Load-data access tools cultivate productivity

Electric utility load research involves the systematic collection of customers´ energy usage by time-of-day, month, season, and year. At many utilities, whole-premise and end-use load data are collected from a large number of customer sites at 15-minute intervals for multiple seasons and even years. Whole premise refers to the total load at a residence, while end-use load may include several individual major appliances, treated separately. As a result, load research data, especially end-use data, is voluminous. Thus, designing a load data distribution system that can respond to data requests in a timely, effective manner is becoming an important planning and operations goal facing many electric utility load research departments. This article discusses how Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) has implemented a load data distribution and access system to improve its staff productivity and communications efficiency.<>