Riverside Substation

Riverside Substation. Riverside Public Utilities. , What’s Behind This Wall? , IN 1895, Riverside built one of the first municipally owned electric utilities in California, including a 20-mile transmission line to carry power from a hydroelectric plant in the mountains down to the city. That early investment helped power Riverside's growth, and the system we use today still follows the same basic principle. , A substation is where high-voltage electricity from transmission lines is transformed to lower voltage so it can be safely delivered to homes and businesses. Electricity travels long distances of high voltage (typically tens of thousands of volts) because it's more efficient and reduces energy loss. But that voltage is too powerful to use directly. , Inside this substation, transformers reduce the voltage to safer levels for local distribution. From here, power flows through underground or overhead lines, into neighborhoods and buildings, and ultimately into outlets and appliances. Modern substations also include circuit breakers, protective relays, and control systems that help maintain reliability and safety-automatically isolating parts of the system if there's a fault or outage. The technology has evolved, but the core job remains the same: making sure electricity reaches you safely and efficiently. , This site is one small but critical part of a network that powers Riverside every day. , How Does it Work? , The substation receives electricity at 69,000 volts, also called 69kV. High-voltage lines like these are used to move electricity over long distances because it's more efficient and cost- effective. At substations, the voltage is lowered so it can be safely delivered to homes, businesses, and industries in Riverside. At Riverside Substation, 69kV electricity is reduced to 12kV. This 12kV power travels through underground cables and overhead wires to reach neighborhoods. There, smaller transformers reduce it further to 120/240 volts, the amount we use for lights, appliances, and air conditioning. If you look at the overhead wires, you'll see that Riverside Substation is a key hub. Some lines bring in power from the source, while others send it out to other substations across the city. , 1. Electricity enters the substation through overhead 69kV transmission lines, which are supported by insulators on fall poles or towers. These insulators keep the high-voltage current safely separated from the ground and nearby structures. , 2. After entering the substation, electricity flows through a disconnect switch and into metal conductors called "bus work," mounted on insulators. At the top of the structure, surge arresters help protect the system by blocking lightning strikes and voltage surges from entering through power lines and damaging equipment. , 3. Gas Circuit Breakers (GCBs) and Vacuum Circuit Breakers (VCBS) shut off electricity to certain parts of the substation for maintenance or emergencies. This keeps workers safe while making sure the rest of the system keeps running. , 4. The 69kV bus work is like a highway for electricity. It connects one substation to another through 69kV transmission lines and also sends electricity to different parts of the substation, like the transformers. The electricity travels through strong metal wires held up by insulators to keep it from going where it shouldn't. , 5. The transformer lowers the voltage from 69kV to 12kV so it's safe to send to homes and businesses. It has two sets of wire coils wrapped around a metal core. The primary coils connect to the 69kV power, which creates a magnetic field. This field makes electricity flow in the secondary coils. The voltage is reduced based on how many times the wires are wrapped in each set. , 6. Once converted, the 12kV electricity flows through additional substation equipment such as protective circuit breakers and monitoring meters. From there, it enters underground cables and overhead lines that deliver power safely to Riverside's homes and businesses. , How is it Different Today? , Riverside Substation may have a brick wall reminiscent of the original brick Riverside Light Department headquarters, but in many important ways. It is very different from its forerunners. , Traditionally, Riverside's substations have consisted of many tall metal structures where the electricity from transmission lines is delivered to transformers that convert it from 69,000 volts to 12,000 volts for distribution throughout the city. , Riverside Substation was renovated in 1996, from the traditional high-profile maze of poles, structures, and wires to a new, lower-profile facility that is more attractive. , A few metal poles have replaced numerous transmission poles and grey wires of the past. Inside the substation, much of the equipment is designed low to the ground so it's concealed by the substation wall. , This renovation, part of a needed upgrade to Riverside Substation, was undertaken at the same time as a major revitalization of this part of historic downtown Riverside. Constructing low-profile facilities that blend in with the surrounding community is an essential part of Riverside Public Utilities' policy of being a good neighbor. , Riverside Substation , City of Riverside Public Utilities Department , Originally Constructed 1907 Reconstructed 1994 ,