Overview: Unit System

The Unit System Editor provides a table of equivalencies that enables EnergyCAP to convert between various energy types, units and commodities. By relating and harmonizing utility billing data from diverse sources, and reporting on that data using user-selected energy 'Roll-Up units' such as MMBTUs, EnergyCAP is able to provide meaningful energy information across the enterprise.

WATCH VIDEO on the Unit System (Basic Session)

WATCH VIDEO on the Unit System (Advanced Session)

The Unit System Editor interface enables the user to define the components needed to store utility billing data in EnergyCAP Enterprise. These components may also be the building blocks for other functions. Components that may be created, defined and incorporated in the Unit System Editor include:

• Commodities: Goods, services, or entities that are being monitored by EnergyCAP Enterprise. Examples include electricity and natural gas, but can also include less traditional categories like wood or weather.

• Types: Defines a type of observation monitored for a commodity and provides the context for that data’s usage. Example types include use, percentage and demand, but may also include taxes and cost.

• Units: Define the units of measure for all commodities. You can also define conversions between units of like types (e.g., converting cubic feet to gallons) by supplying the equation to use for the conversion.

• Equivalencies: Define relationships between commodities, types, and units.

All numeric data in EnergyCAP Enterprise must be assigned a Commodity, Type, and Unit. These three categories combine to form a physical definition for any piece of numeric data. Categories are further defined and related to each other using additional qualifications and groupings including:

• Commodities: Common Usage Roll-Up, Global Usage Roll-Up
• Types: Rule, Class, Origin, and Applied
• Units: Unit Type
• Equivalencies: Default Unit, Class, Unit Type

Accessing the Unit System Editor

• From the Tools menu in any module or view, select Unit System. The Unit System Editor window appears.

Unit System Q&A

What is a Common Usage Roll-Up?
ANSWER: The Common Usage Roll-Up is the default unit of measure that will be used for a commodity on reports and PowerViews when different vendors use different units for that same commodity (example: some vendors report natural gas in MCF and others report it in DKTHM). In EnergyCAP, the user can determine and/or change the Common Usage Roll-Up

What is a Global Usage Roll-Up?
ANSWER: The Global Usage Roll-Up is the default unit of measure for reports combining unlike commodities. It is the 'highest' level of energy conversion in EnergyCAP. The default unit is MMBTUs. It is generally not advisable to change this default setting, although it is possible.

How do I change the Common or Global Usage Roll-up?
ANSWER: View the topic on Changing the Common Unit Roll-Up to see the process. Changing the Global Usage Roll-Up is identical to changing the Common Unit Roll-Up except that the commodity of ENERGY is selected and the Global Roll-Up checkbox is checked (Equivalencies window, General tab).

How do Unit System decisions affect EnergyCAP reports?
ANSWER: Changes to the Common Unit Roll-Up will be reflected on most reports using that commodity. Some bill-by-bill reports may show 'native use' units, while other reports that include multiple and diverse commodities may display the Global Roll-Up unit (usually MMBTUs). ! In order for these changes to be applied to historical/existing billing data, the SQL statement at the end of the process for changing the Common Unit Roll-Up MUST be executed. !

How do Unit System decisions affect EnergyCAP bill templates?
ANSWER: Changing the Unit System values will not directly affect bill entry templates. However, historical bills created with a template for a commodity which has been changed in the Unit System will need to have the cleanbill script run (see Changing the Common Unit Roll-Up topic).

How do I set up a new commodity?
ANSWER: See Working with Commodities.

How do I create an observation type?
ANSWER: See Working with Observation Types.

How do I create or modify Equivalencies?
ANSWER: See Working with Equivalencies.

What if different vendors report the same commodity in different units?
ANSWER: The Common Roll-Up Unit will be used for reports involving multiple units for that commodity.

How do changes to the Unit System affect my historical bills?
ANSWER: See Changing the Common Unit Roll-Up topic for information regarding historical bills. Because of the way that EnergyCAP stores billing data in multiple database tables, a special script process is required to ensure that Unit System changes are applied to historical bills!

How do I create new units of measure?
ANSWER: Open the Unit System Editor and click the Units tab. Then click the Plus button under the Commodities List Box to open the Create Unit window. Follow the prompts to complete setup of the new Unit. Then select the Unit from the Commodities List Box and click the Plus button underneath the Convert To: list button. The Create Conversion window will open. Select the desired unit to convert to, and supply the conversion formulas in the fields indicated. Then click OK to save the conversion.