Alternating Current (AC)

Definition: An electric current that periodically reverses direction, typically used in household and commercial power distribution.

Relevance to energy: AC is the standard for power transmission and distribution in most countries, and is used by most household appliances.

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Benefits:

• Efficient for long-distance power transmission
• Standard for most household appliances
• Can be easily transformed to different voltages

Drawbacks:

• Requires conversion for use with many renewable energy sources
• Can have higher losses in some electronic devices
• More complex to store than DC

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Statistics: The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that about 5% of electricity is lost in transmission and distribution, largely due to the properties of AC power.