Spatial-temporal growth model to estimate the adoption of new end-use electric technologies encouraged by energy-efficiency programs

Abstract

Domestic energy policies destined to foster the use of end-use electric technologies could cause rapid penetration of new residential loads and, consequently, this could cause a significant increase in the demand for electricity in urban areas. This paper presents a spatial-temporal growth model for estimating the adoption of new end-use electric technologies encouraged by energy-efficiency policies. The proposed method consists of three modules: temporal, spatial and grouping. The temporal module calculates by districts or census tracts of a city, the percentage of homes in which residents are prospective buyers of a new end-use electric technology. Then, the spatial module adjusts the calculations made by the temporal module, considering the spatial interactions among the inhabitants of the districts. Finally, the grouping module discovers the low-voltage transformer where the prospective buyers are connected. The results of the proposed model are a spatial database with information related to the percentage of homes in which residents are prospective buyers of a new end-use electric technology, as well as the number of prospective buyers connected to each low-voltage transformer. The results can visualize through thematic maps to identify the districts where the new technology will have faster adoption. The proposed method was employed to estimate the adoption of induction heating cookers in a medium-sized Ecuadorian city. The Ecuadorian government has developed a program of economic subsidies to encourage its population to use this electrical appliance. The results from this application are an important tool to estimate the spatial increase in electricity demand, decide important issues related to the planning of distributed resources, and develop demand-side management programs. Furthermore, the results can be used to evaluate and manage energy policies formulated to achieve environmental and energy goals.