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Electricity has a long and fascinating history, from its discovery two centuries ago by Alessandro Volta to the present day, where billions of people rely on electrical power in many areas of their day to day lives. From Thomas Edison's first light bulb in 1879 to today's electric cars paving the way for cleaner, greener travel, electricity is a cornerstone of the modern world.
Electrical power was first produced by windmills in 1890, in Denmark, and today wind energy is still one of the most popular alternative energy sources, along with solar power and hydroelectric dams. This is especially the case in windy regions where energy companies have taken advantage of this fact, such as San Francisco - which today receives around 25 per cent of its electricity from wind. By contrast, nuclear fission is responsible for 16 per cent of Canada's electrical power.
However, a great deal more electricity is generated at power plants, which deliver the bulk of electrical power to homes in countries such as the UK. It was Nikola Tesla's discovery of alternating current (AC) electricity that made such widespread electrical power possible, due to the longer distances electricity can travel with AC as opposed to DC (direct current).
If you've ever watched a lightning storm, you may think you have some idea of how fast electricity is capable of travelling - but even then you may still be far off the mark. In fact, electricity travels at approximately 300,000 km/second, which would be the equivalent of circling the earth eight times in the time it takes someone to switch on a light.
Lighting is actually the single biggest user of domestic energy in the UK, which also makes this a key area to focus on when it comes to reducing your electricity consumption. In these days of increasing environmental awareness and rising fuel costs, finding out how to 'green' your home can be of paramount importance - such as replacing standard bulbs with energy saving light bulbs that use a lower wattage for the same level of lighting.
It's not just lighting that consumes electricity in great quantities either, with domestic refrigerators being among the most power-hungry appliances of homes. If you're looking for a more energy efficient fridge, you should favour a model that doesn't feature options such as self-defrost, and avoid those with side by side doors as these use the most electricity to run.
Isla Campbell writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
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