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Energy & Renewables vocabulary · Grid, Transmission and Distribution

High voltage

Meaning in energy & renewables, with examples

nounCore term

In energy & renewables, high voltage means: A voltage level used to move electricity efficiently over long distances, such as 154 kV or 380 kV. The exact limits of low, medium and high voltage differ between standards.

In Turkish: yüksek gerilim, YG

How it is used

Common in grid planning, substations and safety. Abbreviated HV; related levels are low voltage (LV), medium voltage (MV) and extra-high voltage (EHV). Before a noun it is hyphenated: a high-voltage line. Warning signs say 'Danger: High Voltage'.

Example sentences

  1. Only authorised staff may enter the high voltage area of the substation.

  2. Power is stepped up to high voltage to reduce losses on long lines.

Common collocations

  • high-voltage line
  • high-voltage substation
  • medium voltage
  • low voltage
  • extra-high voltage
  • transmission lineA high-voltage power line, usually on tall steel towers, that carries large amounts of electricity over long distances from power plants to substations.
  • transformerA device that raises or lowers the voltage of alternating current. Transformers make long-distance transmission possible and bring the voltage down to safe levels for users.
  • substationA site with transformers, switches and protection equipment where voltage is raised or lowered and power flows are switched between lines.
  • transmission lossesThe part of the electricity that is lost as heat while it travels through power lines and transformers, so less reaches customers than leaves the power plant.

More terms: Grid, Transmission and Distribution

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