What is the difference between a 1-phase and 3-phase connection?

In the Netherlands, both 1-phase and 3-phase connections are used. With a 1-phase connection, one power wire goes from the main cable (under the street) to the relevant building. With a 3-phase connection, there are three power wires. A 3-phase connection can therefore deliver more power than a 1-phase connection. With a 3-phase connection you can use several larger devices at the same time. The standard voltage is 230 volts.


How do you know if you have a 1phase- or 3-phase connection?

New connections are usually 3-phase. Yet many households still have a 1-phase connection.

The difference is not always easy to see. To be absolutely sure, you can check with your network administrator or look it up in the network administrator's customer file.


What is three-phase power?

Three-phase power is needed for large appliances or machines that consume a lot of electricity and require more power. For three-phase power, a 3-phase connection is required, with a voltage of 400 volts between the phases. In typical households three-phase power is not common, very occasionally an electric hob needs three-phase power, but usually this is a 2×230 volt.


Why is this important?

With the increase in electrification, it becomes even more important to handle the power grid with care. Often a 1-phase solar inverter is placed in a 3-phase connection. In that case, the use of self-produced solar power is limited. If the inverter is connected to phase-1, its own solar power cannot be used in phase-2 and phase-3. The excess power will be fed into the grid, while the power required for the other phase will be taken from the grid. Read more about it here. Another possible solution for the use of a 3-phase connection is to also install an inverter. A 3-phase inverter divides the current over the different phases. The disadvantage is that a 3-phase inverter is often somewhat larger and not suitable for a small number of solar panels. More and more devices are also phase sensitive. If the phases are not properly connected, such a device will not work.

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