Looking for recommendations on free or low-cost load profiling software. Need something that can analyze 15-minute interval data and create decent load profiles for presentations. Currently using Excel but clients want something more professional looking. Anyone found good options that won't break the budget for a small consulting practice?
Free load profiling software recommendation
Anita, have you looked at OpenEI's tools? They have some decent free load profiling capabilities through their database. Not as polished as commercial software but generates professional reports. Works well with most utility data formats. I've used it for several Entergy accounts here in Louisiana with good results.
For MLGW data, I've been using a combination of Python scripts and matplotlib for visualization. Free and very flexible once you get the hang of it. Creates publication-quality charts that clients love. Happy to share some sample code if you're comfortable with basic programming. Learning curve is steep but worth it.
If you need something immediately usable without programming, try the EIA's Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey tools. They're free and have decent load profiling features. Not perfect but much better than basic Excel charts for client presentations. TVA actually recommends them for their large commercial rate analysis.