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Library and Learning Centre
Te Whare Pukapuka Wāhanga Whakapakari Ako

Electrical

Welcome to your
Electrical subject guide.
This is your go-to place for online resources for your course. These resources are in addition to the print course materials you will have received by post.
Click on the relevant links to access the resource/s you need.

Liaison = Vhairi

Can't find what you need?

Vhairi

Meet Vhairi, your friendly Library & Learning Support Liaison.

Get in touch with our Library & Learning Support team for advice on finding resources, academic writing and referencing. 

Year 1

The following videos are relevant to topics for Year 1:

AS/NZS 3000

How to Find Information in AS3000 [8.59 mins] - Dale West, 2019

How to use AS/NZS3000 Wiring Rules  [3.31 mins] - Infinispark, 2018

EMF Production – Batteries 

How Batteries Work - Battery electricity working principle [19.00 mins] - The Engineering Mindset, 2020

Electromagnetic Theory 

Ohms Law Explained - The basics circuit theory [9.59 mins] - The Engineering Mindset, 2019

How electricity works - working principle [10.10 mins] - The Engineering Mindset, 2017

Generator Construction and Operation

AC Electrical Generator Basics - How electricity is generated [5.55 mins] - The Engineering Mindset, 2021

Hydropower 101 [3.12 mins] - Student Energy, 2015

Year 2

The following videos are relevant to topics for Year 2:

Transformers

How does a Transformer work - Working Principle electrical engineering [6.30 mins] - The Engineering Mindset, 2018

Electronics - Rectifier

Full Wave Bridge Rectifier + Capacitor filters + half wave rectifier [2.56 mins] - The Engineering Mindset, 2021

Power factor

Power Factor Explained - The basics what is power factor pf [11.08 mins] - The Engineering Mindset, 2018

AC Motors

How does an Induction Motor work how it works 3 phase motor ac motor [10.47 mins] - The Engineering Mindset, 2017

Year 3

The following videos and online resources are relevant to topics for Year 3:

Programmable Logic Controllers

Zelio simulators

PLC Zelio soft 2 introduction [video, 4.57 mins] - Electrotechnology NZ, 2022

PLC Zelio soft 2 simulate [video, 5 mins] - Electrotechnology NZ, 2022

List of free online PLC simulators and How to use an Online PLC simulator - Automation Forum: Sundar, 2021

PLC Fiddle 

Transformers

How does a Transformer work? - Working Principle electrical engineering [Video, 6.29 mins] - The Engineering Mindset, 2018

Motor Control

How does an Induction Motor work how it works 3 phase motor ac motor [Video, 10.47 mins] - The Engineering Mindset, 2017

Industrial control basics: Motor control starters & magnetic motor starters - C3 Controls, 2022

Star Delta starter 

Star Delta Starter Explained - Working Principle [Video, 11.07 mins] - The Engineering Mindset, 2019

Legislation & Standards

Electricity Act 1992 - NZ Parliamentary Counsel Office

Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 - NZ Parliamentary Counsel Office

Employment Relations Act 2000 - NZ Parliamentary Counsel Office

WorksafeNZ Website - Mahi Haumaru Aotearoa

Worksafe portal

Worksafe - Energy Safety 

EWRB website

About the AS/NZ 3000 standard
How to Find Information in AS3000 [Video, 8.59 mins] - Dale West, 2019
How to use AS/NZS3000 Wiring Rules [Video, 3.41 mins] - Infinispark, 2018


To access the AS/NZ 3000 standard

Due to strict copyright restrictions by Standards NZ, we can’t upload the standard here directly. You need to follow the steps below to access this standard.

  1. Go to our Library Databases page.
  2. Scroll down and click on Standards, Statistics & Reports
  3. Click on Standards NZ Online Library
  4. Sign in with your Open Polytechnic username (your OP email address) and password.
  5. Ignore the Search the site search box and instead scroll down and enter ‘AS/NZS 3000’ in the Online Libary subscription search box. 
  6. Click on View PDF to access the standard (you might need to scroll down).

* If you have any issues accessing this standard, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Open Polytechnic Library.

Books

Check out the ebooks and print books below.

ebooks

The following ebooks may be useful during your study. Sign in with your Open Polytechnic username and password.
(If you are new to using ebooks, you might find this quick guide helpful - you can skip step 1.)

Advanced electrical installation work : City and guilds edition / Trevor Linsley.

Audel electrical trades pocket manual / L.W. Brittian.

Electric motors and drives: Fundamentals, types and applications / Austin Hughesm, Bill Drury.

Electrical installation calculations. Basic: for Technical Certificate Level 2 / A.J. Watkins, Chris Kitcher.

Electrical installation calculations. Advanced: for technical certificate and NVQ level 3 / Christopher Kitcher and A. J. Watkins.

Understandable electric circuits: Key concepts / Meizhong Wang.

Print books

Here are some recommended print books to help you learn.
You can request these - see how under Membership & borrowing.

Basic electronics 8th Ed / Bernard Grob

Electrical trade principles / Jeffery Hampson, Steve Hanssen 

Electrical wiring practice: AS/NZS 3000:2000 Vol. 1 / Keith Pethebridge and Ian Neeson

Electrotechnology principles & practice 2nd Ed / Open Polytechnic

Fundamentals of lighting / Susan M. Winchip

Lighting applications for domestic interiors / Karen Wardell

Lighting / D. C. Pritchard

Lumens Watts & Lux / Karen Wardell

Mastering electronic and electrical calculations / Noel M. Morris