Every user of electricity consumes power at irregular intervals. From residential buildings to large industrial facilities, power usage will fluctuate depending on numerous conditions. Is the building occupied? Are the lights on? Is the building being heated or cooled? For facilities billed on demand, (kW or kVA), the more consistent a building consumes energy, the lower their costs will be.
A building’s Load Duration Curve is an easy way of visualizing how consistently a building is using the energy they consume. In the example below, both Customer A and B have a peak demand of 650 kW, however Customer A has a poor Load Duration Curve and consumes energy much less consistently than Customer B.
In terms of cost, while Customer B is consuming more energy (kWh) over the course of the year, and therefore paying more money, Customer B is leaving less money on the table as a result of inconsistent/inefficient energy usage. Customer A, on the other hand, is consuming less energy (kWh) than Customer B, however they are spending tens of thousands of dollars more per year then they need to be because of their inefficient use of electricity. In the real-world example shown above, Customer A could save over $27,000, or 11.5% of their annual energy spend by proactively managing their peak energy consumption that occurs 5% of the time or roughly 2.5 weeks throughout the year.
Plotting energy consumption on a Load Duration Curve is a quick way to determine if there is an opportunity to implement peak demand management savings strategies at a building. To get a true picture of how to save money on your monthly energy bills, a full billing and building analysis is needed.
Request a complimentary energy efficiency assessment to find out how Artis Energy’s RTIS® energy analytics platform can provide you with the visibility and insight to transform energy from a fixed cost into a distinct competitive advantage.
Request a complimentary energy efficiency assessment to find out how Artis Energy’s RTIS® energy analytics platform can provide you with the visibility and insight to transform energy from a fixed cost into a distinct competitive advantage.