Commercial energy / Buyer guidance
Build a commercial load profile that a supplier and operator can use
Define meter boundaries, interval quality and operating changes, with an original load-factor example and a data handoff checklist.
Annual use describes scale; a profile describes when it occurs
A supplier or facility team can need more than twelve monthly totals. Time-of-use exposure, coincident peaks and operating changes depend on when energy is consumed. A useful load profile combines meter data with a dated operating explanation. It does not assume every business in the same industry uses energy in the same pattern.
Start with the meter boundary and commodity. Record whether data covers a whole building, tenant, process or campus, and whether behind-the-meter generation affects purchases. Keep gas volume or energy records separate from electricity intervals. A combined corporate budget cannot replace the underlying meter series.
Check the interval file before calculating
Record timezone, interval duration, units, timestamp convention, period coverage, estimated values and any multiplier. Check missing and duplicate intervals, daylight-saving transitions and meter changes. Determine whether a value is energy for an interval or average power during it; those require different aggregation.
Annotate shifts, holidays, shutdowns, weather, occupancy and major equipment changes. A new line can explain a step in use; a missing data block can mimic a shutdown. Do not automatically replace missing values with zero. Preserve both the original file and any correction method so another reviewer can reproduce the profile.
Worked example: energy, average demand and load factor
Hypothetical 30-day electric record: use is 360,000 kWh over 720 hours. Average power is 360,000 ÷ 720 = 500 kW. If the defined measured peak is 800 kW, a simple load factor is 500 ÷ 800 = 62.5%.
This does not mean the facility can remove 37.5% of its energy use or lower every billed demand determinant. The peak definition, billing window, production need and tariff still matter. If 24 hours are missing and incorrectly filled with zero, the average could be understated. Use the actual valid period and an appropriate data treatment rather than keeping a convenient 720-hour denominator.
Prepare a decision-ready handoff
| File or note | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Original meter series | Preserves raw evidence |
| Data-quality summary | Identifies gaps, corrections and coverage |
| Operating calendar | Explains shifts, holidays and unusual events |
| Future-change note | Separates history from the purchase forecast |
| Tariff and contract scope | Connects intervals to billed components and risk |
For an RFP, give authorized suppliers the same data and changes under appropriate confidentiality controls. Avoid uploading account-level files into a public inquiry. A supplier pricing an old profile should explicitly confirm how a planned operating change affects the product and volume terms.
After an operating project, compare equivalent periods and explain other changes before claiming an improvement. The worked-example guide distinguishes a scenario from a measured result. The demand calculator is a simplified billing model; it does not clean interval files or validate a baseline.
Sources and limits
DOE re-tuning guidance supports using building operating data for investigation. ENERGY STAR benchmarking supports contextual comparison. The load-factor example is independently constructed and is not a benchmark target, engineering finding or savings claim.