Creating and editing estimation sets

1. Go to Meter Data Management > Tools > Estimation > Estimation Sets.

2. To create a new set, click Add.

   To edit an existing set, select it from the Sets pane.

3. In the Details pane, enter a Name. The name must be unique. The name identifies this set throughout IEE. For example, when you associate this estimation set with a service point program, you select the estimation set name from a dropdown menu in the program-based configuration window.

4. Enter a Description. The description provides a longer text description of the estimation set. For example, you can enter a description such as “standard for northern region, no historical” or “average daily load only.”

5. Define the General Settings. All of these parameters are optional.

   • Create Validation Queue Entries for Passed Estimations. Determines whether IEE creates an item in the reading validation queue for estimated data that passes secondary validation. Select this checkbox to enable.

   • Scale Estimates. Determines whether IEE scales intervals when intervals between two boundary reads or at a midpoint require estimation. To ensure that IEE scales intervals when a negative value is required for scaling, also select the Allow Negative Scaling parameter for this estimation set. If you do not allow negative scaling, IEE does not scale intervals that require a negative value.

     For automatic validation and estimation during data import, IEE uses only exact boundary reads. For manual estimation, IEE allows the use of calculated reads as boundary reads if the Use Calculated Meter Reads system setting is enabled. If a calculated read is used for scaling, IEE marks that read with a CALCULATED status.

     Select an option from the dropdown to determine how this estimation set handles scaling:

     • No scaling: Do not scale intervals in this estimation set.

     • Scaling using boundary reads: Only use the start and end boundary registers for scaling.

     • Allow partial scaling: Scale using all available register reads, including midpoint registers within the designated time range (not just the boundary registers).

     • TOU scaling: Scale each TOU bucket of intervals against its corresponding TOU register. For example, On-Peak intervals will scale to On-Peak register reads, Off-Peak intervals will scale to Off-Peak register reads For details, see TOU scaling.​

     • Allow partial TOU scaling: Scale using all available TOU registers, including midpoint TOU registers within the time range (not just the boundary TOU registers). ​

   • Allow Peak Shaving. Determines whether IEE reduces estimated peaks to match the actual peak and distributes the rest of the usage evenly across the other intervals. IEE runs peak shaving after all of the estimation routines finish. Peak shaving adjusts peaks created during the estimation process and prevents false peaks. Select this checkbox to enable.

   • Allow Negative Scaling. Determines whether IEE allows the use of negative interval values when scaling estimated data. For example, if negative scaling is allowed, you can have interval values of -1, -2, and so on. Select this checkbox to enable.

   • Override Routines: Statuses to Mark. Defines the non-estimation statuses that an estimation routine must set on an estimated read. This allows you to mark reads with statuses that are not typically used by the estimation process. The Statuses to Mark parameter in the estimation set overrides the Statuses to Mark parameters in the individual estimation routines included within that set.

   • Override Routines: Statuses to Ignore. Defines the reads to exclude from estimation. The estimation process ignores any reads that have the statuses defined in this parameter. The Statuses to Ignore parameter in the estimation set overrides the Statuses to Ignore parameters in the individual estimation routines included within that set.

   • Holiday List. Select a holiday list to use with this estimation set.

   • Maximum Number of Minutes to Auto Estimate. Enter the number of contiguous minutes that IEE can estimate. A block of intervals marked as Estimation Needed that exceeds the number of minutes entered here will not be estimated automatically. For example, to set a 7-day threshold for automated estimation, enter 10080 minutes (7 days * 24 hours * 60 minutes). Any block of intervals for a time span greater than 10080 minutes requires manual attention. To remove any limits, enter 0. IEE ignores this setting when you perform a manual estimation. For more information about manual estimation, see Manual estimation.

   • Reading Quality Level. Determines the quality of readings that are allowed to be used in estimation. Selecting High will only allow actual readings to be considered, while selecting Low will allow estimated reads to be considered as well.

   • Estimation Priority. Determines whether this estimation set will prioritize estimating registers or intervals. See Estimation priority setting for details.

   • Rollover Digits. Determines whether the register estimation routines in this estimation set will use the specified number of digits to manage rollovers. See Rollover digits setting.

6. In the Estimation Routines pane, click Add Routines.

7. In the Select Estimation Routines dialog, select each estimation routine to include in the set.

   Note: To add multiple routines of the same type, click Add Routines again and select the estimation routine type again.

8. In the Estimation Routines pane, define the parameters for each estimation routine. For more information about each routine and how to configure it, see Estimation Routines.

9. Use the green Up and Down arrows to put the routines in the order you want them to run. To remove a routine from the set, click Delete.

10. Click Save. The estimation set displays in the Sets pane.