If you haven't already entered the customer's energy usage in the Project Dashboard, add it in Sales Mode before moving on. You can click the plug icon at the top of the Sales Mode proposal.
The most likely utility provider and rate will automatically be selected based on the project location, but you can select a different pre-configured utility rate if needed. Select a post-solar utility rate if the local utility company requires it. If you don't see the rate you're looking for, you can search for it by typing in the name. Admins can also create custom utility rates for further control over your proposals.
There are 4 ways to enter consumption information into Sales Mode by selecting one of the following under “Input method”.
- Monthly average
- Monthly estimate (1-12 months)
- Annual energy estimate
- Interval data
- Copy & Paste
- UtilityAPI Data Integration
In California, Spain, and Germany, Aurora also provides lifestyle based estimation patterns. For projects in these areas, users will automatically see a “Usage pattern” dropdown menu to select from.
Monthly Average
Selecting Monthly Average will prompt you to select the units (kWh or $) and enter a value into the box next below the dropdown. Once entered, Aurora will automatically enter that same value for every month of the year, and show the annual estimated value below the chart.
Monthly Estimate (1-12 months)
Selecting Monthly estimate (1-12 months) will prompt you to select the units (kWh or $), then require you to input a value for at least one month. Once one month has been entered, Aurora will extrapolate the energy usage for the entire year based on other homes in the area. You can also see the calculated annual and monthly average estimation above the chart.
Note: Using only one month’s bill or energy will extrapolate the annual usage based on a typical homeowner for that location. The more months you add, the more representative it will be for your customer.
Annual Energy Estimate
Selecting Annual energy estimate will prompt you to input a value for an annual kWh of energy usage. Once an annual number has been entered, Aurora will extrapolate the monthly energy usage for the entire year based on a typical homeowner for that location where data is available (currently North America and Germany).
Interval Data
Aurora allows you to add interval data in 15, 30, or 60 minute intervals for each project. This data is then used throughout Sales Mode and Design Mode to calculate the energy offset and savings estimates with solar, or solar + storage. There are two options for adding interval data in Aurora:
- Copy & Paste
- UtilityAPI Data Integration
To learn more about adding interval data to your project, see Adding Interval Data in Aurora.
Click Done to proceed. On the “Consumption” page in Sales Mode, you can see the customer’s average utility bill details, as well as a lifetime total based on your utility rate escalation.