Energiecurve

Energiecurve is a graphical representation used in energy analysis to illustrate the flow or amount of energy over time for a system, process, or sector. It can depict energy consumption, production, or storage, and is used to analyze usage patterns, peak demand, efficiency, and capacity planning. The term appears in disciplines such as electrical engineering, building performance, and transport studies.

Common forms include the load curve (electricity demand over time), generation curve (output from a plant or resource), consumption curve (specific consumer groups), and cumulative energy curve (total energy accumulated over a period). Data are typically collected at regular intervals and expressed in energy units such as watt-hours, kilowatt-hours, or megawatt-hours, with time scales ranging from seconds to years. Curves can be normalized for comparison and smoothed for modeling and visualization purposes.

In practice, energiecurves support demand-response planning, capacity forecasting, energy efficiency assessment, and optimization of generation and storage assets. They relate closely to concepts such as load profiles, capacity factor, and intermittency of renewables. When used in simulations and decision-making, the curve serves as input to optimization routines for scheduling and dispatch, or to quantify potential improvements from energy efficiency measures and storage deployment. See also load curve, generation profile, and energy storage curves.