How do you perform a basic load survey for a mini-grid or standalone system?

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To properly size a mini-grid or standalone system, you need a load survey that captures how electricity is actually used over time. The best approach is to gather historical load data, classify loads by type and time, identify peak demand, and estimate annual energy consumption. This approach shows not only how much energy is needed, but when it’s needed and how usage varies across days, seasons, and different scenarios. That information lets you size generation capacity, storage, and distribution to meet demand reliably without overbuilding.

Why the other options don’t fit as well: sampling a single hour misses daily and seasonal patterns and ignores how usage changes over time; counting the number of appliances only indicates how many devices exist, not how much power they draw or when they’re used; measuring only a single peak captures one moment and ignores how long that peak lasts and the total energy required over a year.