Applying epoch-era analysis for homeowner selection of distributed generation power systems

Abstract

The current shift from centralized energy generation to a more distributed model has opened a number of choices for homeowners to provide their own power. While there are a number of systems to purchase, there are no tools to help the homeowner determine which system they should select. The research investigates how an Epoch-Era Analysis formulation can be used to select the appropriate distributed generation system for the homeowner. Ten different distributed generation systems were successfully analyzed and resulted in the average homeowner selecting the solar photovoltaic system. Additionally, the research investigated how using an "average" homeowner compared to an individual homeowner might result in a different distributed generation selection. Two randomly selected homeowners were analyzed and there were noticeable differences with the average homeowner results, including one of the homeowners selecting the geothermal system instead. Suggestions for how the research can be expanded - including individual homeowner parameterization, distributed generation systems inclusion, and epoch/era expansion - are covered at the end.