Requirements and Limitations

The following data requirements and limitations apply to all utilities and customers using the Load Shifting Rate Coach programs. These requirements must be met for a utility and a customer to participate in the program.

Utility Requirements and Limitations

This list specifies the utility requirements and limitations:

• Rate Modeling or Rate Engine Plus: In order for the platform to support utility-specific rates, an intensive rates modeling and configuration process is necessary.
• Required Cloud Service: Oracle Utilities Opower Load Shifting, Rate Coach
• Scale: A maximum of 1 million emails a week to eligible customers.

Customer Requirements and Limitations

This list specifies the customer requirements and limitations:

• Billing Frequency: Monthly or bi-monthly.
• Data Delivery Frequency: Daily. Must be received within 48 hours from last data read.
• Data Requirements: Interval data (hourly or more granular).
  • For TOU Rate Coach emails with hourly disaggregation:There are additional AMI data requirements to show advanced insights such as appliance-level disaggregation. Contact your Delivery Team for more information.
• Data History:
  • For TOU Rate Coach emails: Interval data for the last two weeks, billing data for the last 12 months, and AMI data to the beginning of the current billing cycle. Note that the Hourly Usage module has additional data history requirements.
  • For Demand Rate Coach emails: One full week of AMI data on the demand rate plan. The Monthly Demand Report email requires one month of billing data, and the Demand Value Comparison module requires two months of billing and AMI data, as it compares the current period to the previous period.
• Data Coverage: Oracle must receive read coverage for the period included in the email. The period duration can vary from 5 to 7 days (for weekly emails), as it depends on the utility's peak hour intervals. This product does not differentiate between estimated and non-estimated reads. Both types of reads are supported. At least 75% of possible reads for the current billing cycle (including estimated reads) is required to calculate the bill forecast.
• Fuel Type: Electric-only or dual fuel. Note that these emails cover only the electric portion of the customer's bill and usage.
• Meter Type: The customer must have a smart meter.
• Customer Type: The customer must be residential.
• Rate Plan: The customer must be on a time of use rate plan to receive the TOU Rate Coach emails, or on a TOU plus demand rate plan to receive the Demand Rate Coach emails.
• Multiple Service Points: Not currently supported.
• Zero Usage: In the case when a customer hasn't used any electricity during the week, several checks are completed to determine whether to hide modules:
  • Introduction Email: If the Hourly Usage module has 0 usages, the module is excluded from the Introduction Email.
  • Weekly Email: If the Weekly Comparison module has 0 usages, the weekly email is not sent. If the Hourly Usage module has 0 usages, the module is excluded but the Weekly Email is sent.
  • Peak Usage Summary Email: If the Hourly Usage module has 0 usages, the module is excluded from the Peak Usage Summary Email.
  • Emails Including the Season Transition Module: If the Weekly Coach Email or the Peak Usage Summary Email includes a Season Transition module, and the Weekly Comparison module has 0 usages, the Weekly Comparison module is excluded from the communication. If the Hourly Usage module has 0 usages, the module is exclude from the communication.