A study on the impact of data sampling rates on load signature event detection

Abstract The analysis of electrical load signatures is an enabling technology for many applications, such as ambient assisted living or energy-saving recommendations. Through the digitalization of electricity metering infrastructure, meter reading intervals are gradually becoming more frequent than the traditional once-per-year reporting. In fact, across smart meter generations, samples were initially reported in 15-min intervals, more recently once per second, and even newer devices capture readings at rates on the order of several kilohertz. The advantages of using such high sampling rates have, however, not been unambiguously demonstrated in literature. We thus choose a widely considered application scenario of energy data analytics, event detection, and assess the impact of the sampling rate choice on the correct event recognition rate. More specifically, we compare the accuracy of two event detection algorithms with respect to the resolution of their input data. The results of our analysis hint at a non-linear relation between accuracy and data resolution, yet also indicate that most event occurrences can be correctly determined when using a sampling rate of approximately 1 kHz, with only minimal improvements achievable through higher rates.