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dismalaf 8 hours ago

You don't. You guess based on generation, consumption and where the power lines are hooked up.

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Gud 7 hours ago | parent [-]

Absolutely false. Current flow is metered using current transformers.

full disclosure: I install high voltage switchgear for a living.

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dismalaf 6 hours ago | parent [-]

Seeing current flow through switches isn't the same as seeing specifically where your power is coming from.

Like, if power from several different sources flows into a single substation before it goes to your home, you know exactly which source created the electricity you're using?

And if I purchase power from a 100% renewable company, is it always only electricity from their generators, never ever mixed in with power from other grid sources during downtime?

No, it's just best estimates based on generation, consumption and flow.

That's like taking a bucket of water out of the ocean and saying you know where it came from. Sure, it might have come from the nearest estuary, but odds are it got mixed in with water that originated somewhere else.

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fulafel 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Electricity transmission is a bit like water pressure and distribution. You're not going to get the same electrons (or water molecules) that you subscribed to from various producers in the distribution network put in, the flow causality and the physical embodiments of production are different though related things.

	▲	caf 38 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		Since your supply is alternating current, the electrons aren't net moving at all. The question isn't even well-formed. It's like playing tug-of-war and asking exactly which player on the other team you're pulling against.

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rightbyte 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Kirchoff's laws applies though. It should be possible to calculate where the power in your outlet comes from for the power line operators.