Objective 2

Baseline Data Collection

Lead

Research Questions:

What are the key data streams necessary to understand and characterize existing FEW linkages in remote communities?

Existing FEW flows and energy management and dispatch will be characterized in the case study communities. The power requirements and energy flows around existing food, energy, and water infrastructure loads will be described, metered, logged, and quantified for a year.

Purpose

Types of data will include current states of technologies, performance parameters and use cases, as well as availabilities and capabilities for use in demand-response approaches. System components may include energy storage, renewable energy generation sources, distributed loads such as heaters, and components that are associated with lower grades of energy such as pumps and compressors, among others. This involves not only collecting data but also thinking creatively about FEW connections and applications in the context of available energy system components. Effective execution of this objective will require in-person conversations with relevant communities to better understand the range of options and applications that are realistically available. In addition to gathering on-grid data, we will collect information pertinent to local off-grid drivers of FEW security. Based upon initial characterization of the local FEW nexus in Objective 1, off-grid drivers such as subsistence harvests, private/community garden production, traditional water sources, and exogenous inputs will be evaluated for a period of one year, and then utilized to inform the MicroFEWs synthesis activities described in Objective 5.

Actions

  Status
Upon consultation with community, compile planned data measurements and methods Completed
Measure time series data of energy inputs and outputs in each leg of the FEW nexus, in each community over a year Completed
Describe current states of technologies, performance parameters and use cases, as well as availabilities and capabilities for use in demand-response approaches Completed
Design database and content specifications Completed
Complete database Completed

Highlights