Configuring Settlement Calculation Rules
This portal is used to display and maintain a settlement calculation rule.
Refer to Understanding Settlement Calculation Rules, Understanding Settlement Calculation Groups, and Understanding Usage Transaction Exception Types for more information.
You can access the portal by selecting Admin, then Settlement, then Settlement Calculation Rule. You are brought to a query portal with options for searching. Once your record has been selected you are brought to the maintenance portal to view and maintain the selected record.
The following zones may appear as part of the portal's Main tab page:
- Settlement Calculation Rule: This zone displays details for the selected settlement calculation rule, including parameters used when executing the rule
- Eligibility Criteria List: Lists the eligibility criteria defined for the rule, if applicable.
Calculation Settlement Calculation Rules
The following is a list of the calculation settlement calculation rules provided as part of the base product. For more information on how each rule executes and can be configured, follow the link provided on the rule.
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Settlement Calculation Rule Name |
Applicable Data Type(s) |
Purpose |
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Interval |
This rule is used to perform calculations on interval data and stores the results in the settlement transaction's service quantities. A variety of options are available on this rule that include defining the calculation type, variables to use, as well as the equation to use (math functions and expressions). This rule provides aggregated usage for all selected interval measuring components (filter by TOU, SQI & UOM) associated to a settlement subscription. This rule can also multiply total usage by a factor using a custom formula. |
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Interval, arrays, and calculated quantities |
This rule is used to perform settlement calculations on arrays and interval data and it stores the results in the settlement transaction's service quantities. |
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Interval |
This rule is used to perform settlement calculations to allocate load based on market awards, based on appropriate methods for dividing load out to wholesale contracts. |
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Interval and calculated quantities |
This rule is used to perform UFE calculations. |
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Interval |
This rule is designed to facilitate configuration of complex vector calculations. It is based on a series of underlying services with vectors configured as input to the calculations. Typical uses: Perform math using interval data. For example, take the difference between two curves, find max values, find coincident peaks, multiply a curve by a value, apply TOU maps, etc. Define complex formulas using various interval curves, profile factor values or calculated service quantities (bill determinant values). Support math functions: sin, cos, square root, etc. Store derived curves in memory that can be used in subsequent calculations Please note, this rule is not as efficient as other rules. |
Decision-Making Settlement Calculation Rules
There are settlement calculation rules delivered as part of the base product that help with decision-making when executing the settlement calculation process. For more information on how each rule executes and can be configured, follow the link provided on the rule.
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Settlement Calculation Rule Name |
Purpose |
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This rule performs a call to execute a separate settlement calculation group which includes execution of all settlement calculation rules within that group. |
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This rule is used to terminate processing if exception count criteria specified in the rule is met. |
Advanced Aside: Using Factors For Variables
A situation common in some implementations involves converting one unit of measure (UOM) to another. However, the conversion factor used in conversions of this type can differ based on many different types of criteria, such as the location of the service point or other characteristics. This type of calculation can be implemented as a settlement calculation rule that accumulates consumption for one UOM and converts the consumption to a different UOM by applying a factor to it.
Factors used for this purpose have a Factor Class of "Number," and use some unique rules:
- Number factors reference a characteristic type (with pre-defined values).
- Number factors reference an algorithm that retrieves or derives the value of the characteristic type at runtime.
Factor values for a Number factor are effective-dated pairings of a characteristic value and a corresponding value. Because these pairings are effective-dated, the value returned from the factor can change over time for each characteristic value. At run time, the rule retrieves / derives the characteristic value for the factor's characteristic type and then finds the value associated with the respective characteristic value. Factors can be related to any real or dynamic attribute, so rules of this type are very flexible. For example:
- Real Attribute: you could create a rule that retrieves a specific value based on the location of a service point.
- Dynamic Attribute: you could create a rule that retrieves a percentage value based on the amount the customer conserved as compared to the same period in the prior year, returning one value if the amount conserved is between 5% and 10%, another value if the amount conserved is between 10% and 20%, and a third value if the amount conserved is greater than 20%. The amount conserved is dynamically calculated at execution time and is compared to the characteristic values defined for the factor, and returns the appropriate value. In this example, if the amount conserved was anything less than 5%, no percentage value would be returned.