Visualising the Effect of COVID-19 on Electricity Consumption in Victoria, Australia

ABSTRACT

Electricity grids do not operate in a bubble;they are influenced greatly by the social and economic factors of the consumers. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant disruption to the lives of many people, and in turn the electricity grid has seen large-scale disruption from typical trends. The state of Victoria, Australia was the target of one of the longest lockdowns globally in 2020. The electricity consumption data from this state gives unique insight into the effects of extended societal disruption upon the electricity grid. Through exploratory data analysis the immediate effects of the lockdowns are analysed and visualised. Energy consumption for various market types is examined over time, and comparisons are drawn between 2019 and 2020 consumption trends. Insight is provided into the implications and possible ongoing affect of the pandemic on the electricity grid. © 2021 ACM.