End-Use Load and Conservation Assessment Program : Co-Instrumentation Test of Two Microcomputer-Based Energy Monitoring Systems.
The decreasing cost of microcomputers along with improvements in power metering circuitry have changed the way in which electrical energy use is monitored. Although utilities still rely on kilowatt-hour (kWh) meters for billing purposes, a microcomputer-based monitoring system is used when greater temporal and end-use resolution is desired. Because these types of monitoring systems will be used increasingly in large-scale conservation and end-use studies, it is important that their performance be analyzed to determine their accuracy. A co-instrumentation test was devised in which two such microcomputer-based monitoring systems made simultaneous measurements of electrical end-uses in two commercial buildings. The analysis of the co-instrumentation data aids in the evaluation of microcomputer-based monitoring systems used for end-use measurements. Separate and independent data loggers were used to measure the same loads simultaneously. In addition to these two systems, a utility billing meter measured the total energy use in each building during the co-instrumentation test. The utility's meters provided a relatively accurate standard by which the performance of both loggers could be judged. The comparison between the SCL and PNL microcomputer-based loggers has shown that power measurement techniques directly affect system performance. The co-instrumentation test has shown that there are certain standards that a monitoring system must meet if it is to perform well. First, it is essential to calibrate a microcomputer-based logger against a known standard load before the system is installed. Second, a microcomputer-based system must have some way of accounting for power factors. Recent advances in power metering circuitry have made it relatively easy to apply these power factors automatically in real time.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA); Seattle City Light, WA (USA)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- United States. Bonneville Power Administration.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC79-83BP13795
- OSTI ID:
- 6413700
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/BP-13795-2; ON: DE85017297
- Resource Relation:
- Related Information: Co-instrumentation test : ELCAP
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
ELECTRIC UTILITIES
LOAD ANALYSIS
MONITORING
TIME DEPENDENCE
BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION
CALIBRATION
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
ERRORS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
LOAD MANAGEMENT
POWER FACTOR
BUILDINGS
DATA
INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUMERICAL DATA
PUBLIC UTILITIES
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
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