The emphasis is on sound, technical support based on the application of current knowledge of energy efficiency, indoor environmental issues and good building science. The goals of the project are to characterize the end-use load patterns in various utility customer segments in order to better understand the impacts of load management and other DSM program options in Florida. FSEC conducted detailed site audits of more than 400 Florida homes that were also monitored for electrical end-use data for a full year. Among other things, data from the field audits were used to independently determine the degree to which the homes complied with Florida's Energy Code and then compare these results with original code compliance applications on file in local code offices. Monitored hourly end-use data were also analyzed in detail to study load shape and demand impacts that might be expected from incentives designed to improve the efficiency of new homes.
Work includes monitoring, performance analysis, and comfort evaluation of the systems.
The study will help researchers better understand the effects of the TES on the comfort level of the occupants, the fiscal impact of the technology, and the effects of these systems on power usage and demand reduction for the utility. Each day an expert system automatically examines data for all sites, alerting researchers to review identified problem data in graphical format. This improves accuracy and reliability and allows rapid corrective action if problems occur. These data acquisition capabilities are unmatched. FSEC researchers regularly collect more than 700,000 data points per day at research sites ranging from Oregon to New York to Florida.