In electrical engineering, a load profile or consumption profile is a graph of the electrical load "Load (electricity)") versus time. The load profile will vary depending on the type of customer (typical examples include residential, commercial and industrial), and environmental conditions such as temperature or time of year. Energy producers use this information to plan the electricity generation needed at any given time.
This is a subtype of demand profiles analogous to that used in other fields such as operations research, telecommunications engineering "Traffic engineering (telecommunications)"), traffic engineering or logistics.
Power generation
In a power system, a load curve or load profile is a graph that illustrates the electrical demand or load during a specific time. Grid operators use this information to plan electricity generation at a given time. A load duration curve") is similar to a load curve. The information is the same but presented differently.
These curves are useful in selecting generating units for electricity supply. In the case of non-manageable generations, the generation can often be optimized to produce in certain periods (for example, by orienting a photovoltaic solar panel in a certain direction). In the case of manageable generators, the demand curve can mark network limitations and force the generator to produce only during demand peaks, generating a typology that is usually called by the anglicism speaker.
Distribution and transportation of electricity
In a power grid, the load profile of electricity use is important for the efficiency and reliability of power transmission. There are different metrics that relate network peaks to average values and show the need to oversize the infrastructure to serve demand peaks. This includes characteristics such as the average load factor, the diversity factor, the utilization factor, and the demand factor, which can be calculated based on a given load profile. Such investment is, however, of no use in demand valleys. In particular, there are elements such as power transformers or power line conductors whose size and cost are sized for demand peaks.
Load Curve (Consumption)
Introduction
In electrical engineering, a load profile or consumption profile is a graph of the electrical load "Load (electricity)") versus time. The load profile will vary depending on the type of customer (typical examples include residential, commercial and industrial), and environmental conditions such as temperature or time of year. Energy producers use this information to plan the electricity generation needed at any given time.
This is a subtype of demand profiles analogous to that used in other fields such as operations research, telecommunications engineering "Traffic engineering (telecommunications)"), traffic engineering or logistics.
Power generation
In a power system, a load curve or load profile is a graph that illustrates the electrical demand or load during a specific time. Grid operators use this information to plan electricity generation at a given time. A load duration curve") is similar to a load curve. The information is the same but presented differently.
These curves are useful in selecting generating units for electricity supply. In the case of non-manageable generations, the generation can often be optimized to produce in certain periods (for example, by orienting a photovoltaic solar panel in a certain direction). In the case of manageable generators, the demand curve can mark network limitations and force the generator to produce only during demand peaks, generating a typology that is usually called by the anglicism speaker.
Distribution and transportation of electricity
In a power grid, the load profile of electricity use is important for the efficiency and reliability of power transmission. There are different metrics that relate network peaks to average values and show the need to oversize the infrastructure to serve demand peaks. This includes characteristics such as the average load factor, the diversity factor, the utilization factor, and the demand factor, which can be calculated based on a given load profile. Such investment is, however, of no use in demand valleys. In particular, there are elements such as power transformers or power line conductors whose size and cost are sized for demand peaks.
Many times there is equipment that has both constant losses and losses depending on the degree of load, as is the case of transformers given their vacuum losses (iron losses) and their load losses (copper losses). The optimization of a transformer must therefore consider the load profile to which it is expected to be subjected, among other factors.[1].
Storage systems such as reservoirs or batteries connected to the grid") are sized following the load profile.[2] The usual objective of a storage system is to decouple the generation and demand curves, achieving a more efficient operation of the system. Something similar occurs with reactive power regulation systems, where many systems such as capacitor batteries have steps that are optimized according to the expected demand curve.
Energy markets
In the electricity market, so-called EFA blocks") are used to specify the negotiated forward contract that represents the delivery of a certain amount of electrical energy at a given time. The existence of a demand curve and a generation curve (and occasionally, transmission curves) means that prices vary over time.
In retail energy markets, traders provide by the hour or by the hour. For most of its customers, consumption is measured monthly, according to meter reading times. Load profiles are used to convert monthly consumption data into hourly consumption estimates to determine supplier liability. For each hour, estimates from all of an energy supplier's customers are aggregated and the aggregated amount is used in market settlement calculations as the total demand to be met by the supplier.
Calculation and registration of load profiles
Load profiles can be determined by direct measurement, but small supply points such as transformers in a distribution network do not usually have such a level of detail. Instead, a load profile can be inferred from the customer's total billing and typical patterns. An example of a practical calculation used by utilities is to use a transformer's peak demand reading and take into account the known number of each type of customer served by these transformers. This process is called cargo investigation.
Actual demand can be collected at strategic locations for more detailed load analysis; This is beneficial for both distribution and end users seeking maximum consumption. Smart meters, utility meter load profilers, data logging meters, and portable data loggers are designed to perform this task by recording readings at a given interval.
References
[1] ↑ Eromon, David I. (2005), «The Dynamics of Transformer Purchasing in a Transformed Electric Market», The International Journal of Modern Engineering 6 (1) .: http://www.ijme.us/issues/fall2005/articles/p33.htm
Many times there is equipment that has both constant losses and losses depending on the degree of load, as is the case of transformers given their vacuum losses (iron losses) and their load losses (copper losses). The optimization of a transformer must therefore consider the load profile to which it is expected to be subjected, among other factors.[1].
Storage systems such as reservoirs or batteries connected to the grid") are sized following the load profile.[2] The usual objective of a storage system is to decouple the generation and demand curves, achieving a more efficient operation of the system. Something similar occurs with reactive power regulation systems, where many systems such as capacitor batteries have steps that are optimized according to the expected demand curve.
Energy markets
In the electricity market, so-called EFA blocks") are used to specify the negotiated forward contract that represents the delivery of a certain amount of electrical energy at a given time. The existence of a demand curve and a generation curve (and occasionally, transmission curves) means that prices vary over time.
In retail energy markets, traders provide by the hour or by the hour. For most of its customers, consumption is measured monthly, according to meter reading times. Load profiles are used to convert monthly consumption data into hourly consumption estimates to determine supplier liability. For each hour, estimates from all of an energy supplier's customers are aggregated and the aggregated amount is used in market settlement calculations as the total demand to be met by the supplier.
Calculation and registration of load profiles
Load profiles can be determined by direct measurement, but small supply points such as transformers in a distribution network do not usually have such a level of detail. Instead, a load profile can be inferred from the customer's total billing and typical patterns. An example of a practical calculation used by utilities is to use a transformer's peak demand reading and take into account the known number of each type of customer served by these transformers. This process is called cargo investigation.
Actual demand can be collected at strategic locations for more detailed load analysis; This is beneficial for both distribution and end users seeking maximum consumption. Smart meters, utility meter load profilers, data logging meters, and portable data loggers are designed to perform this task by recording readings at a given interval.
References
[1] ↑ Eromon, David I. (2005), «The Dynamics of Transformer Purchasing in a Transformed Electric Market», The International Journal of Modern Engineering 6 (1) .: http://www.ijme.us/issues/fall2005/articles/p33.htm