AC / DC: What’s the difference? Voltage & Current Explained

A quick 101 guide to the relationship between AC and DC with respect to your home electrical system and solar setup.

My video which covers the differences between kWh and kW (energy and power):

My video which looks at half-cell panels with respect to shading:

Great introduction to High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC):

If you're getting a lot from my videos, and would like to support me in my efforts to help everyone, here are a couple of ways to do this:

I believe Octopus Energy is doing more than any other energy company in the UK to take us forward to a bright renewable future, and I'll make making reference to them and their initiatives in future videos.

#ac #dc #current #solar

Chapters:

0:00 Intro
0:45 Direct Current
1:14 DC Circuits
9:07 DC wrt Solar
11:45 Problems with DC
13:50 Alternating Current
14:16 The Current War
14:49 AC Circuits
16:55 AC Transmission
18:46 Single and 3-Phase
20:13 AC in the Home
21:06 DC Transmission
21:34 Summary

Corrections:

10:54 Each string should have contained 8 panels (not 6) to make up 240 volts

19:54 The single-phase wiring into each house should only be a single phase colour, and all properties would additionally have a (black) neutral line

For business enquiries:
(Please note: despite my channel name, I don't provide, nor consult on, solar installations)

(c) 2023 Gary Does Solar. All rights reserved.

DISCLAIMER
Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the content in this video, no warranty for that content is provided, nor should it be implied. Viewers acting on the content, do so at their own risk.

[OldCodeMonkey]

Brilliant description of the AC/DC systems, if only it had been taught so well at school or even at all....

[mattfinlay]

This is the best video I've seen on the topic. Subscribed

[GaryDoesSolar]

VIDEO CORRECTIONS:
1. At 10:55 in the video, I say that 6 x 30 volts = 240 volts, which is embarrassingly incorrect! I should have drawn 8 panels in each string.

2. At 19:53, the single-phase wiring into each house should only be a single phase colour, and all properties would additionally have a neutral line.

3. You should never use an ohmmeter on a live circuit.

[adriaan]

Wonderfully simplified, and I have a movie to watch "The Current War". Must have slipped through as well as High Voltage DC. Going to view that as well.

[ianhardie]

Thanks Gary, great video and cleared up a few points indeed

[andytrewin]

Thanks Gary ~ always enjoy your videos. Well done. Kind regards AndyT.

[ccasto]

Loving your videos, Gary - thanks for putting in the work to share the knowledge! I wonder if you have any videos in the pipeline about CIGS or other panel chemistries, I'd love to learn more about those! Cheers

[johnrobertmaggs]

Hi Garry I noticed a problem 19 mins 53 second in to your excellent video, you are showing single phase "across phases" in a single phase home connection I think it should be phase to neutral, Best regards John Maggs

[jan]

Hello Gary, what am I missing: 6x30v = 240 V ?? thanks for your explanation.

[rodden]

Thanks Gary this was helpful. im with Bulb and i used my neighbours Octopus referral code to join them but they said i cant have the £50 as they have taken over Bulb even though i did it berfore the take over .

[OrnateSolarIndia]

Understanding the relationship between AC and DC is essential for efficiently integrating solar setups into your home electrical system.

[azog]

At 2:36 you say that current goes form the negative terminal to the positive. It doesn't. It goes from positive to negative. Electrons flow from the negative to the positive, but current goes the other direction.

[thearab]

Angus, Angus,

What?

Oh, sorry, my mistake. Carry on!

[eric]

Don't mention "conventional current flow" !! ( convention has it that current flows positive to negative)

That is how electrical and electronic engineers "see" current flow - that is it is said to "flow" the opposite direction to that shown in your video - going from +ve to -ve !!
(although it is of course electrons having a negative charge being attracted to the positive potential!!)
Confused! - well welcome to the world of electrical and electronic engineering !!

[anonymous.youtuber]

3:54 In real life, please don’t connect an ohmmeter to a live circuit.

[stephenbrickwood]

Can you do a similar simple explanation about the national grid?

1million klm in Australia
$2million a klm to build.
5 times more electricity in a no fossil fueled world.

So, 5 times bigger national grid, when central and concentrated electrical generation.

This is the huge cost of more central electric power, the distribution or transmission costs.

That is why rooftop solar and EV big batteries are so advantageous.

Rooftop vs central power generation is a 10 fold difference.
It is the untold story.
The existing grid is basically UNLOADED and so remains valuable balancing loade differences.

[philipripper]

You lost me at 11:03
6 x 30 = 180 volts