Load evaluation
The load evaluation involves gathering information on loads which will serve as the basis for the rest of the system design process. Power ratings and usage estimates for necessary and potential loads are gathered into a table - one for direct current and one for alternating current. It is important to use maximum values for estimated usage to ensure that the system is adequately sized. It may be necessary to perform an estimation of this sort for each month of the year if loads, esimated usage, or solar resource vary frequently throughout the year. Usage in the charts below is therefore estimated on a monthly basis so that it can be easily used in a load and solar resource comparison if necessary. The monthly total is typically calculated by estimating weekly usage and multiplying by 4 to get a monthly total. This process works well for loads that are used everyy day or those that are used only occasionally, but it is necessary to be careful with loads that are used for consecutive days during the week. If a load is used during all 5 business days of the week it should be treated as operating 7 days out of the week as removing 2 days a week from will reduce the average energy requirement, but in reality the system will be required to store and generate the full energy requirement on most days.
When designing any system it is almost always necessary to explore various different designs with varying loads and usage patterns to arrive at the best balance between cost and budget.
Additional considerations
- The make, model, and power rating of any loads currently present at the site should be documented. Photos are very useful.
- If the system design is going to incorporate loads that have not yet been purchased, guidance should be provided about the value and importance of purchasing energy efficient loads.
- This process can be difficult in locations that do not currently have electricity or that have users that do not have experience with electricity beforehand. In these cases there is a tendency to over-estimate and under-estimate appliance usage depending on the individual. In these cases, more responsibility falls upon the person performing the load evaluation and the system designer to provide guidance and accurate estimates.
- Potential projects that do not currently have an electrical system will also require additional evaluation and design work to ensure that the building will have adequate outlets for (power receptacles) and lighting for the intended use of each room.
DC load evaluation
Typical direct current loads include lights, cell phones, radios, and DC refrigerators. If a system incorporates an inverter, it is important that its idle consumption is included in the DC load evaluation.
| # | Load | Quantity | Watts | Total Watts | Duty cycle | Hours per day | Days per month | Average Watt-hours per day |
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| 1 | Cree 5W LED | 4 | 1 | 5W | 20W | 5 hours | 30 days | 100Wh |
| 2 | Victron 1200W inverter | 8W | 1 | 1 | 8W | 24 hours | 30 days | 192Wh |
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| Average DC Watt-hour consumption | 292Wh | |||||||
- Load: The make and model or type of load.
- Quantity: The number of of that particular load.
- Watts: The power rating in Watts for the load.
- Total watts = quantity × Watts
- Duty cycle = Rated or estimated duty cycle for the load. A load with a duty cycle of 20% would be inputted as .2
- Hours per day: The maximum number of hours the load(s) will be operated per day. If the load has a duty cycle 24 hours should be used.
- Days per month: The maximum number of days the load(s) will be operated per month.
- Average Watt-hours per day = Total Watts × Hours per day × Days per month ÷ 30 days
- Average DC Watt-hour consumption = sum of Average Watt-hours per day for all loads
AC load evaluation
There are additional considerations that go into performing an AC load analysis because this analysis is used for inverter sizing and selection, as well as PV source and charge controller sizing and selection and Energy storage sizing and selection. This chart therefore takes into account several other important factors:
| Inverter efficiency | .85 |
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| # | Load | Quantity | Watts | Total watts | Duty cycle | Surge factor | Surge Watts | Power factor | Total VA | Hours per day | Days per month | Average Watt-hours per day |
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- Load: The make and model or type of load.
- Quantity: The number of of that particular load.
- Watts: The power rating in Watts for the load.
- Total Watts = Quantity × Watts
- Duty cycle = Rated or estimated duty cycle for the load. A load with a duty cycle of 20% would be inputted as .2
- Surge factor = Rated or estimated duty cycle for the load.
- Power factor = Rated or estimated power factor for the load.
- Total VA = Total Watts ÷ Power factor
- Hours per day: The maximum number of hours the load(s) will be operated per day. If the load has a duty cycle 24 hours should be used.
- Days per month: The maximum number of days the load(s) will be operated per month.
- Average AC Watt-hours per day = Total Watts × Duty cycle × Hours per day × Days per month ÷ 30 days
- Average AC Watt-hour consumption = sum of Average Watt-hours per day for all loads
