An offshore wind farm located 50 km from the coast generates electrical power that must be transmitted to the mainland consumer grid. To minimise losses over the long subsea cables, the developer uses an offshore substation with a step-up transformer, high-voltage subsea cables, and an onshore substation with a step-down transformer, as shown in the diagram below.
Explain how the combination of these transformers and the high-voltage subsea transmission cables ensures that the distribution of electrical power from the wind farm to the onshore consumer grid is as efficient as possible.
In your answer, you must refer to the following equations:
- P=I2RP = I^2 RP=I2R
- VpIp=VsIsV_p I_p = V_s I_sVpIp=VsIs