For a sample community with an energy demand profile

1 Data

Daily Pattern in the Average Hourly Demand City of Tacoma Department of Public Utilities Light Division (TPWR)

The plot below shows the hourly demand for electricity averaged for year. The data is the 2015-2019 electricity demand for TPWR hourly in megawatt hours.

Source: Demand for Tacoma Department of Public Utilities Light Division Hourly https://www.eia.gov/opendata/qb.php?category=2122628&sdid=EBA.TPWR-ALL.D.H

2 Seasonal Patterns in Energy Demand

The energy demand exhibits is highly seasonal. It peaks in the winter months, and is lowest in May-September.

This pattern is similar to the pattern of energy use in Alaskan remote community Devine (2004). Alaskan villages consume more electricity per capita during the winter months than in the summer months, due primarily to increased lighting and electric heating loads (The Alaska Village Electric Load Calculator The Alaska Village Electric Load Calculator)

The plot below shows the seasonality of the energy demand in Alaskan village residential sector - typically, the largest energy user in the villages. The seasonal patterns of energy use by government and commercial sectors look similar.

      Energy Consumption of Residential Sector in Sample Alaskan Villages, 2003

Source: NREL, The Alaska Village Electric Load Calculator The Alaska Village Electric Load Calculator, 2004

3 Daily Patterns in Demand for Electrical Power. The Pacific Northwestern ‘Duck’ Curve

The demand for electricity peaks at 12 pm, stays high until 7 pm, and starts to decline after 8 pm, reaching its lowest point at 4 am.

This patterns is similar to daily variations in demand in Alaskan remote communities. The plot below shows the daily load profile for a small Alaskan community of Selawik.

      Daily Load Profiles for Selawik, Alaska 2003

Source: NREL, The Alaska Village Electric Load Calculator The Alaska Village Electric Load Calculator, 2004

4 References

Devine, M. 2004. “The Alaska Village Electric Load Calculator the Alaska Village Electric Load Calculator,” no. October. doi:10.2172/15011687.