Energy Generation & Distribution Flashcards
7 cards from real BGE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Energy Generation & Distribution flashcards as text
How does BGE's time-of-use (TOU) rate structure encourage customers to shift energy consumption?
Answer: By charging higher rates during peak demand hours and lower rates off-peak
TOU pricing uses price signals to motivate customers to shift discretionary loads like laundry to off-peak hours, reducing peak grid stress.
Which of the following best describes the function of a voltage regulator on a BGE distribution feeder?
Answer: It automatically adjusts voltage along the feeder to keep it within acceptable limits as load varies
Voltage regulators are autotransformers that continuously tap-change to maintain voltage within ANSI standards as feeder load fluctuates.
What does 'islanding' refer to in the context of BGE's interconnection rules for customer-owned solar systems?
Answer: A solar inverter continuing to energize BGE's de-energized lines after a grid outage
Islanding occurs when a customer generator continues to power a section of BGE's grid after BGE de-energizes it, creating a safety hazard for line workers.
What is the primary reason BGE uses three-phase power for industrial and large commercial customers rather than single-phase?
Answer: Three-phase uses less copper wire for the same power delivery and suits motor loads better
Three-phase power delivers more power with less conductor material and produces a smoother, more efficient supply for rotating machinery.
In BGE's natural gas distribution system, what device reduces high-pressure transmission gas to lower pressures safe for residential delivery?
Answer: A pressure regulating station (PRS)
Pressure regulating stations reduce natural gas from transmission pressures (hundreds of psi) to the low pressures (typically under 0.25 psi) used in neighborhood mains.
Which federal reliability standard requires BGE and other utilities to maintain sufficient reactive power support to prevent voltage collapse?
Answer: NERC VAR-001
NERC VAR-001 mandates that transmission operators maintain voltage and reactive power within scheduled limits to prevent voltage instability.
What term describes the maximum electrical load BGE's system must be able to serve, typically occurring on the hottest summer afternoons in Maryland?
Answer: System peak demand
System peak demand is the highest load level BGE must reliably serve, which in Maryland typically occurs during hot summer weekday afternoons due to air conditioning.