What makes you peak? Cluster analysis of household activities and electricity demand

Panel: 4. Monitoring and evaluation for greater impact

This is a peer-reviewed paper.

Authors:
Aven Satre-Meloy, University of Oxford, Environmental Change Institute, United Kingdom
Marina Diakonova, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
Philipp Grünewald, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

Abstract

Researching the dynamics of energy consumption at finely-resolved timescales is increasingly practical with the growing availability of high-resolution data and analytical methods to characterise them. One of the methodological approaches that has recently become popular for exploring energy consumption dynamics is load profile clustering. Despite an abundance of available algorithmic techniques, clustering load profiles is challenging because clustering methods do not capture the temporal aspects of electricity consumption well and because cluster results are difficult to validate without detailed auxiliary data. These challenges make it difficult to use cluster analysis to better understand drivers of different electricity consumption patterns.We address these challenges by applying a novel approach to a unique dataset of high-resolution electricity data, household socio-demographics, and occupant time-use data for a sample of 135 UK households.

Clusters can be identified for typical electricity use patterns and linked to activity patterns underlying these. We use this detailed data to validate load profile clusters, exploring how different socio-demographic data and patterns of household activity explain electricity consumption trends, focusing primarily on late afternoon and evening hours in the UK (4-9 pm), during which peak demand occurs.

We present peak-period clusters and the household characteristics and activities driving their demand. We show how such an approach can aid in segmenting classes of consumers to develop more targeted strategies for demand reduction and response interventions. This knowledge can be used to better understand the constraints and opportunities for a more flexible demand-side in the electricity sector.