Metrix - Version 4 - Utility Accounting System Software Manual

Metrix 4 User’s Guide Documentation Revision 8/18/2011 Copyright © 2011 Abraxas Energy Consulting 811 Palm St. San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 All rights reserved. Abraxas Energy is a registered trademark of Abraxas Energy Consulting. The Abraxas Energy logo is a trademark of Abraxas Energy Consulting. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................... 5 WHAT IS METRIX? ........................................................................................ 5 WHO USES METRIX? .................................................................................... 5 HELPFUL LESSONS ....................................................................................... 5 COST SAVINGS VS. COST AVOIDANCE ............................................................ 6 ESTABLISHED METRIX FEATURES .................................................................. 8 MOVING FROM A PREVIOUS VERSION OF METRIX .......................................... 10 CONTACT INFO ........................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER 2: GENERAL PROJECT LAYOUT ...................... 13 OVERVIEW ................................................................................................. 13 PRE-PROJECT SETTINGS ............................................................................ 14 BUILDING A PROJECT TREE STRUCTURE ...................................................... 17 PROJECT DATA PANES ............................................................................... 22 USER DATA PANE ...................................................................................... 26 SITE DATA PANES ...................................................................................... 27 AREA DATA PANES ..................................................................................... 27 METER DATA PANES .................................................................................. 28 CHAPTER 3: POPULATING THE DATABASES .................. 33 FUNCTIONS AVAILABLE FOR ALL DATA REGISTERS ........................................ 33 METERS .................................................................................................... 38 WEATHER .................................................................................................. 43 MODIFICATIONS .......................................................................................... 46 MEASURES ................................................................................................ 55 VARIABLES................................................................................................. 60 SUB-METERS ............................................................................................. 61 RATES AND CHARGES ................................................................................. 62 FUEL ADJUSTMENTS ................................................................................... 70 CLOSING ACCESS TO DATA ENTRY .............................................................. 71 4 CHAPTER 4: COMPLETE METER TUNING ......................... 72 STATISTICAL INDICATORS ............................................................................ 72 SELECTING THE TUNING VARIABLES ............................................................. 73 SELECTING THE TUNING PERIODS ................................................................ 76 SELECTING THE BALANCE POINT TEMPERATURES ......................................... 78 BASELINE EQUATION .................................................................................. 82 SELECTING AND DESELECTING BILLS ........................................................... 82 BILL MATCHING .......................................................................................... 83 TUNING FOR HEATING AND COOLING DEGREE-DAYS ..................................... 85 CLOSING THE BASELINE TUNING PERIOD ...................................................... 87 CHAPTER 5: SPECIAL / ADVANCED TOPICS .................... 89 QUALITY CONTROL ..................................................................................... 89 SUB-METERING .......................................................................................... 89 DEMAND DELTA-T TUNING .......................................................................... 91 HOW TO USE GROUPING IN METRIX ............................................................. 92 APPENDIX A – GLOSSARY OF TERMS .............................. 96 APPENDIX B – ONLINE SUPPORT INFORMATION .......... 104 APPENDIX C – IMPORT FILE FORMATS .......................... 106 MT1 METER REGISTER FILE FORMAT ........................................................ 106 HTL WEATHER FILE FORMAT .................................................................... 110 SM1 SUB-METER FILE FORMAT ................................................................ 111 VA1 VARIABLE FILE FORMAT .................................................................... 113 Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 1: Introduction 5 Chapter 1: Introduction What is Metrix? Welcome to Metrix Utility Accounting System, the ultimate utility accounting software package Metrix offers easy importing of bill data, rigorous cost avoidance methodology, and Excel™-based reporting. This power-packed version of Metrix combines exciting new features with the established functionality that energy engineers and energy managers have come to rely on. With Metrix, you can: ? Identify problem areas or equipment failures in order to reduce operating cost overruns. ? Determine whether you are meeting your utility performance targets. ? Compare the operating costs of different facilities. ? Compare the cost-effectiveness of available utility tariffs for your usage profile. ? Track utilities for any type of facility—commercial, industrial, institutional, residential, etc. ? Track almost any type of utility, including electricity, natural gas, water, heating oil, propane, LP gas, solid waste, sewage, and so on. ? Track one meter or hundreds, one building or many sites. Who Uses Metrix? Metrix is for anyone who tracks, budgets, and verifies utility operating costs and savings. Metrix provides real answers for tough questions: ? ?Is our energy management program saving as much as we expected?? ? ?Where is my best opportunity for reducing operating costs?? ? ?Are we achieving our performance goals?? ? ?Would I be better off with a different rate tariff?? Metrix is used by facility managers, energy managers, property managers, energy analysts and energy consultants who want to track utility usage and determine cost avoidance. Some of our customers who have found the greatest benefit include: school districts, universities, government entities, property management firms, utilities, energy service companies, and consultants. Helpful Lessons Lessons are available on the Abraxas Energy Consulting website at http://www.abraxasenergy.com/metrix-4-tutorials.php Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 1: Introduction 6 It is a good idea to go through these lessons if you have not used Metrix before as they will give you a good practical look at the software. Cost Savings vs. Cost Avoidance Did you know that it is possible for utility bills to increase and still be able to demonstrate energy savings? Similarly, a reduced utility bill, compared to last year‘s, is actually not the true measure of energy savings. If the weather was exactly the same during the two years being compared, then a comparison of utility bills might yield accurate ?savings.? More often than not, weather is not constant, facility operations change, equipment must be repaired, and blizzards or hurricanes cause shut downs. There is always a valid reason why corresponding months should have an adjusted expected usage for each year. The question then becomes, ?How on earth can I calculate an expected building usage?? Introducing the fundamental concepts of ?Cost Avoidance? and ?Cost Savings?. The problem is: we don‘t have any physical instruments that can directly measure Energy or Dollars not spent. Example Scenario: Suppose a performance contractor installed an energy efficient HVAC retrofit in a customer‘s store. More efficient means less energy and everyone is expecting to see energy costs go down. For June the customer might expect savings from June‘s utility bill as shown in the Figures below: 050,000100,000150,000200,000250,000June 2001 June 2002kWh Figure 1.1 Expected Pre and Post-Retrofit usage for HAVC retrofit example Now, let‘s change the numbers a bit. What if, the customer saw this? June 2001 179,359 kWhJune 2002 152,455 kWhSavings 26,904 kWhJune 2001 179,359 kWhJune 2002 197,295 kWhIncrease -17,936 kWhMetrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 1: Introduction 7 050,000100,000150,000200,000250,000June 2001 June 2002kWh Figure 1.2 Pre and Post-Retrofit usage for HVAC retrofit example The customer is likely going to be looking for a very good explanation as to why bills were higher. Was the wrong equipment installed? Should the energy manager be fired? Energy efficient equipment can‘t possibly make bills go up, right? Or, is there something else causing this? Perhaps, the temperatures in June 2002 were record setting highs, but the previous June had been subject to thunderstorms and more moderate temperatures. One would expect the air conditioning load to be much higher in the latter year. So, how could you ever measure savings from energy efficiency projects? Are all savings truly at the mercy of the weather? Of course not, all of the top performance contracting companies normalize their savings for weather to show savings and reduce risk. They use analysis tools such as Metrix, to remove weather from the savings equation so they can accurately quantify savings. The Cost Avoidance approach compares a ?Baseline? to the actual bills. The Baseline is a normalized value that represents the expected usage for a given set of conditions. That is: how much energy a building would have used, based on this year‘s conditions. Using your billing history, historical weather, and any other significant variables a user enters, Metrix will create a regression equation that relates then all together, thereby making it possible to predict an accurate expected usage. Users can adjust or ?tune? the equation for the best possible fit to the data. Hot summer? It might be good to know how many kWh the previous air conditioner consumed per degree outdoor temp. Busy month? Let‘s compare utilities to production volume. Crazy calendar? Occupancy might the key. The Cost Savings approach does not normalize for weather; there is only a head to head comparison of corresponding months between years. This leaves several questions unanswered. In the real world of energy analysis, this is completely inadequate. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 1: Introduction 8 Table 1.1 Cost Savings vs. Cost Avoidance Cost Savings = Last Year‘s Bill - This Years‘ Bill Cost Avoidance = Baseline (what your building would have used before the energy conservation measure) - This Year‘s Bill There are benefits to both approaches. The table below lists the benefits of both the Cost Avoidance and Cost Savings approaches. Table 1.2 Utility Bill Comparison vs. Utility Bill Analysis Cost Savings Cost Avoidance ? Will not need to ?Tune? meters ? Will need to ?Tune? meters ? Simpler method to use ? More complex method ? Do not need to learn concepts behind or how to use: ?Baseline?, ?Target?, ?Modifications?, ?Measures?, ?Tuning? ? Need to understand the concepts behind and how to use: ?Baseline?, ?Target?, ?Modifications?, ?Measures?, ?Tuning? ? Requires less work ? Requires more work ? Easy to explain to others ? Can be difficult to explain to others ? Less accurate representation of savings from energy conservation projects ? More accurate representation of savings from energy conservation projects ? Can compare any year to any year ? Can compare a Baseline, which is based upon one year of data, to current bills. ? Can make Cost Savings reports, but NOT Cost Avoidance reports. ? Can make both Cost Avoidance and Cost Savings reports. Established Metrix Features ? Correction for weather data Metrix allows you to correct your utility bills for changes in weather. This allows you to make fair annual comparisons of utility bills. ? Correction for User-Supplied Variables Metrix allows you to correct their utility bills for changes in user-supplied variables as well. This includes occupancy, school schedule, production, etc. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 1: Introduction 9 ? Multivariable Regression Metrix allows users to correct their utility bills for not just one variable (i.e. weather), but allows you to make corrections for up to 5 variables. Some meters may supply energy for heating and cooling (that is 2 variables), and may vary based upon occupancy (a 3rd variable). ? Variable Balance Point Degree Days Weather is imported (or entered) into Metrix as daily high and low temperatures. This allows Metrix to calculate degree days based upon different balance points rather than just 65 °F. Different buildings start heating and cooling at different balance points, and it is less accurate to assume all buildings start heating or cooling at 65 °F. ? Tuning Statistics Metrix supplies R2 values and T-Statistics on the Tuning data form, and CVRMSE and Mean Bias Error values on the Tuning Report. These statistics can guide you towards performing reasonable regressions. ? Bill Matching If you cannot tune your meter, Metrix allows you to instead compare usage from year to year without any correction for weather or user-supplied variables. ? Meets IPMVP and FEMP Guidelines criteria for Option C Monitoring and Verification Metrix meets the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol and FEMP Guidelines criteria for Option C Monitoring and Verification. ? Metrix has become the standard for Cost Avoidance for Energy Service Companies Metrix is routinely used by the largest Energy Service Companies to monitor their performance contracts. Metrix is used because it is an unbiased, industry-accepted, easy-to-use method for determining and presenting cost avoidance. ? Hands-on tuning screen The tuning screen keeps you from making poor correlations between independent variables and your utility bills. Since you are manually performing the regressions, you become aware of outliers, poor tunings, and can discover changes in utility usage during your Base Year. ? Easy import of data You can easily import bill data, weather data, variable data, and other data into Metrix. Imported files are in comma separated variable (CSV) format, and are easily created in Excel. ? Export of data You can easily export bill data, weather data, variable data, and other data out of Metrix into text files that you can open in Excel. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 1: Introduction 10 ? Export of reports You can export Metrix reports into Excel, Word, html or other formats. ? Baseline modifications When the building has substantial changes to its energy usage pattern (i.e. additional square feet, or additional equipment), you can easily add modifications to the Baseline scenario, which will result in a correct comparison of Baseline and Actual or SimActual data. ? Target Scenarios You can easily set up Target scenarios, which you can compare to Baseline, Actual and SimActual scenarios. ? Rate Modeling Metrix has a rate engine that can handle most utility rates. Whereas average costs can sometimes lead to erroneous results, the rate engine allows you to correctly apply costs to utility bills. ? Average Costs or Rate Modeling Metrix allows you to use average costs or model your rates. You can choose either method. ? Multiple Utility Rates Metrix allows you to assign different rates to different scenarios. This comes in handy when your meter was previously on one rate, and you moved it to another rate to save money. Moving From a Previous Version of Metrix NOTE: Before any install, make a complete back up copy of your work This is just good practice for any software upgrade. NOTE: Metrix 3 projects saved in Metrix 4 are not backwards compatible. By all means, evaluate our software, but only open copies of your Metrix 3 projects when doing so. NOTE: All versions of Metrix 4 are compatible among other versions of Metrix 4, but must be saved as compatible version. Changes made to a project using the latest features may be lost during the save. Users sharing projects in collaborative efforts are strongly encouraged to use the same version of Metrix. Evaluators of the software should check over meter tunings to see if they have changed. If resetting meter tunings: ? At the project level, under the project preferences tab, un-check ?Guarantee Zero Net Bias in Regression? and ?Max Delta T Demand Tuning? ? You may also encounter difficulties with bill-matching modifications. If so, you may have to delete and re-add the modifications. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 1: Introduction 11 Contact Info Mailing Address Abraxas Energy Consulting PO Box 230 Santa Margarita, CA 93453 NOTE: Abraxas Energy Consulting also has a network of international dealers. Please contact the Abraxas Energy Consulting Sales Department for information about contacting an authorized dealer in your area. Sales Department ? Sales Phone: 805-547-2050 ? Sales Fax: 805-456-0180 ? sales@abraxasenergy.com Technical Support We are working hard to provide you with intuitive technical products. In addition, we try to provide superior online and print documentation to enable you to work independently in creating your Metrix projects. However, should you find yourself with a technical question that cannot be answered with provided tools, please contact our technical support department. All of our Technical Support Engineers are eager to answer your questions and help you create the best Metrix projects possible. Metrix Tutorials We highly recommend practicing the instruction you receive in this manual on the Metrix 4 Tutorials. These tutorials are located online at http://www.abraxasenergy.com/metrix-4-tutorials.php. There are eight lessons that cover most of the topics in this manual. This is a great tool to get some hands on Metrix training FAQ’s At our website, we have provided a list of FAQ‘s that covers most of the common issues encountered by users. Check out the FAQ‘s at the URL below: ? Abraxas Energy Consulting Metrix FAQ‘s: http://www.abraxasenergy.com/faq.php Email Questions Ask questions and receive detailed answers from the Technical Support Department. Send emails to the address listed below. If you think the problem is associated with your project, send your Metrix project and we will look it over. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 1: Introduction 12 ? Abraxas Energy Consulting Technical Support Email: helpdesk@abraxasenergy.com Fax Questions or comments can be faxed to Abraxas Energy Consulting. Just send to the fax number listed below. You will receive a reply by phone or email. ? Abraxas Energy Consulting Technical Support Fax: 805-456-0180 Telephone Abraxas Energy Consulting can be reached by phone between 8 AM and 5 PM, Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. ? Abraxas Energy Consulting Technical Support Phone: 805-547-2050Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 2: General Project Layout 13 Chapter 2: General Project Layout The rest of this manual is a detailed, step-by-step guide to working with Metrix. It is organized as follows: Setting Up a New Project - Set up the Project layout by defining its Sites, Buildings, and Meters. Enter historic data, tune the meters, and establish performance targets. Tracking Utility Performance - Enter monthly data and track performance vs. expected savings. Modify the Project layout if necessary. NOTE: This manual does not cover making reports. For information on making reports, please see the Report Maker Manual. Should you like some hands on training, see the Metrix Tutorials section on page 9 of this manual. Overview A project is the equivalent of a ?Workbook? in MS Excel®, or a ?Document? in MS Word®. You can set up and maintain hundreds of projects if you want, but you will likely only have one or a few. A Project can consist of one building with one meter, or of dozens of buildings and meters. Below is an overview of what is involved in project set up. Each item listed below is treated in sections that follow. Once the Project has been laid out and historic information has been entered, you are ready to analyze its past utility performance patterns, and enter expected savings (if any) from your facility improvement measures, as follows: 1. Tune the Baseline to establish typical past utility performance based on historic bills and variables. 2. Enter performance measures that represent anticipated savings from facility improvements. 3. Establish rate tariffs that determine how utility costs and savings are calculated. 4. Check quality control to catch any potential errors. Note: Keep in mind that if you are not performing cost avoidance, and just want to compare year to year bills, then you can skip Tuning the Baseline and entering Performance Measures. You probably will skip Rates as well. After completing these steps to set up a historic model of the Project, it is a good idea to produce reports that summarize the Project so far. Details of report making can be found in the Report Maker Manual. Once you are satisfied with the Project set up, it is time to start tracking ongoing utility performance, as described in the section on Tracking Monthly Performance. This section also tells you how to modify the layout of the Project, if it changes during the tracking period. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 2: General Project Layout 14 Pre-Project Settings IMPORTANT: Currency, Metric/English Units, Tuning Preferences, File Locations, and User Information are important to set before any projects have been opened, Very common mistakes include: ? Adding bill data in the wrong currency ? Saving to the wrong location ? Blank user info that causes collaboration errors across national borders and time zones Avoid costly mistakes and frustration by setting up your software before opening projects. Go to Tools > Options from the menu at the top of the Metrix screen. The following Options Dialog Box will appear as shown in Figure 2.1. Figure 2.1: User Options: General Field General Tab Units - If using Metric Units choose SI units. North American users can choose IP for English Units. Currency - Selecting Default Currency will adjust all costs to this currency regardless of what currency bills are entered in. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 2: General Project Layout 15 Example 1: a US utility bill of $100 would be viewed by a user in China as $680 Yuan (1 dollar = 6.8 Yuan approx.) Equal value bill amounts mean less confusion for users. Example 2: if the user in China adds bills to the US project, then they would add a Yuan value because they are viewing Yuan. If they are holding bill data for the US customer in dollars, then it may be better to open the project in dollars, view dollars, add dollars, and then be able to send the project back to the US without errors. NOTE: if your Metrix settings are different than those of a project you want to open, you will automatically be prompted by the window shown below in Figure 2.2 Figure 2.2 Currency Conversion Window Quality Control - QC Check on Startup can make a quality control check standard when you open any project. Quality Control is an extremely helpful tool. All tech support queries will start here and a vast majority are resolved by addressing the errors found by Quality Control. Users are highly encouraged to leave this box checked. View – This box allows the user to set view defaults to suit preference. Expanding Project Tree - when open will fully expand all project elements when a project is first opened. Typically not a good idea for projects with more than 25 meters; it results in too many scroll screens. Show Tuning Marks - for Meters deals with the red or green checkmarks that will appear next to a meter that is tuned. Green meaning tuned, red for un-tuned. Users who are not planning on tuning meters at all are very rare; it is recommended to leave this box checked. Default Meter Page - selects the tab in the right pane that will be viewed first when selecting an item in the project tree. Show Item Numbers - will assign a number before the name of any project element. Example : Site 5 ?Center Building?. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 2: General Project Layout 16 Save Projects As Metrix 4.4- will save all projects as Metrix 4.4 compatible. The new Metrix 4.5 features such as Monthly Minimum costs are not available in a project saved as 4.4 compatible. For projects created in Metrix 4.4, this box will be checked by default. New projects will have this option un-checked. Tuning Preferences Tab The Tuning Preferences Tab allows users to adjust how auto tuning finds the ?optimal? regression equation. The default values are recommended unless the user has good reason to change the preferences. Figure 2.3 Tuning Preferences Tab of Metrix Settings Equation Formula – When you select auto tune, Metrix will tune many different ways. The tuning which results in the largest score for the equation formula is used. The equation formula can be adjusted to the users liking by adjusting the statistical indicators within the formula, the values they are compared to and the multipliers. Multipliers will weigh the statistical indicators within the equation formula to your preferences. If you think having a low mean bias is twice as important as all of the other statistical indicators, you should put C = 3. If you do not want a statistical indicator in the equation, simply uncheck the box to the left of it. File Locations Tab Carefully select the default locations where you would like to save your projects to prevent losing your work. Templates are sample project files. There are several pre-loaded into the Metrix software in the Resources folder. You may wish to create some templates of your own for particular jobs, customers, fuel types, etc. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 2: General Project Layout 17 Report Maker tells Metrix where to find the Report Maker Program so it may be started through Metrix. It does not tell Report Maker where to save reports; this is done through the Report Maker Settings. Metrix Data address allows the user to set the default location for where to save projects created in Metrix. This will also be applied to data which is exported from projects. NOTE: there is an important sample project named GULFMED.PJY in the default folder, data. It is highly recommended that users save a copy of this project as a reference or learning tool. User Information Tab Contact Information as including general global location can save much time and frustration in the future should your projects ever be involved in a collaborative effort over vast distances. Even for the sake of technical support, leaving contact info will be of great benefit. It only needs to be done once. Metrix will prompt any other user when opening a project with this information if it detects a change in time zone, nationality, currency, or unit system. This helps to prevent improper project modifications. Figure 2.4 User Information Tab in Metrix Settings Building a Project Tree Structure If you create a new Project from scratch, Metrix provides a ?shell? Project as your starting point, which is called New_Proj. This contains one each of the required Items for a Project: one Site, one Area, one Meter, and so on, as shown in Figure 2.5. You may modify these Items and add new ones as needed to set up your actual Project. From the File menu, choose New Project. This creates a new ?shell? Project. From the File menu, choose Save. Enter a new file name such as MYSCHOOL without any extension. Metrix automatically adds .pjy to indicate that it is a Project file. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 2: General Project Layout 18 Figure 2.5: A New Project Created from Scratch If the Project is not yet expanded, you can expand the Project Item, and any other item in the Tree Structure, by clicking on the plus symbol ( ). The Project contains one or more Sites; each Site contains one or more Areas; each Area contains one or more Meters; and each Meter could contain one or more Sub-meters. You may add as many of each Item in a Project as necessary. Each time you add a new Item, fill in the Data Form associated with it. In any location within the Tree Structure, you may make additions by right-clicking on the Parent Item above which you want the new Item to appear. Then, from the drop-down menu, click ?New?, and then select the Item you want to add. Please view Figures 2.6 and 2.7 for more detail. A Project‘s layout is the organization of its Sites, Areas, Meters, and Sub-meters, which are defined as follows: Site - the geographic location for one or more facilities. A Project may have just one site (a hospital for example), or it may have multiple sites (for example, a school district might choose one site per school). All areas attached to a site share the same weather data. You may add as many Areas in a Site as needed but remember: Sites contain weather, Areas do not. If your Areas require different weather stations, you might want to make them Sites instead. Area - the portion of a site that has its own meters. Often, an area is a building, but it may be part of a building (such as one wing or floor), or it may be a different type of facility (such as an outdoor swimming pool). If the meters measures utility use for the whole building, the area should represent the whole building; but if the building is divided into sections with different meters, each could be a separate area. If you are planning on adding your own Variables to your Project, then be advised that Variables are attached to Areas. For example, if you have a factory that produces Bolts and Widgets, you might want to add the Bolts Produced Variable to the Bolt Assembly Line Area, and the Widgets Variable to the Widget Assembly Line Area. Meter—the device which measures utility use and possibly demand. You should have historic and current utility bills for each meter you wish to track (electricity, natural gas, water, solid waste, etc.). Adding data to meters will be discussed in later sections. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 2: General Project Layout 19 Sub-meter—a meter which is attached to a meter (for example, it is ?downstream? from a meter). It is usually used to subtract utility use from its parent meter. For example, if the customer adds a new piece of process equipment in year three of a performance contract, and you are sub-metering its energy usage, you can use a Sub-meter Item to subtract that use from the parent meter. Be aware, Sub-meters in Metrix are not like sub-meters in real life. Also you cannot make reports at the Sub-meter level in Metrix. Suppose you have a couple of main meters in your facility and a collection of sub-meters. In this case, you might want to represent this configuration in Metrix by listing the real-life sub-meters as Meters in Metrix, and ignoring the main meters. There are many different ways to do this, without double counting usage at the Project level. The main reason for using a sub-meter is to remove recently added new usage (building additions) from your savings equation. A Project must have at least one Site, Area, and Meter. Sub-meters are optional, and rarely used. The simplest Project is a single building with a single meter, which would consist of just one Site, one Area, and one Meter Item. As a general rule, you can make reports at the Project, Site, Area and Meter level. When laying out your project, keep this in mind. See Chapter 4 for examples of different Project layouts, including complex configurations Adding Project Items Before adding an Item, use the Tree Structure to find the desired location and select the Parent Item above which you want to attach the additional Item. For example, in the Tree Structure, the Area Item is attached to a Parent Site Item, as shown in Figure 2.6. Thus, to add a new Area Item, you must first click the Parent Site Item that you want to attach the Area to. Figure 2.6: Tree Structure From the Edit menu, choose New, or right-click on the Site Item and choose New. A drop-down list displays the types of Items you may add in this location as shown in Figure 2.7. Choose to add a new Area. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 2: General Project Layout 20 Figure 2.7 Right Click Options to add new project items Metrix names the new Item with its Item type, which may be followed by a number and a set of empty quotation marks. To give it an actual name, click once on the Item to display its Data Form (on the right) and fill in the Name field. Deleting Project Items 1. Click the Item you want to delete. 2. From the Edit menu, choose Delete, or press Delete on your keyboard. (You can also try right-clicking on the Item, and selecting Delete from the menu that appears.) 3. The Delete Block dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 2.8. 4. Click Yes to delete the Item. Figure 2.8: The Delete Block dialog box Using Elements from Existing Projects If you start from an existing Project, you can transform it into a new Project quickly by opening the existing Project and saving it to a different name. This may be the best approach when you are creating a new Project that is similar to an existing Project. From the File menu, choose Open. The File Open dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 2.9. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 2: General Project Layout 21 Figure 2.9: Opening a File Select and open the old Project you would like to use as the basis of the new Project. A Security Check message may appear, noting who last modified the existing Project. From the File menu, choose Save As and save the Project under a new name. Using the Pre-made Project Elements Metrix has common projects elements such as rates, meters, etc. pre-made for users to copy/paste into their projects. Go to: hard drive > program files > Metrix 4 folder > Resource Folder. The .TPY files are template files. NOTE: use copies of these to avoid ruining the templates. These files are typically very similar to Gulf Med, but they have a project element within them. Navigating Large Projects Projects may contain hundreds of meters. For these instances navigating through the project tree is made simpler by sorting project elements by parent or by type. The option to change from the standard tree structure to the sorting option is found just above the left hand pane. (Shown below in Figure 2.10) If you do not see these bubble options directly above the project tree, go to the View > Show List View to make it appear. Figure 2.10: View Options Items can be sorted by Meter, Area, or Site. Figure 2.11 below shows a meter level view sorted by parent. Notice in that the Tree Diagram has been replaced with a listing. Click on each of the drop down menus to see what options are available. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 2: General Project Layout 22 Figure 2.11: List Style View allows users to sort project items Project Data Panes Project Information Tab Typically the project information tab only needs to be set during initial project build up. (Users can also refer to Metrix Lessons for more information) Figure 2.12: Project Information Tab Name, Description, ID – descriptive information concerning the scope of the project. The ID field is optional. Country – it is highly recommended this field not be left blank. Metrix checks this against the user settings on the computer it is being opened on to adjust for currency. Reference Year – allows users to set what month will be at the end of a 12 month year when reporting. For example: if your fiscal year ends September, select that month from the drop down menu. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 2: General Project Layout 23 Current and Entry Close Dates: ? Current Date, Use System Date – Metrix is asking the user what day today is. By checking the Use System Date box, the program will sync with the date on your computer. It is recommended to leave this box checked. ? Entry Close – Only if a project has been protected with a ?Read Only? Password will this setting take effect. Allows users to lock out data from being adjusted beyond a certain date. Password settings are found under the File > Set Password. Milestone Dates - serves as helpful reference information to users. Most commonly associated with performance contracting. This information is optional. Contact Information Tab All of these fields are self explanatory. Fill in company information and any contacts as desired. (This information is also used by the Metrix Report Maker when using the ?Email Report? feature.) Note: these fields are applied to the project file, not to your installation of Metrix. The contact information that can be entered in the Pre-Project Settings under Tools > Options is assigned to your installation of Metrix. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 2: General Project Layout 24 Project Preferences Tab Name – sets the name of the project. Project Preferences: ? Tune Only Sum TOU Periods – Only for use when there are multiple Time Of Use Periods. Metrix will sum all these periods and tunes to that value. If unchecked users will need to tune each TOU period individually; that can be difficult. ? Override User Bill Selection / De-Selection – if Metrix is unable to tune the data with the user‘s selected bills, it will select or de-select any that would result in a better set of statistical indicators (with a maximum number of bills selected). Only bills within the total span chosen for the base year are considered for selection/de-selection. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 2: General Project Layout 25 ? Override User Tuning Variable Selection – if Metrix is unable to tune to all or some of the users tuning variables, it will select or de-select any that would result in a better set of statistical indicators. ? Max Delta T Demand Tuning – Metrix will only consider the day with the maximum number of Degree Days for a given bill. This only applies to demand metering where the demand is billed for the highest value in a given period, but is not a requirement for all demand situations. ? Guarantee Zero Net Bias in Regression – Sets the net zero bias to zero. Note: may cause meter tunings to change. Tunes the regression equation so that the Baseline values are within .005% of Actual values in the Base Year. It is highly recommended this remain checked. ? Use Zero Default Degree Day Threshold – if unchecked the default degree day threshold is 2 degree days. Any bill period containing less than 2 degree-days will be automatically de-selected. Example: a gas meter would have no HDD in summer, so those months would be de-selected. Checking this box is optional but recommended. The reason is that bills with few degree days will tend to have a zero for the weather related term in the Baseline Equation anyway so they can be left as selected. ? Set All Bill Cutoff Dates to – Metrix will set all bill cut-off dates to match the options that are selected ? Set All Tuning Periods to – Metrix will set all tuning periods to match the setting selected i.e. number of bills and starting bills ? Automatic Bill Cutoff Dates – by pressing this button all bill cut-off dates will be applied following the follow rules o If the bills are not near the 15th of the month, Starting on 15 will be used o If the bills are near the 15th of the month, but mostly higher, Starting on 25 will be used o If the bills are near the 15th of the month, but mostly lower, Starting on the 5th will be used. Tuning Requirements Tab These are numbered as they appear in the Metrix screen Note: the default settings are highly recommended. 1. R2 (Quality of fit): 0.75 or higher, with 1.00 as perfect fit. 2. CVRMSE Eng (Coefficient of Variation Root Mean Squared Error): 25 or lower for consumption meters. 3. CVRMSE Dmd (Coefficient of Variation Root Mean Squared Error): 35 or lower for consumption meters. 4. Abs (Mean bias) - Must be equal to or less than 0.005. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 2: General Project Layout 26 5. Abs (T-Stats) - Positive 2.0 or higher for CDD and HDD, and greater than 2.0 or less than -2.0 for any user variable. 6. HDD and CDD T-Stat > 0. This box must be checked to be ASHRAE and IPMVP compliant. The reasoning behind this is that an increase in HDD or CDD should correlate with an increased amount of energy use. 7. Tuning Constant >= 0. This box must be checked to be ASHRAE and IPMVP compliant. A negative tuning constant implies that when all variables tuned to are zero, there is negative energy usage. Report Groups Tab (See section ?How to Use Grouping in Metrix?) Notes Tab Click the Add Note Button and enter the Date, User, or Note as you wish. Any portion of this information may be left blank if desired. Any information entered into these fields many be changed at any time. Note: be sure to click Save Notes. The asterisk indicates new changes have not yet been saved. User Data Pane The operator‘s name, contact email, address, and phone numbers will appear in the reports. In the tree diagram, click the User Item to display the User Information data form, shown below. Figure 2.13: Project Information Tab Since all of these fields have been entered in the user form in the Pre-Project settings, this form can be auto-populated by clicking on the button that says Copy from Options | User Info. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 2: General Project Layout 27 Site Data Panes As a reminder, sites are typically designated by their street address. Sites have their own weather. Many sites can all be in the same city (and thus would have the same weather added at each site) but that is not the same as making each building at the same address its own site. For an address with many buildings, each building would be better designated as its own area within the same site. Site Information Tab Name, Description, Country – these are self explanatory. Tip: keep in mind that large projects can be sorted by description as well. Current Floor Area - Metrix automatically sums the Current Floor Area field from all building areas that are part of this Site. Groups – (see section How to Use Grouping in Metrix on page 92) Contact Information Tab These are self explanatory. Enter contact info pertaining to that particular site where applicable. (This information is also used by the Metrix Report Maker when using the ?Email Report? feature.) Area Data Panes As a reminder, all areas at a site will have the same weather of that site. Typically, they also have the same address but are unique in construction to warrant splitting the utility tracking. An example: east and west wings of a single campus where usage is not similar. Area Information Tab Name, Description, Country, State – are all self explanatory. Tip: keep in mind that large projects can be sorted by description as well. Type of Area – select from the drop down menu Groups – (see section How to Use Grouping in Metrix on page 92) Current Floor Area – this is editable only from the fields below with the column headers: Date, Total Area sqft, Percent Condition, Comments. If a user is interested in benchmarking their facility, this information is required. Contact Information Tab These are self explanatory. Enter contact info pertaining to that particular site where applicable. (This information is also used by the Metrix Report Maker when using the ?Email Report? feature.) Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 2: General Project Layout 28 Meter Data Panes Meter Setup Tab Name, Account, Description – Relatively self explanatory, these determine the name for the selected meter, assign an account # to it, and allow the user to enter a description. Note: the account you enter must exactly match the account # on the Import Tab as well. Metrix will automatically prompt users when a change occurs in the account # in either tab and offer to synchronize them for you. Utility – Select the utility type from the drop down menu. Notice the units associated with the meter type will also change accordingly. Degree Day Calculation Method: ? Daily Degree Days - are the difference between the average temperature for a day and the selected balance point. ? Degree-Hours/24 – when checked, assumes a standard hourly temperature profile for a day when hi/low weather is available. Averages HDD and CDD separately based on this profile. Can provide CDD and HDD for a given day. Note: not recommend for most projects. ? Max Delta T Demand Tuning – Metrix will tune the meter according to the highest degree day recorded for a billing period. Note: this can be, but not always be, a more accurate way of correlating demand data to weather. It is based on the idea that the highest demand will occur on the day of the highest weather differential. While that is the case for many buildings, it is not always perfectly reflected how the building is metered. Utility Pricing ? Single Utility Rate Schedule – Applies the rate and charges to the meter; most common user setting when rate tariffs are available. ? Multiple Utility Rate Schedule – this allows users to set up to 3 different rates and charges for the same meter data and assign them separately to the Baseline, Target, and SimActual. ? Avg. Cost/Consumption & Cost/Demand – if a rate has not been entered for this meter, Metrix will calculate an average cost/consumption unit or cost/demand unit. Where the cost has been entered in the On Peak Cost Column in the Bill Register. (Not to be confused with the Total Cost Column in the Bill Register.) This column is only available when the Detailed Cost Box is checked next the # of TOU Periods box. If the ?Do not prorate Misc Costs when calculating Ave Cost/Energy and Ave Cost/Demand? box is checked, the Misc $ amount will be identical in the Simactual and Baseline. Otherwise, the Misc charges are prorated based on whether the energy consumption and demand costs increase or decrease. ? Avg. Total Cost per Consumption – if a rate has not been entered for this meter, and the only cost available is the Total $ column, Metrix will use the total cost/consumption or cost/demand. Taxes, Credits, and Miscellaneous Costs are all included in this calculation Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 2: General Project Layout 29 method making it less precise. It is helpful as an estimate tool or when rate tariffs are not available. ? Min/Unit – over-rides the any unit pricing below the set limit. If the Monthly Minimum radio button is selected, users may enter a monthly minimum cost. ? Min/ - over-rides any bill lower than the set limit Notes – Allows users to record or communicate information of their choosing. Register Tab This contains the Actual Utility Bill Data for the meter. (See section: Entering Historical Data for more information concerning Data Entry and Feature Available to all Data Registers) # TOU Periods – Time Of Use Periods. Adds columns to the Bill Register when more than one consumption quantity is available. Detailed Cost – Adds a cost column next the consumption column in the Bill Register when utility bill data is available with the unit cost broken out from the total cost. (that is, with no tax, or service charges) 1st Day of First Bill – All of the bills in the register (except the first) contain only one date, the end date. Implicitly, the start of each bill is the end of the previous. A common question is how to ungray the 1st day of bill box. When the bill register is not all the way at the top, the 1st day of bill will be locked. To unlock, simply scroll to the top of the bill register. Note: Another common error is to leave this field unadjusted, resulting in an improper baseline for the first month. Total $ ? Automatically Calculated will over-ride any pre-existing costs in the Total Cost Column by summing any Detailed Costs, Tax, Credits, or Misc. Costs. You must have at least one Detailed Cost column turned on in order to select this feature. ? Manually Entered – Allows users to enter any amount into the Total Cost Column. Bill Cut-offs – A bill cut-off date is used in Report Maker to assign the bills to a month based on the day the bill ends. This feature is necessary since bills do not always start on the first day of the month and end of the last. If a bill ends on May 31st, it is a May bill, if it ends on June 1st, it is also a May bill. However, when a bill ends on June 15th it becomes more difficult. Metrix will determine how to assign these bills based on the options the user selects. For example, if the user has the options ?Starting? and ?15?, this means that if you look at a bill end day, the bill will be considered the month that the bill ends in if the bill end day is between the 15th of the month the bill ends in and the 14th of the next month. Specifically, if the bill end on 6/22 and the options ?Starting? and ?15? are selected, the rule is: Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 2: General Project Layout 30 All bills that end between June 15th and July 14th will be considered a June bill. Since the bill ends on June 22nd it is between the period and the bill will be assigned to the month of June for reporting purposes. In the Project Preferences tab, there is an option to set all bill cut-off dates for all meters manually or automatically. Tuning Tab (Also: see Complete Meter Tuning for information concerning interpreting the data displayed in this data pane) Tuning Period - this is set by the # of Bills and Start at #. Check the ?starting on? and ?ending on? dates to verify settings are correct. ? # of Bills – this is the # of sequential bills that a user would like to use as the basis for the Baseline Equation. (not necessarily the total number of bills) ? Start at # - sets the first bill of the # of sequential bills based on the bill register. (i.e. if there are 13 bills, and you tune for 12 months, setting this to 1 excludes the last month) TOU Period – Only if ?Sum TOU periods? has not been checked. Choose the desired consumption data to tune for. Show Eng/Day – displays the ratio of utility unit per day for each bill in the mini-register. Show Degr Days – displays the number of Degree Days for each bill in the mini-register. Tuning: Closed Check Box – checking the box for closed will lock the current tune of the meter in whatever state it is in. Tuning: Manual Check Box - checking the box for manual allows users to directly enter Baseline Equation Regression Coefficients. Auto Tune - (see section on Complete Meter Tuning for details) Bill Match – (see section on Bill Matching in Complete Meter Tuning for details) Set Fit to Zero – clears the Baseline Equation Coefficients. Note: all meter tuning will be lost. ?Tune With?: Check boxes – selecting these tells Metrix what variables to tune with. The default boxes are HDD and CDD for heating and cooling degree days. Additional boxes will appear for user defined variables when they are added. Bal Point – (see section on Complete Meter Tuning for details) Thresh – (Threshold) the lowest number of HDD and CDD of the bills selected in the tuning period. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 2: General Project Layout 31 RegrCoeffic: (Regression Coefficient) Matches the tuning variable coefficient in the Baseline Equation. Tip: compare to the numbers in the Baseline Equation displayed in blue. T-Stats – (see section Statistical Indicators in Complete Meter Tuning) Baseload: (Regression Coefficient) Matches the # Days coefficient in the Baseline Equation. Tip: compare to the days coefficient in the Baseline Equation displayed in blue. Graph X-Axis – select from the drop down menu the desired units for the graph. (see Complete Meter Tuning for details) Moving S/A – (Moving Smoothed Average) helps to show general trends, but should not be used while tuning. Scenario Inspection Many of the controls displayed on this tab have very similar counterparts in the tuning tab. However the main purpose for the scenario inspection tab is for users to be able to see a visual comparison of their Baseline, Actual, SimActual, and Targets and values for each individual scenario Use the check boxes to add or remove any of these 4 scenarios to you graph. Be sure to select the different x-axis available as well. Baseline Scenario - utility usage for the meter is calculated by Metrix based on the meter‘s past typical performance. The Baseline is usually compared with the Actual Scenario to see if any savings are being achieved, or to see if utility usage is changing over time, after correcting for weather and other variables. The Baseline usage is calculated by Metrix with coefficients you derive from tuning the meter. Costs for the Baseline Scenario are calculated by Metrix based on the Cost Calculation Method selected in the Meter Setup Data Form. Target Scenario - reflects the goal or budget you establish for utility usage and costs. For example, if you were implementing an energy management program which you expect to reduce your utility costs by 30%, you would set up the Target Scenario to be 30% below the Baseline. Then, you can compare the Actual utility costs to the Target, and determine if you are achieving your goals. The Target usage is calculated by Metrix by applying Measures to the Baseline usage. Costs are calculated by Metrix based on the Cost Calculation Method selected in the Meter Setup Data Form. Actual Scenario - reported usage and cost are taken directly from the utility bills for the meter. These are entered by the user or automatically imported into Metrix if the bills are available in electronic format. SimActual Scenario - utility usage is taken directly from the utility bills, as it is in the Actual Scenario. But costs are calculated by Metrix based on the Cost Calculation Method selected in the Meter Setup Data Form. You can use the SimActual Scenario to validate the utility billing, or to compare the impact of alternative rate tariffs on utility bills. SimActual Tab The cost values in this register are calculated using the Actual Consumption or Demand according the rate for that meter. This is also subject to the cost calculation method selected. (see Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 2: General Project Layout 32 Meter Setup Tab) If no rate has been entered, it will be a duplicate of the Actual Bill Register. It will always display grey-ed out data, and users cannot directly edit the fields in the register. This information is useful when comparing billed costs to published rate tariffs; especially when there is a billing discrepancy. Sometimes alternate rates are available for a given building; by modeling both rates, users can compare if to see if the alternate is more beneficial. Import Tab Name, Utility, Account – Metrix uses these fields when importing or exporting meter data. Note: It is critical that these fields match their counterparts of the same name in the Meter Setup Tab. Metrix offers the user to automatically synchronize these fields by prompting the user anytime there is a change made. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 33 Chapter 3: Populating the Databases Manual Entry vs. Import Files When the term ?Manual Entry? is used, data is being added directly where it is viewed in the register where it is stored. Pro: simple, intuitive. Cons: too slow for large projects. Import Files allow users to add, modify, or transfer large amounts of data in one swift move. Example: an initial project build involving 10 years of billing history should not be entered one bit at a time. All data registers can be modified manually or with an import file Types of Data Registers ?Registers? are the row/column spreadsheets of Metrix data. There are different kinds, designed for each type of data they are meant to contain. Users can inspect or modify the data through the registers, although there are other methods as well. The types of registers are: ? Utility Bill Register ? Weather History ? Modification History ? Measure History ? Fuel Adjustment ? Variable Information Register ? Sub-Meter Register Each of these is discussed fully in their own respective sections; the intent of this section is to introduce the commonalities among them. Functions Available for All Data Registers Most common is the manual form of data entry directly into the cell where it is viewed. A single left click on the desired cell is sufficient to begin editing. For correcting typos small amounts of data this is fine. Note: Data entry or editing for medium to large projects should involve copy/paste functions from Excel or creating import files. Manual Entry A single left click on any cell of a data register opens it for editing. This is very straight forward. Good for small adjustments, but definitely not the preferred method for project level data entry. Continue reading for more powerful data entry tools like copy/paste and import files. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 34 Figure 3.1 Editing the Bill Register Right Click Options A standard palate of 5 options is available by right clicking anywhere in register window pane. They are: ? Add Row (New) - Creates a new blank row beneath the last data entry ? Add Row (Copy) – Copies any highlighted row and pastes it beneath the last entry. The dates will need to be changed to avoid having a duplicate bill. ? Delete Row – deletes the highlighted row. ? Select All Rows – highlights all the rows in the data register so they may be copied without the column header; useful for pasting to a larger list in Excel. ? Copy All Rows – copies the entire data register including the column headers; useful for pasting into Excel. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 35 Figure 3.2 Data Register options for blank space right click Copy / Paste For Any Data Register Select the desired Metrix data to copy with a right click anywhere in the data register. You can choose Copy All Data, OR choose Select All Data then Ctrl+C. The entire data register can now be pasted into Excel by right clicking the cell where you want the top right column/row cell to be and choose paste. Individual rows may not be selected for a partial copy of data register, but a single cell can. Sample Copy / Paste from Excel from Metrix: Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 36 Figure 3.3 Copy from Data Register to Excel The paste function can be used very similar to how one would expect to use it in Excel, but with a couple of important differences. Notice both what it can and cannot be used for. Users may paste into a data register in the following ways: ? Value of a single cell ? Replace entire rows ? Replace partial rows ? Replace the entire register ? Add any number of rows While very close to a typical paste function, it is not completely identical. For example: ? May not add columns, column # and type must match before the paste operation. ? May not paste in between rows ? May not subtract rows; they must be manually deleted Sample Copy / Paste into Metrix from Excel: Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 37 Figure 3.4 Pasting a single row with matching date from Excel Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 38 Figure 3.5 Pasting partial rows into data register Note: Because data registers contain time dependant data, they must always be handled sequentially. Users must be conscious of the order of utility bills, days in weather, etc. before pasting data into Metrix. Failure to do so will result in the error: ?Meter Reading Dates Are Not In Order?. It will be impossible to obtain results until this is corrected. Note: the number of columns pasted into Metrix will be truncated to match the existing number of TOU periods and corresponding detailed costs. It is possible for information to be lost if they do not match. For this reason users are recommended to 1) carefully inspect the number of TOU for consumption, demand, etc. and 2) refrain from using the ?cut? function when moving data from Excel to Metrix. If there is an error using copy, there is still a backup in Excel. Meters Clearly, there must already be a meter set up; users are encouraged to carefully examine project and meter preferences. Keep in mind what sort of cost calculation methods will be appropriate. Utility Bill Register Utility bill data is the primary data that exists at the meter level and it is stored in the ?Register? tab of the meter item in Metrix. 1. Click the next to the items in the tree until you navigate to your meter. 2. Single left click on the meter item to display all information pertaining to that meter in the right hand of the screen. 3. Then select the Register tab to display the Bill Register. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 39 Figure 3.6: Historic Electric Bill Data The electric meter in this sample measures consumption (kWh) and demand (kW), but not reactive energy or power factor. There is only 1 time of use period designated by the number 1 in the ?# TOU Periods?. Because the fictitious utility company provided bill data with consumption and demand costs broken out from the total amount, we can check the Detailed Cost box and add that data to our project. For Supply and Power Factor, a zero must be entered because we do not have data for those fields. The Detailed Cost check box for Supply must be cleared also. A feature in Metrix 4.4 is the estimated bill column. It is useful when utility companies miss their meter read dates, the bill is often an estimate based on the same month from the previous year (bill matching) only to be corrected after the next meter read. Having the ability to indicate whether a bill is estimated or not can save a lot of headache when trying to explain an outlier month, where usage was expected to be different than it appears. Figure 3.7: Indicating an Estimated Bill Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 40 Importing Bill Data Utility bill data is imported in the *.mt1 file format. This section covers how to import bill data that has already been formatted into the import file format. For details on how to create an *.mt1 file see Appendix C on Import file formats. 1. From the Tools menu, choose Import or click the Import button on the Toolbar or go to Tools > Import. The File Select dialog box appears, shown in Figure 3.8. Figure 3.8: Selecting the Import File 2. Choose Bill Data, *.mt1. Select the file you wish to import, and click Open. Case 1: Import file matches ?Import? tab in the Meter item. Metrix looks for a Meter Name and Account in the import file that matches up with a Name and Account of a preexisting meter in the project. Any import meters that can be matched are imported automatically. Case 2: Import file does not match ?Import? tab in the Meter item. Any meters that could not be matched are shown in the Match Import Meters to Project Meters Dialog Box, as shown in Figure 3.9. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 41 Figure 3.9: Match Import Meters to Project Meters Dialog Box Note: You will not be able to select ?OK? until you have dealt with ALL of the unmatched meters. Option 1: Update Selected Project Meter from Selected Import Meter a. Select a meter in the Import Records box and match it to the correct meter in the Project Records box. Click on ?Update Selected Project Meter from Selected Import Meter?. b. Continue matching meters in the Import and Project Records boxes until you have imported all the meters you want. Option 2: Skip Selected Import Meters a. If there are any meters in the Import Records box you do not wish to import, select them in the ?Import Records? field. b. Click ?Skip Selected Import Meters? Option 3: Create New Project Meter(s) From Selected Import Meter(s) a. If there are any meters in the Import Records box you do not wish to import, select the meters. b. Click ?Create New Project Meter(s) From Selected Import Meter(s)?. This creates a new Site Item at the bottom of your project called ?NEW METERS? which contains all the unmatched meters. Hidden Option 4: Cancel Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 42 Chances are if you get this screen you have done something wrong in your import file. For this reason we recommend: a. Select ?Cancel? b. Go back to your import file and double-check that you did everything correctly. Manually Entering Bill Data You can enter current bill data manually in the Meter Register Data Form. This is a spreadsheet-like input format. Each row contains all the cost and usage data for one period. 1. From the Tree Structure, click the Meter you want to add data to. 2. Click the Register tab to view the Meter Register Data Form, shown in Figure 3.10. 3. Scroll down to the end of the existing bill data, and enter a new row for the current period. Enter the end date for each period in the Period End column, and charges and usage for that period to its right. To add new rows, right-click anywhere in the data form. Select ?Add Row (New)? to add a blank row with today‘s date. Select ?Add Row (Copy)? to add a copy of the row you right-clicked on. You must change the date before moving on. You may also use the arrow keys to move about the form. To add a new row, move to the last row and hit enter, or the down arrow. Figure 3.10: Meter Register Data Form Important If you are missing one or more inputs, enter –0. This displays a -0 in the register for that input. Do not enter them as 0, in order to avoid confusion with bills that are genuinely zero. All inputs that are -0 are treated as missing data by Metrix, which automatically excludes them from Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 43 the tuning regression. For example, if on-peak kWh usage is missing for one bill in an electric meter, enter -0. You will also notice that this bill is automatically excluded from any tuning analysis. Weather For Metrix projects, weather will affect electric and gas usage in the baseline scenario. Weather is stored at the Site level. When laying out a project, understand that Sites are usually unique geographical locations that have their own weather patterns. Weather Information Tab Metrix needs to assign a name to the weather location. This is defined by Source Location ID. Enter in the 3 to 4 letter airport code where the weather data was collected. Example: LAX for Los Angeles, California. Major cities will have more than one airport; user discretion is required to determine which is most appropriate. Weather start and end dates must be entered as well. Tip: bill dates often do not perfectly align with the 365 day calendar year. It may be necessary to add an additional month of weather at the start or end of the tuning period to cover any days that =spill‘ over into the previous/following year. Figure 3.11: HDD in the Degree Day Tab Weather History The weather data is in Hi-Lo format for this sample project. A graphical representation of the data is at the top of the screen. All data may be edited directly into this register. This is useful for correcting errors or fill gaps that may be the result of severe meteorological events (example: hurricane, tornado, etc.) Typically users will use an import file to keep this information current. Import files are discussed in a later section. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 44 Figure 3.12: Weather History Data Form Degree Day Tab Metrix versions 4.4 and later include a Degree Day Tab that allows users the ability to quickly analyze weather data with respect to the ASHRAE standard balance point of 65°F. Users will use this information for analyzing weather data independently of meter tunings. For the purpose of comparing different locations, years or months, it is important to have identical balance points. Note: Meters may need to have a different balance point based on the intended application (example: industrial meat packing facility could be tuned 40°F). Figure 3.13: HDD in the Degree Day Tab Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 45 Importing Weather Data You can import historic weather patterns for a given city from an external file. It is very important to enter the correct Source Location ID, as shown in the exercise, because Metrix uses this ID to match the external data with the Item when the data was imported. From the Tools Menu, choose Import. Select Weather Import Files, (*.hlt, *.avt) from the Files of Type list. In the Files list, double-click mobhist.hlt and mobtrak.hlt to import them. A dialog box will appear indicating the import was successful. Note: The Source Location ID in the ?Weather Information? tab must match the import code in the weather file. If Metrix finds a Site in the project without a Weather Item attached, you are notified that a specific sight has no weather and you are asked to assign it a Source Location ID from all those available in the import file(s). Double-click the Weather Item to display the Weather Setup data form again, and click its Weather History tab to see the history of the daily temperatures that you have imported, as shown in Figure 3.14. Figure 3.14: Historic Weather Data Important: If you are missing one or more inputs, DO NOT LEAVE BLANKS IN WEATHER DATA. If you have no way of finding the correct data for that day, average the high temperatures from the day before and after the gap, and use that value. Do the same for the low temperatures. Leaving blanks will result in an incorrect baseline calculation. This type of error will also be flagged during Quality Control, which will be discussed in a later section. How to easily Obtain Weather Data As an option, users can purchase weather data from Abraxas Energy Consulting. Hi-lo weather data is emailed to you monthly and the user simply clicks import to import the weather. You can search for weather data by following the link below: https://www.abraxasenergy.com/energytoolbox/weathersearch.php Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 46 Manually Entering Weather Data From the Tree Structure, select the Weather Item you wish to add data to. Click History to open the Weather History Data Form, shown in Figure 3.15. This Data Form enables you to enter past weather data. To add new rows, right-click anywhere in the data form. Select ?Add Row (New)? to add a blank row with today‘s date. Select ?Add Row (Copy)? to add a copy of the row you right-clicked on. You must change the date before moving on. You may also use the arrow keys to move about the form. To add a new row, move to the last row and hit enter, or the down arrow. Figure 3.15: Weather History Data Form Modifications During the life of a facility, there will inevitably be changes in usage patterns. If savings are to be calculated properly, these changes must be accounted for. Modifications let you modify your Baseline for changes in utility usage due to facility modifications and special events that would otherwise inaccurately influence your Cost Avoidance (these may occur once, periodically, or consistently). Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 47 Modifications let you account for miscellaneous changes in the Project that affect utility usage. They will usually (but not always) increase utility usage and costs. Modifications affect the Baseline Scenario and thereby also the Target Scenarios. If you create a modification for a natural gas meter that increases usage by 25% per month (because, for example, a ceramics plant adds a large gas-fired kiln), then both the Target and Baseline Scenarios will show a 25% increase in therms over what they would have been without the modification. This section discusses how to apply Modifications, and mentions differences for applying Measures when necessary. Each subsection explains the important points of each type of Modification. Direct Entry – Enter changes to individual bills manually. Regression Modifiers – Enter modifiers to the fit line to change the regression equation directly. Modifications – Direct Entry Direct entry modifications are the most common and the most useful way to modify the baseline to account for changes in usage that would otherwise obscure or magnify savings. A convenient example is a school which experiences decreased operation during the summer. The example file schl_sum.tpy illustrates this example. From the File menu, select Open Example. Choose schl_sum.tpy and click Open. Click the Tuning tab to view the Tuning Data Form. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 48 Figure 3.16: Tuning Data Form, Modification Line Expand the Tree Structure to show the ?Summer Shutdown? Modification attached to the ?Primary Elec? Meter, as shown in Figure 3.17. Figure 3.17: Tree Structure, Modification Item Click on the Modification Item to display the Modification Setup Data Form shown in Figure 3.18. Notice that, in the Specification Options field, the selected option states ?Directly Enter Factor History of periodic changes in utility usage?. This is the default option for Modifications. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 49 Figure 3.18: Modification Setup Data Form Notice the Effective Dates for this Modification. These dates should be set to the time period to which you want this Modification to apply. Generally Modifications should not apply to dates within the Tuning Period. Modification dates should only be applied to the Performance Period. In the example project shown, the Modification Period begins the January after the Performance Period, and extends until the end of the Performance Period. This value could be changed later, if necessary. Click on the Modification History tab to view the Modification History Data Form, also known as the Factor History Form, shown in Figure 3.19. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 50 Figure 3.19: Modification History Data Form, a.k.a. Factor History Notice that the summer months have Modification values which subtract usage. This represents the reduced amount of usage expected. There are a number of important elements in this Data Form: Time Periods: The Time Periods field designates how the dates are delimited in the End Dates column. The Monthly option designates the End Dates to fall at the end of every month. The Quarterly option would cause dates to fall at the end of every quarter. The Billing Periods option causes the End Dates to reflect the bill dates in the Register. Note that changing the Time Periods field after you have entered Modification values causes them to be reset or offset to different months. Auto-Repeat: Rather than requiring you to copy the Modification into every year that it applies to, you must only fill in the first year. Metrix will copy the Modification into the corresponding time period every year thereafter, for the life of the Modification. The Modification must, however, cover 365 days of bills. Near the bottom of Figure 3.19 is a message which reads ?The last 365 days of % changes or offsets entered in the first <13> rows through <1/31/1994> will auto-repeat thereafter on a 365-day cycle except in manual rows.? This field allows you to offset the beginning of the modification. In Figure 3.19 the last, or most recent, 365 days contained in the first 13 bills Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 51 (ending on 1/31/1994) will be repeated until the end of the modification, which you set in the Effective Dates field in the Modification Setup Data Form. Manual Entry: To the left of the End Dates column, the Manual column allows you to select specific bills. If you check one of these bills anywhere except in the first year of the Modification, you may make additional adjustments to account for special, one time occurrences. These changes will not be auto-repeated, and they will override the auto-repeat function described in the previous item. Modifications - Regression Modifiers In the preceding section for Direct Entry, we saw how a Modification can be used to account for a school which shuts down most operations in summer. Here is a similar situation: a school which is operated differently during summer vacation months. However, in this example, the school is still in significant use during summer, and the electric use in summer correlates well with cooling degree-days. But the correlation is very different than it is during non-summer months. So what we need for this meter are two sets of tuning coefficients—one set for the school year and a different set for summer vacation. Metrix lets you set this up using a Modification. To illustrate this, consider an elementary school in which some classrooms are closed throughout each summer, from about June 15 - September 15. The remaining classrooms and administrative offices are air conditioned throughout the summer. In the Tuning Data Form, we determine that there are separate fits for summer vacation months and school months. From the File menu, choose Open Example, and click dbl_reg.tpy. From the Tree Structure, select the Primary Elec Meter Item, then click the Tuning tab to view the Tuning Data Form, as shown in Figure 3.20. From the 18 bills available in this tuning, deselect the 6 summer bills: July, August, and September of 1990 and 1991. At the very bottom of the Tuning Data Form, you can see that the regression equation becomes: CDDHDDDayskWh ?????? 15.4321.232#7.1204 kWh = baseline usage for the given month 1204.7 = Base load constant #Days = number of days in this month 232.21 = regression coefficient for use per heating degree-day HDD = heating degree-days in this month 43.15 = regression coefficient for use per cooling degree-day CDD = cooling degree-days in this month Now deselect all bills except those in the summer months. Now the regression equation becomes: CDDHDDDayskWh ?????? 49.610#4.157 Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 52 Heating Degree Days can be deselected in the Tune with field to correct the T-Stats. Figure 3.20: Tuning Data Form, All Points selected. Reselect all except the summer months, as described in step 2. Use the Tree Structure to select the Modification Item attached to this meter. This will display the Modification Setup Data Form. Note that the first Specification Option is selected. This option tells Metrix to modify the regression coefficients for the period defined by the Effective Dates (6/15/1990 - 2/15/92). Click Regression Modifiers to view the Regression Modifier Data Form, as shown in Figure 3.21 Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 53 Here you can see the percentage adjustments which change the school year coefficients to equal the summer vacation coefficients. For example, the Base load coefficient changes from 1204.7 to 157.4, a reduction of 86.9%. The heating degree-day coefficient changes to 0, which is a -100% adjustment. The cooling degree-day coefficient is reduced by 29.84%. To see the effect of these adjustments, click the Modification History tab to see the Modification History Data Form, also known as the Factor History, as shown in Figure 3.22. Here you see a list of billing periods, which correspond to each electric bill entered for the meter. The column labeled "On-Peak + %" shows the overall adjustment in each bill resulting from the change in the coefficients. Note that only the summer vacation bills have the adjustment. The school year months are checked as "Manual", and 0% has been manually entered for these months. Metrix assumes that any changes in regression coefficients will adjust all bills in the effective period, so you must manually turn off the adjustment for those months you do not want changed. You must update this data form as new bills are entered to be sure the modification is implemented as desired. Figure 3.21: Regression Modifiers for Summer Coefficients Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 54 Figure 3.22: Factor History for Summer Vacation Bills To see the effect of the Modification, close the Modification Data Forms, and open the Primary Elec Meter Item to which it is attached. This is the Baseline Inspection Data Form for the meter, whose graph is shown in Figure 3.23. Since there is no Measure for this meter, the Target and Baseline lines on the graph are the same. Note that the Baseline closely follows the Actual bills, even for the summer vacation months. You can also print out the Verification Summary report, which contains the degree-days for each billing period, and confirm that the baseline usage for the summer vacation months is calculated using their coefficients. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 55 Figure 3.23: Resulting School and Summer Vacation Bills Measures Both Measures and Modifications affect the meter to which they are attached. Though their inputs are very similar, their impacts on a meter are very different. The Target scenario is calculated using the Baseline plus Measures; whereas, Modifications are used to modify the Baseline scenario. Measures represent actions taken to improve the utility performance of a facility. They usually (but not always) decrease utility usage and costs. Measures only affect the Target Scenario. Initially, the Target Scenario is equal to the Baseline Scenario. If you create a Measure for an electric meter which reduces usage by 25,000 kWh per month (for example, for a lighting retrofit), then the Target Scenario will have 25,000 kWh less per month than the Baseline Scenario. If a meter has no attached Measures, then the Target and Baseline Scenarios will be the same. A measure represents an action taken to improve the utility performance of a facility that you want to track. For example, you might replace your existing lighting system with a more efficient fixture type. Or you might upgrade your HVAC control system. You can enter your expected savings in Metrix, to see if you meet the target. You do this by creating Measures. As a simple example, if you install flow restrictors which you expect to reduce water usage 15% each month, you can create a measure which sets a Target at 15% below the Baseline. Then you can compare the actual usage to the target, to see if you are meeting the target. In a performance contract, you can use Measures to represent the ?guaranteed? savings goals. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 56 You can establish separate measures for each meter. The monthly impacts can be positive or negative, in absolute values or percentages. A meter can have more than one measure impact it; the effects are cumulative. Each measure has a beginning and end date, so you can specify when they take effect. This section discusses how to apply Measures. Each subsection explains the important points of each type of Measure. Direct Entry – Enter changes to individual bills manually. Regression Modifiers – Enter modifiers to the fit line to change the regression equation directly. Creating Measures 1. Use the Tree Structure to select the existing Meter Item which the measure will affect. Right-click on the Meter Item and, from the drop-down menu, select ?New?, then ?Measure?. 2. Click the new Measure Item to open its Measure Setup Data Form, as shown in Figure 3.24. Notice that, in the Specification Options field, the selected option states ?Directly Enter Factor History of periodic changes in utility usage?. This is the default option for Measures. Notice the Effective Dates for this Measure. These dates should be set to the time period to which you want this Measure to apply. Figure 3.24: Measure Setup Data Form 3. Click on the Measure History tab to view the Measure History Data Form, also known as the Factor History Form, shown in Figure 3.25. This Measure shows a 10 to 25 percent decrease in consumption per month and a 0 to 30 percent decrease in demand per month. An ECM that might require this type of measure be added might be improved air conditioning or chillers, as savings peaks in the warm months and is down in the cooler months Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 57 Figure 3.25: Measure History Tab Time Periods: The Time Periods field designates how the dates are delimited in the End Dates column. In Figure 3.25, the Monthly option designates the End Dates to fall at the end of every month. The Quarterly option would cause dates to fall at the end of every quarter. The Billing Periods option causes the End Dates to reflect the bill dates in the Register. Note that changing the Time Periods field after you have entered Measure values causes them to be reset or offset to different months. Auto-Repeat: Rather than requiring you to copy the Measure into every year that it applies to, you must only fill in the first year. Metrix will copy the Measure into the corresponding time period every year thereafter, for the life of the Measure. The Measure must, however, cover 365 days of bills. Near the bottom of Figure 3.25 is a message which reads ?The last 365 days of % changes or offsets entered in the first <12> rows through <1/31/1994> will auto-repeat thereafter on a 365-day cycle except in manual rows.? This field allows you to offset the beginning of the Measure. In Figure 3.25 the last, or most recent, 365 days contained in the first 13 bills (ending on 1/31/1994) will be repeated until the end of the Measure, which you set in the Effective Dates field in the Measure Setup Data Form. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 58 Manual Entry: To the left of the End Dates column, the Manual column allows you to select specific bills. If you check one of these bills anywhere except in the first year of the Measure, you may make additional adjustments to account for special, one time occurrences. These changes will not be auto-repeated, and they will override the auto-repeat function described in the previous item. Measures - Regression Modifiers In the preceding section for Direct Entry, we saw how a Measure can be used to account for an air conditioning and chiller upgrade. Obviously, your energy savings is going to correlate strongly with cooling degree days. Instead of estimating your energy savings as a percentage or offset, you can estimate the effect on your regression equation. Say you obtained the regression equation shown below from your tuning period. CDDDayskWh ???? 15.43#7.1204 kWh = baseline usage for the given month 1204.7 = Base load constant #Days = number of days in this month 43.15 = regression coefficient for use per cooling degree-day You estimate that on average, you will use 25% less energy per CDD and 10% less energy per day (regardless of CDD). Your target can be adjusted to your estimations by filling out the Regression Modifiers Tab as in Figure 3.26. Notice that -25 has been inserted into the ClgDD field and -10 has been entered into the Baseload field. Notice the fields below; you can also modify coefficients for HDD and custom variables. Also, you can apply a Regression Modification to a specific TOU period. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 59 Figure 3.26: Regression Modifiers Tab Metrix will automatically fill out the Measure History form to adjust your Target. The Measure History will begin with the first period of your effective date for the Measure. Figure 3.27 shows the new Measure History tab. Figure 3.27: Measure History Tab after Regression Modifiers are added Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 60 Figure 3.28 shows the effect these Regression Modifications have had on the Target. For the first 12 months, the Baseline and Target are equal. However, after the Measure is effective, the Target is smaller than the Baseline. The difference varies with Days and CDD. Figure 3.28: Regression Modifier Effects on the Target After this point, measures can be created in much the same way as a modification. You can either enter Regression Modifiers which affect the tuning coefficients and then have Metrix automatically enter in the appropriate Factor History, or you can click the Measure History tab and enter periodic changes in utility usage directly in the Factor History Data Form. So you can refer to the section on Modifications to see further details about how to create different types of Measures. But remember: Measures are used to calculate the Target scenario from the Baseline; whereas, Modifications are used to adjust or modify the Baseline scenario itself. Variables Examples of Variables are the number of meals served per month at a cafeteria may affect water usage, or the weekly production quantity at a manufacturing plant may affect electric usage. Variables can be used to normalize the meter or just for benchmarking reports (for example, number of students would not directly affect energy consumption but you may want to compare the $/student in one school to another one). Manually Entering Historic Independent Variable Data If you haven‘t added a Variable Item yet, to add a new Variable Item, right click on an existing Area Item and, from the drop-down menu, select ?New?, then ?Variable. Clicking on the Variable Item in the Tree Structure should open the Variable Information Data Form, shown in Figure 3.29. Enter the requested data. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 61 Figure 3.29: Variable Information Data Form Note: Beginning of Readings is an important field. It is the first day of the first reading. Suppose you had monthly production numbers you wanted to analyze with Metrix. If your first monthly reading is 1/31/2005, then you would type in 1/1/2005 as ?Beginning of Readings.? The Variable History Data Form is shown in Figure 3.30. This Data Form lets you quickly enter past data for the variable. To add new rows, right-click anywhere in the data form. Select ?Add Row (New)? to add a blank row with today‘s date. Select ?Add Row (Copy)? to add a copy of the row you right-clicked on. You must change the date before moving on. You may also use the arrow keys to move about the form. To add a new row, move to the last row and hit enter, or the down arrow. Figure 3.30: Variable History Data Form Sub-Meters See the section for Sub-meters in the Advanced Topics section. Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 62 Rates and Charges Metrix calculates utility costs for the SimActual, Baseline, and Target Scenarios using rate tariffs, which contain the formulas for calculating costs from the physical units. These are compared to the utility costs from monthly bills in the Actual Scenario to determine if the Project is performing better or worse than expected. Normally, these rate tariffs should match the actual tariff that your local utility uses to calculate your bill. In some cases, you may wish to use an alternate tariff if exploring the possibility of switching to a new rate. You can also skip the use of tariffs altogether, and use simplified average utility costs. This is specified in the Cost Calculation Method field in the Meter Setup Data Form. Usually, you want the SimActual, Baseline, and Target costs calculated with the same rate tariffs. This is the case if you select Single Utility Rate Schedules in the Cost Calculation Method field in the Meter Setup Data Form. If you wish to use different tariffs for some Scenarios, select Multiple Utility Rate Schedules in the Cost Calculation Method field. It is then possible to add Rate Items to this meter, which is specific to a given Scenario, as shown in the picture of the Tree Structure in Figure 3.31. This is explained in more detail the Adding Rate Tariff section below. This is useful if you wish to compare the utility costs under different tariffs. Metrix has a very powerful tariff module that enables you to model almost any utility rate structure, including load factor rates, time-of-use rates, demand ratchets, seasonally or monthly varying rates, etc. You can also compare ?what ifs,? such as what is the impact of switching utility tariffs. As you create rate tariffs, you should store them in the Metrix Library for use in your Projects. Procedures for selecting existing tariffs from the Library and for creating new tariffs in Projects are described below. Figure 3.31: Selecting the Cost Calculation Method Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 63 Figure 3.32: Rates View with Multiple Utility Rate Schedules Creating Rate Tariffs To create a rate tariff, you must create a Rate Item, which comes attached with a Charge Item. As many Charge Items as necessary may be added to a single rate. Figure 3.33: Rate Setup Data Form Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 64 How to create a Rate Item 1. From the Tree Structure, select the existing Meter Item to which the rate tariff will apply. 2. To add a new Rate Item, right click on the Meter Item and, from the drop-down menu, select ?New?, then ?Rate?. If ?Multiple Rate Utility Schedule? is selected in the Cost Calculation Method field of the Meter Setup Data Form, you will see an additional drop-down menu. Here, you must specify which of the four Scenarios (Actual, SimActual, Baseline, or Target) you want this Rate Item to apply to. Click the Rate Detail tab for access to additional data. Note that we have not yet entered the actual cost per utility unit yet, such as ?$/kWh? or ?$/therm.? This is done in the Charges Item(s) attached to the Rate Item you just created. You will need a separate Charges Item for each type of unit (e.g. kWh vs. kW), for each seasonal variation in price (for example, summer versus winter gas prices), or time-of-day variation (for example, on-peak versus off-peak electric prices). How to create a Charge Item 1. From the Tree Structure, select the existing Rate Item to which the Charge will apply. 2. To add a new Charge Item, right click on the Rate Item and, from the drop-down menu, select ?New?, then ?Charges?. Figure 3.34: Charge Setup Data Form 3. Click the new Charges Item to display its Charge Setup Data Form, as shown in Figure 3.34. 4. Click the Charge Detail tab to specify more details about the charge. Some utilities have a monthly adjustment to their tariffs based upon other costs. For example, a natural gas tariff may have a base price of 0.40 $/therm, and an additional cost or credit of a few cents/therm, depending upon the wholesale price of natural gas each month. To account for this in Metrix, you do not need to add a new Charges Item every month. Instead, the Charges Metrix 4 User’s Guide Chapter 3: Populating the Databases 65 Item contains the base price, and you add a Fuel Adjustment Item to the Meter, in which you can add to or subtract from the base price as often as needed. Advanced Rate Tariffs Metrix must calculate utility costs for the SimActual, Baseline, and Target Scenarios. These are compared to the actual costs from the utility bills to determine if the Project is performing better or worse than expected. For each meter, Metrix can calculate these costs based on either the average utility costs from the actual bills, or based on utility rate tariffs you select in Rates View. You use the Cost Calculation Method field in the Meter Setup Data Form to specify the method to be used. If you select Single or Multiple Utility Rate Schedules in the Cost Calculation Method field, the Rate and Charges Items which are attached to the Meter are used to calculate these costs (rather than an average rate). Utility rates, especially some electric tariffs, can be complex. The examples in this section show how to set up some complex tariffs. Note that utility rates only need to be set up once. The System Administrator can store rates in the Library. Any time that rate is needed you can simply copy it from the Library and into your Project. To explore some advanced uses of Utility Rates, review the topics below: Time-of-Use Rates—setting up rates that vary with time of day (for example, on peak, off peak). Seasonal Rates—setting up rates that change with the season (for example, summer versus winter). Load factor Rates—also known as ?hours use? electric rates, where kWh block sizes depend upon peak demand. Differing Rates by Scenario—selecting different rates for different Scenarios. Replacing Rates over Time—entering a time history of rates for a meter. Time-of-Use Rates In time-of-use rates (also known