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，以将单个设备使用的能源与进入家庭的天然气和电力总量分开。公用事业纳税人可以通过更有效地识别和减少低效的电器和活动，从这些详细的信息中受益。目前正在部署的新一代智能电表的自动阅读和使用时间定价是不能够提供这种级别的细节。在这项研究中评估的信号处理算法是创新的，在其使用的非参数统计措施和特定的电导签名，以准确地区分个别电器负载。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个电器的隔离电力测量的性能。该项目的预期成果是创建一个易于使用的工具，不断教育消费者减少能源消耗。当与采用可再生能源相结合时，提高能源效率可以减少温室气体排放。这项技术的商业潜力很高，因为住宅和小企业纳税人如果能够可靠地识别低效的电器或活动，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内支付该设备的安装成本。提供设备特定水平的负载信息将改变纳税人的节能能力，并显著影响资源消耗。该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。

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).