Energy Habits in Homes: A Story of Data and Seasons

Believe it or not, understanding how households use electricity can be like reading a book. Thanks to smart meters and a technique called Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), we can now decode these "energy stories. " LDA, typically used for analyzing text, has been applied to sort through hours of meter data from 60, 000 homes over a year. Let's imagine each home has a unique "recipe" for energy use, made up of various ingredients or attributes. Researchers have identified six key attributes that describe daily use patterns. Think of it like the main elements that make a good story interesting.By grouping similar "energy stories" together, we found six unique profiles. But here's where it gets fascinating: these profiles aren't set in stone. About 73% of homes change their energy habits with the seasons, switching between profiles throughout the year. Understanding these energy lifestyles is crucial for designing effective demand response programs. These programs are like clubs that encourage people to use electricity at specific times, helping to balance the grid. Plus, monitoring lifestyle changes over time can provide valuable insights for future planning.