sap isu : tou exception program & conditional billing

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Time-of-Use Exceptions and Conditional Billing

With respect to the future advancements offered in AMI, SAP ISU now supports ‘demand response programs’

which can be triggered by scenarios like peak time consumption, potential load fluctuations etc. So in SAP

these are mapped as TOU exception programs, an enhancement in ISU Billing. Say I have an On/Off peak rate

setup. But there are periods in On peak rate usage during which the consumption surpasses the expected

peak consumption and I would like to bill these exceptions with ‘another’ (or add to the existing rate steps)

conditional rate setup. This works only in consumption data in the form of time series, so TOU Billing and

RTP Billing qualify.

As the demand response is to be triggered from the Metering infrastructure, so SAP is the reactive system

here as always. A customer can opt in /opt out of this TOU exception program the effect of which is

mentioned below and also I would show in the system. I have used transactions ETOUEXCEPT02 to create

TOU exceptions in the SAP system manually and for the exception responses transaction

ETOUEXCEPTRESP02.

There is a lot of content given in detail in the link; here I am just showing a simple demo and a layman

understanding. Link to the blog is http://wp.me/p1Ci5j-fS

Data Model

This image is from the link and explains how the Exception program is getting interlinked with ISU Billing.

The Billing Schema refers to the Billing Schema Extension contains the conditional billing program and the

rate relationship group with the rate relationships. A rate relationship group refers to the fact groups. Rates


use the RTP or TOU interface defined in the rate fact group. Basic rates and conditional rates must be used in

the same schema and be defined with the same relationship in rate determination.

The Conditional Billing program defined in the billing schema extension is used to activate conditional rates.

Assigning conditional billing programs to TOU Exception programs executes the corresponding rates in the

billing schema extension for an active TOU exception. The TOU exception responses are stored at register

level with the key of the logical register number. This provides an indirect connection to the contract with

Register > Device > Installation.

Rate Relationship Category

The relationship between basic rates and conditional rates is defined using the rate relationship category:

• In the case of the rate relationship category ‘Supplement’, the conditional rate is executed in addition to

the basic rate.

• In the case of the rate relationship category ‘Substitute’, the basic rate processes the result of the TOU

interface without the TOU exception period. Instead, the system executes the TOU interface of the

conditional rate for the TOU exception period. The result is processed in the rate steps for the conditional

rate.

• There is concept on proration and splitting which can be read in the link. I have not shown it in my

screenshots.

• Also only rates which are of type interval meters or device or facts permissible are allowed in the

billing schema extension.

• In the Rate category and Schema header level the check box for ‘Conditional Billing program’ needs

to be checked.


Activation Category

The activation category combines the validity of TOU exceptions at the level of a TOU exception program with

individual activation at contract level.

Activation Category Meaning

Always active Each TOU exception is billing-relevant for all installations in the TOU exception program. No

individual activation or deactivation is possible, with the exception of corrections.

Active, can be deactivated Each TOU exception is billing-relevant for all installations in the TOU exception program. The

customer can enter a negative TOU exception response (opt-out), which deactivates an

individual TOU exception.

Inactive, can be activated A TOU exception is only relevant for billing if a positive TOU exception response (opt-in) has

been created for it.

Individual

activation/deactivation is

mandatory

Billing requires a positive or negative TOU exception response (opt-in/opt-out), which

activates or deactivates the TOU exception.

Active for individual customers A TOU exception is entered when a positive TOU exception response (opt-in) is created and is

hereby activated for selected customers.

During contract billing, the system observes valid TOU exceptions in relation to the meter involved.

Time-of-Use Exceptions and Exception Responses

A time-of-use exception is an activation of a TOU exception program for a specific period and is described

using the following attributes:

• Start of activation (date and time)


• End of activation

• Reference to the TOU exception program activated

The TOU exception response has the following attributes:

• Logical register number

• Reference to TOU exception

• Response category

The response category can have one of the following statuses:

o Opt-in: The TOU exception is to be taken into account as active during billing.

o Opt-out: The TOU exception is not to be taken into account during billing.

Activating a TOU exception program in billing for a contract is dependent on the interaction of the TOU

exception and the TOU exception response. A TOU exception response can be optional or mandatory

according to the activation category of the TOU exception program. If the user wants to make a correction at

contract level, for example to deactivate a TOU exception for a specific contract, they can create a TOU

exception response with a suitable response category for the TOU exception in the system.

Checking the Schema Extension Inside the schema steps, one can either through the menu (as shown) or directly by the use of the Button

(shown) can go to the Schema Extension screen.

The below screenshots is the conditional billing setup. I have defined a single Conditional billing program

which holds all the TOU exception programs.


Now for Rate relationships groups I have defined a single group for a single fact group and have in the schema

steps a single basic rate and a single conditional rate. The conditional rate is then assigned to the Conditional

Billing program defined earlier (above screenshot). Also the Rate relationship category is ‘substitute’

throughout unless otherwise mentioned.

Now to simplify things for myself I have used only QUANTI01 variant in both the rates. Also the profile for

normal usage has an interval consumption of 10KWH every 60 minutes; similarly the profile for conditional

usage has an interval consumption of 15KWH every 60 minutes.

When TOU Exception program is triggered an additional tab ‘Condition Overview’ as shown below is

triggered which list out the details of the exception.


If execute Billing without the TOU exception then I get the below document with the basic rate executed.

10KWH * 24(60 min intervals) * 32 days = 7680 KWH for the period.

Now I have divided the rest content on the TOU exception program which I have defined.

1. TOU Exception Program – Always Active

TOU Exception created and its Billing Document

TOU Exception period has 15KWH*24*1 Day which comes to 360 KWH

For normal period its 10KWH*24*31 days which comes to 7440KWH

TOU Response with Opt-in and its Billing Document

Op-in has the Check Box (in green). The net total of Opt-in and without TOU response is the

same as the TOU Exception program is always Active.


TOU Response with Opt-Out and its Billing document

As the response is Opt-Out so the Exception period is ignored.

10KWH *24*32 days = 7680KWH


2. TOU Exception Program – Active and Can be Deactivated





3. TOU Exception Program – Inactive and Can be Activated





4. TOU Exception Program – Individual Activation/Deactivation


Here we need a TOU response without which the Billing cannot proceed.




5. TOU Exception Program – Active for Individual customers





Now I have just changed the Rate relationship category to ‘Supplement’ for one of the TOU

Exceptions.

TOU Exception created and its billing document

So here in addition to the basic rate the conditional rate is also added up.

15KWH*24*1 day + 10KWH *24*32days = 8040KWH


TOU Response – Opt-In and its Billing Document

TOU Response –Opt-Out and its Billing document.


There’s more to TOU Exception and Conditional Billing as one can see by reading through the link, here I just

tried to capture a basic understanding. Do get back to me for any feedback. ☺

sap isu : tou exception program & conditional billing

Technology

active tou exception

tou exception programs

tou exception period

tou exception responses

anindividual tou exception

tou billing andrtp billing

exception of corrections

validity of tou exceptions