Patent Application
20120330585
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to energy usage, and particularly to electrical energy usage by energy consumers.
The electrical consumption of a location is typically calculated at monthly intervals, such that a total number of kilowatt hours used over a month is measured with a meter. Improved metering devices allow the electrical consumption of a metered location to be measured and compiled at shorter intervals such as per second intervals or less. The measured data may be used to identify detailed electrical load usage in a metered location.
According to one aspect of the invention, a method includes receiving data associated with time periods that types of electrical devices are used at a metered location and storing the data in a database, associating demographic data with the metered location and storing the associated demographic data in the database, defining a demographic type associated with the metered location, processing the data associated with the time periods that the types of electrical devices are used at the metered location and the demographic data associated with the metered location to define time periods that types of electrical devices are used by demographic types similar to the demographic type associated with the metered location, and identifying an alternative time period that at least one electrical device of the types of electrical devices may be used.
According to another aspect of the invention, a system for analyzing electrical data includes a first database comprising measured load data of a metered location, the measured load data including types of electrical devices and times each type of electrical device is used at the metered location, a second database comprising demographic data associated with the metered location, and a processor operative to receive data from the first database and the second database and generate a third database including the times each type of electrical device is used for a demographic type similar to a demographic type associated with the metered location.
These and other advantages and features will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings.
The subject matter, which is regarded as the invention, is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
The detailed description explains embodiments of the invention, together with advantages and features, by way of example with reference to the drawings.
Electric utilities generate electrical power using a variety of generation arrangements. For example, an electric utility may generate power using a coal powered steam turbine generator that generates power, and a gas turbine generator that may be used to increase the generating capacity during peak loading periods. The utility may also receive purchased power from other grids during peak loading periods. The power generated by the gas turbine or purchased from another system is often more expensive than the power generated by the steam turbine. Utilities operating such grids may offer demand response incentives to electrical consumers to reduce electrical consumption during periods of operation such as during peak loading periods. For some consumer types such as industrial or commercial consumers, utilities may offer incentives to consume power during lower loading periods. For example, a factory that uses electricity may shift the hours of factory operations to avoid consuming electrical power during peak loading times.
Utilities have found that industrial and commercial electrical consumers that may participate in a demand response program are relatively easy to identify due to the small number of industrial consumers as compared to the number of residential consumers. Other consumer types, such as, residential or small business consumers may consume power during peak loading periods that could be consumed at other times. Utilities offer demand response incentive programs to such residential consumers that encourage consumers to consume power during off peak periods or other more desirable consumption periods in a similar manner as the commercial or industrial consumers described above. However, identifying residential consumers who may benefit from such an incentive program is difficult due to the varieties of residential and small business consumers, and the differences in the consumption habits of such consumers. For example, some consumers in a particular area or region may generally not operate electrical devices during peak times. Other consumers in a region may not own certain devices such as, dishwashers or clothes dryers that may consume power during peak times. Further, considering economies of scale, utilities often prefer to identify a geographic area that would include a large number of residential consumers who may utilize an incentive program.
The methods and systems described below allow a utility to collect electrical consumption data for electrical consumers and identify particular times electrical devices are operated. Using demographic data that includes, for example, types of residences (e.g., single family homes or apartments), profiles of electric consumption habits for particular demographic groups or types having particular demographic parameters may be generated. These profiles may be used with demographic data for particular regions to determine whether a particular demand response incentive program is practical and scalable for a region.
The demographic database 202, and the measured load database 204 are compiled by the processor 102 into the demographic-load (D-L) database 206 and stored in the memory 108. The D-L database 206 may be used to, for example, identify electricity usage behaviors by users in a financial and/or location demographic that may be changed to reduce consumption of electricity.
The technical effects and benefits of the illustrated embodiments include methods and systems that allow detailed electrical consumption data at metered locations to be used with associated demographic data in a database. The database may be used to identify demographic groups that may benefit from demand response programs or other incentives for modifying electrical consumption.
While the invention has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.
