351
In the electric power sector of the USA, Independent System Operators (ISOs)
operate in many parts of the USA to coordinate, control and monitor the operation
of the electrical power system. ISOs have a need to monitor electric grids at time
scales of seconds to minutes, and some (such as California’s CAISO, and Texas’
ERCOT) make this information publicly available at those resolutions. County data
are sometimes available, but data at finer spatial detail (e.g., zip code or block group)
is generally not available due to disclosure or data protection concerns. Further, the
Energy Information Administration makes a plethora of data available via its website that describe flows of primary energy and energy carriers such as electricity.
13.1.4 Metrics and Computing
Power and availability of computing resources can also constrain which metrics and
models can be used. Sometimes computing resources might constrain the requisite
complexity with which a model can represent the real-world system, requiring a
more simplified model or spatial or temporal resolution may need to be sacrificed.
For example, attempts to create regionally specific climate models (requiring
more detailed spatial resolution) were postponed until sufficiently powerful (and
low cost) computing resources were available. Some high-resolution and stochastic
phenomena, such as cloud cover and rainfall, might never be modeled or measured
at the desired resolution; thus, modeling results and data will always be approximations. Whatever the limitations, care must be taken when extrapolating (or interpolating) results beyond the resolution at which they were generated.
13.2 Methodological Frameworks
In this section, we develop a methodological framework for establishing a suite of
FEW metrics based on system science principles and life cycle assessment (LCA).
This will allow us to develop clear both the scale, or scope (see Sect. 13.2.2), and
taxonomy (see Sect. 13.2.3) of any given metric.
13.2.1 Life Cycle Assessment
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a methodological framework for assessing the environmental impacts associated with a product, service or activity. Within LCA, an
analysis is typically restricted to the product or establishment level using a processbased approach, built “bottom-up” from engineering models of individual unit processes, for example, a coal-fired burner. We might extend this approach to a regional
level by aggregating several facilities.
13 Metrics
In the electric power sector of the USA, Independent System Operators (ISOs)
operate in many parts of the USA to coordinate, control and monitor the operation
of the electrical power system. ISOs have a need to monitor electric grids at time
scales of seconds to minutes, and some (such as California’s CAISO, and Texas’
ERCOT) make this information publicly available at those resolutions. County data
are sometimes available, but data at finer spatial detail (e.g., zip code or block group)
is generally not available due to disclosure or data protection concerns. Further, the
Energy Information Administration makes a plethora of data available via its website that describe flows of primary energy and energy carriers such as electricity.
13.1.4 Metrics and Computing
Power and availability of computing resources can also constrain which metrics and
models can be used. Sometimes computing resources might constrain the requisite
complexity with which a model can represent the real-world system, requiring a
more simplified model or spatial or temporal resolution may need to be sacrificed.
For example, attempts to create regionally specific climate models (requiring
more detailed spatial resolution) were postponed until sufficiently powerful (and
low cost) computing resources were available. Some high-resolution and stochastic
phenomena, such as cloud cover and rainfall, might never be modeled or measured
at the desired resolution; thus, modeling results and data will always be approximations. Whatever the limitations, care must be taken when extrapolating (or interpolating) results beyond the resolution at which they were generated.
13.2 Methodological Frameworks
In this section, we develop a methodological framework for establishing a suite of
FEW metrics based on system science principles and life cycle assessment (LCA).
This will allow us to develop clear both the scale, or scope (see Sect. 13.2.2), and
taxonomy (see Sect. 13.2.3) of any given metric.
13.2.1 Life Cycle Assessment
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a methodological framework for assessing the environmental impacts associated with a product, service or activity. Within LCA, an
analysis is typically restricted to the product or establishment level using a processbased approach, built “bottom-up” from engineering models of individual unit processes, for example, a coal-fired burner. We might extend this approach to a regional
level by aggregating several facilities.
13 Metrics