Electrical wholesale and distributors are common in the 21st century with many demands still thriving from major industries. This has become the main form of everyday living, without electricity in general we as a modern day beings are lifeless. The way we live today has never been more significant to the progression of technology.

Our understanding of electrical supplies have far advanced over the years that it is no wonder many people are unaware of the amount of work and effort placed from our predecessors in order to achieve such a way of living. The world of electrical wholesale and supply as we see it could not be possible without the works of Thomas Edison (DC power) and Nikola Tesla (AC power).

Nothing from kids Play station and computers, to national trains and streetlights would be in existence without these two key figures. The electrical wholesale industry is based on supplying various electrical tools and devices to keep the running of public electric devices in top condition and working on a 24-hour basis. Electrical retailing has been around since late 19th century, with many of these wholesalers divided into providing specific components for large companies.

History

The late 1880s saw the War of Currents between three of its prominent engineers, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse. Thomas Edison was most famous for pioneering the Direct Current systems, which was the standard electricity distribution in the United States. Edison was a powerful figure and was not about to lose his status.

However, unbeknown to him was a man often described as the man who invented the technological twentieth century. Tesla who was born in the Austrian occupied Croatian Krajina, but is ethnically Serbian, became famous for his work on AC (alternating current) supply, to which Edison was recorded to have disregarded. Tesla was once an advocate of Edison, upon pitching his idea for AC supply, Edison had ignored his idea and further removed him from employment without the promised compensation.

Direct current supply was not available to everyone, those who could afford it were lucky enough to install them. However, this was a costly and time consuming production, and the main disadvantage to DC was that it could not be changed from higher or lower voltage. Separate electrical lines were installed to supply electricity for things like lighting and electric motors, which were costly to maintain and more risky due to the number of wires that were needed. Furthermore, DC current could only be used over shorter distances.

Alternating current could be used over longer distances at high voltages. This could also change between and high and lower voltages, conveniently dropping to lower voltages in homes and large factories. This became popular and Westinghouse, who helped him pioneer the AC supply, later becoming standard supply worldwide, then took on Tesla.

The 'current war' however, became publicised with Edison taking steps to try to disprove the advantages of AC supply and holding public displays of the dangers of AC. Yet this attempt was failed as the AC supply was obviously simpler to use and highly cost effective. This was the turning point for modern day technology and helped to build and maintain the electricity supply of today.

It was evident that a high voltage of AC supply was safer to use than DC supply. Eventually AC overtook DC, with many central power stations using this supply. Today AC supply is common for practically everything we do in our daily lives, more so for its efficient transmission and long distant usage. DC however is still used and is a good supply for power sources and in low voltage applications such as batteries.