SBIR Phase I: Isolating Specific Appliance Energy Usage from Whole Building Energy Consumption

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将测试信号处理算法的可行性，将单个家用电器使用的能量从进入家庭的天然气和电力总量中分离出来。公用事业差饷缴纳人可能会从这些详细信息中受益，因为他们可以更有效地识别和缓解低效的电器和活动。目前部署用于自动抄表和使用时间定价的新一代智能电表无法提供这种程度的详细信息。本研究中评估的信号处理算法在使用非参数统计测量和特定电导特征来准确区分单个家电负载方面具有创新性。将在三个住宅中进行测试，以比较负载分解系统的性能与来自十个或更多设备的隔离电力测量的性能。该项目的预期结果是创建一种简单易用的工具，不断教育消费者降低能源消耗。在采用可再生能源的同时，提高能效可以减少温室气体排放。这项技术的商业潜力很大，因为住宅和小型企业的差饷缴纳人如果能够可靠地识别低效电器或活动，就可以降低能源成本。如果成功，使用这项技术的普通家庭节省的能源将在不到三年的时间里支付设备的安装成本。提供家电特定水平负荷信息将改变差饷缴纳人节约能源的能力，并显著影响资源消耗。该奖项由2009年美国复苏和再投资法案(公法111-5)资助。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will test the feasibility of a signal processing algorithm to separate energy used by individual appliances from the total natural gas and electricity entering a home. Utility ratepayers may benefit from this detailed information by more-effectively identifying and mitigate inefficient appliances and activities. The new generation of smart electric meters currently being deployed for automated reading and time of use pricing are not be able to provide this level of detail. The signal processing algorithm evaluated in this study is innovative in its use of non-parametric statistical measures and specific conductance signatures to accurately distinguish individual appliance loads. Tests will be performed in three residences to compare the performance of the load disaggregation system with that of isolated electrical power measurements from ten or more appliances. The intended outcome of this project is to create an easy-to-use tool that will continually educate consumers to reduce energy consumption. When coupled with adoption of renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The commercial potential of this technology is high since residential and small business ratepayers could reduce energy costs if they can reliably identify inefficient appliances or activities. If successful, the energy savings from the average household using this technology would pay for the installed cost of the device in less than three years. Providing appliance specific level load information would transform ratepayers' ability to conserve energy and significantly impact resource consumption.This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).