[Equest-users] incorrect virtual rates?

[Chris Balbach]

All:

Just to add to the conversation  - has everyone seen the Utilities Gateway (http://en.openei.org/wiki/Gateway:Utilities) available at OpenEI?  A crowd-sourced application, one can use the Utilities Gateway to view, create or edit utility rate structures for about 3,400 utility companies.

I often find the actual tariff structure associated with a project (especially when considering differing rate structures between T&D and generation) require me to develop a custom spreadsheet to post-process eQUEST hourly output to synthesize a virtual utility bill.  This spreadsheet development can be tedious work (especially when savings result in crossing service classes), and keeping the spreadsheets up to date and accurate requires diligent effort. I shudder to think about how many person-hours are spent by modelers across the country essentially doing the same thing, over and over and over.  Doesn't seem to be an efficient use of resources.  In de-regulated markets, I'm not sure if there is a better way... too many possibilities.

However - for many parts of the country -  I do think a cool "pay as you go" web-service would be one where a tool agnostic hourly file could be uploaded, a utility provider and service class chosen, and a virtual bill generated using current published tariff structures . Would anyone else find this useful?

All the Best,

_Chris


Chris Balbach, PE, CEM, BEMP, CMVP, BESA
Vice President of Research and Development
Cell: (607)-327-1647

Performance Systems Development

124 Brindley Street, Ithaca, NY 14850
www.psdconsulting.com<http://www.psdconsulting.com/>



From: equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org [mailto:equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org] On Behalf Of norman wheatley
Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2012 12:46 PM
To: John Aulbach
Cc: equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org
Subject: Re: [Equest-users] incorrect virtual rates?

Hi,

Actually, I don't think that's the problem. eQuest rates, in this case at least, are oversimplified. I seriously doubt if they were ever correct.

Norm
On Sat, Mar 3, 2012 at 7:25 AM, John Aulbach <jra_sac at yahoo.com<mailto:jra_sac at yahoo.com>> wrote:
You need to input current utility rates yourself. eQuest does not keep up on current utility rates.

John Aulbach
Partner Energy

________________________________
From: CleanTech Analytics <jeremiah at cleantechanalytics.com<mailto:jeremiah at cleantechanalytics.com>>
To: norman wheatley <normwheatley at gmail.com<mailto:normwheatley at gmail.com>>
Cc: equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org<mailto:equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 1, 2012 8:29 PM
Subject: Re: [Equest-users] incorrect virtual rates?

You can enter them your self in the detailed mode.
On Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 7:08 PM, norman wheatley <normwheatley at gmail.com<mailto:normwheatley at gmail.com>> wrote:
Hi,

I'm doing a LEED project in California. We're using PAcific Gas and Electric's GNR-1 gas rate but it comes out quite low. If you go to PG&E's website it seems that eQuest's virtual rate (which is 60 c/therm) is ignoring the Transportation and PPP part of the charges - ie 40 cents is missing.

there's a similar problem with the electricity rates - A10a but eQuest is overestimating the rate by 40%.

What do you do for the utility rates? Do you input them yourself or rely on eQuests rate schedules?

thanks
Norm

_______________________________________________
Equest-users mailing list
http://lists.onebuilding.org/listinfo.cgi/equest-users-onebuilding.org
To unsubscribe from this mailing list send  a blank message to EQUEST-USERS-UNSUBSCRIBE at ONEBUILDING.ORG<mailto:EQUEST-USERS-UNSUBSCRIBE at ONEBUILDING.ORG>



--
Jeremiah D. Crossett
CleanTech Analytics
503-688-8951<tel:503-688-8951>
www.cleantechanalytics.com<http://www.cleantechanalytics.com>

This document may contain valuable information proprietary to CleanTech Analytics which is private and confidential. It may not be shared, copied, stored or transmitted in any form without the prior written consent of CleanTech Analytics


_______________________________________________
Equest-users mailing list
http://lists.onebuilding.org/listinfo.cgi/equest-users-onebuilding.org
To unsubscribe from this mailing list send  a blank message to EQUEST-USERS-UNSUBSCRIBE at ONEBUILDING.ORG<mailto:EQUEST-USERS-UNSUBSCRIBE at ONEBUILDING.ORG>


IMPORTANT NOTICE: This email message is intended to be received only by persons entitled to receive the confidential information it may contain. Email messages to clients of Performance Systems Development may contain information that is confidential and legally privileged. Please do not read, copy, forward, or store this message unless you are an intended recipient of it. If you have received this message in error, please forward it to the sender and delete it completely from your computer system.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.onebuilding.org/pipermail/equest-users-onebuilding.org/attachments/20120304/6c0975bc/attachment-0001.htm>