Application of rural residential hourly load curves in energy modelling

Abstract

This paper describes the methods used to determine hourly activity load curves for use in energy models. It explains how Conditional Demand Analysis curves have been used in combination with appliance penetration levels to develop appliance hourly load curves based on and representative of measured load data. It shows how these can be combined to determine hourly activity load curves, which contribute to the accuracy of energy models used for energy policy development and energy planning.

Scoping exercise to determine load profile archetype reference shapes for solar co-generation models in isolated off-grid rural African villages

“…The micro-CHP system will be able to supplement some of the heat required for cooking, which is why this thermal energy profile is considered to be important. In this regard, Figure 11 shows a digitised version of a daily cooking profile, indicating the electricity used for a recently electrified rural homestead in southern Africa (Cross and Gaunt, 2003).…”

“…Even with the availability of Big Data and Smart metering, it is still proving to be difficult to find thermal and electrical energy profile shapes for a rural African village. A scoping exercise was subsequently performed to investigate how literature data can be used as means to define universal load profile shapes for a remote and isolated rural African context (Cross & Gaunt, 2003;Heunis & Dekenah, 2014;Meyer, 2000;Muya, 1996;OpenEI, 2015;Tinarwo, 2009;Sprei, 2002).…”

“…This paper presents a load profiling and scoping exercise based on available literature on thermal and electrical power consumption patterns in small rural African villages (Cross & Gaunt, 2003;Heunis & Dekenah, 2014;Meyer, 2000;Muya, 1996;OpenEI, 2015;Tinarwo, 2009;Sprei, 2002). The results of the study offer basic geometric archetypal energy reference shapes for hourly heat and electric load profiles.…”

Effects of load estimation error on small-scale off-grid photovoltaic system design, cost and reliability

“…Regardless of the sizing approach, the resulting design is intimately tied to and dependent on the estimate of average daily load, which is notoriously difficult to estimate in the context of LDCs [24,25,26,27]. Constant daily loads are often assumed within the optimization techniques for simplicity despite the uncertain and variable nature of newly electrified customers.…”

Issues and applications of real-time data from off-grid electrical systems

“…The best-practices of RM system design, and use-cases of the data are not well-known or wide-spread. The use of microgrid data in the literature is scant [6,7], but the need for it is well-known [3,4]. To address the gap in literature and practice, this paper describes the issues of RM systems and the application of the data they provide to improve the operation and technical sustainability of microgrids.…”