A Comparative Analysis of the Electricity Load Profiles of Some European and Asian Countries. Part 1. Annual Profiles

Abstract

Nowadays, new technologies are intensely introduced in the electric power industry. Thus, at the level of electrical distribution networks, these are distributed generation based on renewable energy sources, electricity storage devices, electric vehicles, etc. Developed countries have adopted a policy toward reducing the mankind’s carbon footprint, also by optimizing the power consumption. In developing countries, a significant growth of electricity consumption and electrification of the population is seen. To select adequate solutions, it is necessary to know the description of power consumption processes in the form of electricity load profiles. The article presents an overview of statistical data on the dynamics of annual electricity consumption in the power systems of various countries, the results of monitoring the annual electricity consumption by individual households in Western Europe and articles in periodicals. The annual electricity load profiles in Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, and Portugal are given. For each of the electricity load profiles, the primary source of information is specified. In the second part of the article, daily electricity load profiles will be addressed. In the annual context, the electricity consumption dynamics is primarily governed by the climatic zone, the changes of seasons, and by the extent to which the households and office buildings locating in the tropical and subtropical climate are provided with air conditioners. In Southeast Asia countries, the annual maximum of electricity load is observed in May. In Central Asia countries and in the most of European countries, the annual maximum electricity load falls on December - January, and the minimum - on the summer months. In the Middle East countries located in the tropical zone, the annual maximum electricity load falls on the summer period; in Southern Europe and Middle East countries belonging to the subtropical zone, the annual maximum load falls on December-January, but in the summer period, a growth of electricity consumption compared with the autumn-spring period is observed. The results of the review and the selected primary sources can be useful as source information on the electricity consumption processes for various studies in the electric power industry field.