Working on a retail chain audit and noticing huge seasonal variations in both usage and demand patterns. Summer peaks are 3x winter minimums. How do you account for this in your analysis? Worried about basing savings calculations on limited seasonal data.
Seasonal analysis considerations
Jennifer, retail is tricky because of HVAC loads. I always segment my analysis by season - separate calculations for summer, winter, and shoulder months. Many rate schedules have seasonal components too, so you need full year data to capture all the billing variations. Don't shortcut this step.
Gary's approach is solid. I also create load profiles by month to visualize the patterns. Helps identify billing anomalies - like summer demand charges being applied in winter months, or time-of-use rates that don't match actual usage patterns. Visual analysis catches things spreadsheets miss.
Kay brings up a great point about ratchets. I also look for opportunities to change rate schedules seasonally if the utility allows it. Some clients can benefit from different rate structures in high-usage vs low-usage periods. Takes more administrative work but the savings can be worth it.
All excellent points. Jennifer, for retail chains I also recommend comparing similar stores if possible. Sometimes one location has billing errors that become obvious when compared to sister stores with similar characteristics. Peer comparison can be a powerful validation tool.
Weather data correlation is helpful too. I pull heating and cooling degree days for the same periods and overlay with usage patterns. Helps validate that seasonal variations are weather-driven vs operational changes. Makes your analysis more credible with clients and utilities.
Don't forget about ratchet clauses! Retail clients often have demand ratchets that carry high summer peaks through lower-usage months. I've found cases where the ratchet was being applied incorrectly - either too high or carried too long. Can be significant savings opportunity.