About Dynamic Options

Dynamic Options specify terms that override how usage is normally calculated, such as a critical peak period that affects the TOU mapping of interval consumption.

There are circumstances and conditions during which the rules for creating TOU map data might need to be calculated differently than according to the utility's standard rules. Examples of this might include critical peak periods, curtailment requests or other demand response events. During these types of events, the TOU rules defined for a TOU map may be overridden. This is done through the use of dynamic options and dynamic option events.

Dynamic options allow flexibility for ad-hoc and special events that might impact how usage calculations are performed. For example, if a utility requests that its customers curtail their usage for a specific time period, a dynamic option and corresponding dynamic option event could be used to represent the curtailment request. During the time period of the curtailment request, usage might be calculated differently (with a different set of TOU periods, for example), which in turn might impact how the customer's bill is calculated.

Dynamic Options and TOU Maps

To apply a dynamic option (and one or more of its related dynamic option events), you reference the dynamic option on a TOU map, along with a corresponding "dynamic" TOU map to be used during the dynamic option event.

For example, with Critical Peak Periods you might add a new TOU period (called "Critical Peak"), and create a new TOU map that is the same as your standard TOU map, but that also includes your Critical Peak TOU period. For example, in the summer your new set of TOU periods might be defined as follows:

Time Of Use Period	Time Periods
Critical Peak	10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Monday - Friday
On Peak	8:00 AM - 10:00 AM Monday - Friday 2:00 PM - 9:00 PM Monday - Friday
Off Peak	12:00 AM - 8:00 AM Monday - Friday 9:00 PM - 12:00 AM Monday - Friday 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays

If a dynamic option event occurs during a usage transaction period, the standard TOU map is overridden with the "dynamic" TOU map. In our example, a usage transaction period that includes August would use the dynamic TOU map when generating TOU map data for the time between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM on August 2, but would use its standard TOU map for the rest of the month.