panels?
A home normally uses its solar electricity first. If the panels produce more electricity than the household is using, the excess may charge a battery or be exported through the electricity meter into the local Energex distribution network.
Will solar panels keep working during a blackout?
Most standard grid-connected solar systems shut down during a blackout to prevent electricity from being fed into powerlines while network crews may be working on them. Backup power normally requires a compatible battery, backup equipment and properly configured essential circuits.
When did electricity reach the Moreton Bay region?
Electricity began expanding through the former Pine Rivers Shire during the 1930s. By 1952, electricity had reached most parts of the shire, including several rural communities.
Does Moreton Bay generate any electricity locally?
Yes. Electricity is generated locally through thousands of rooftop solar systems and landfill gas-to-energy facilities at waste sites in areas including Dakabin, Bunya and Caboolture.