Creating region codes

Create and update region codes for tracking degree days. A degree day reference point (temperature) must first be defined for each region. The standard degree day reference point is 65° Fahrenheit or 18° Celsius.

Degree days are classified as cooling or heating. If the average daily temperature rises above the 65° Fahrenheit (18° Celsius) degree day reference point, the day is considered a cooling degree day because the buildings typically require cooling.

A cooling degree day is determined by the number in degrees that the average temperature rises above the 65° Fahrenheit (18° Celsius) reference point.

Table 1. Example of cooling degree day in Fahrenheit
Date Average Temperature Degree Days Reference Point Cooling Degree Day
4/30/17 79° F 65° F 14

If the average daily temperature falls below that reference point, the day is considered a heating degree day because the buildings typically require heating. A heating degree day is represented by the number of degrees that the average temperature falls below the defined temperature.

Table 2. Example of heating degree day in Fahrenheit
Date Average Temperature Degree Days Reference Point Heating Degree Day
12/21/17 35° F 65° F 30

To create and edit region codes:

  1. Select Administration > Setup > Regions.
  2. Click New Record to create a new region, or select an existing region to modify.
  3. Specify this information:
    Region
    Specify a unique code identifying the new region, and then specify a description for the region.
    Organization
    Select the organization.
    Postal Code
    Specify the postal code pf the region.
    Class
    Select a class for the region.
    Degree Day Reference Point
    Specify a value for the degree day reference point. The value is the specific outside temperature at which no heating or cooling is typically required. The default values are 65° Fahrenheit and 18° Celsius depending on your region's default unit of measure.
    Actual Temperatures Source
    Select the source which supplies the actual temperature data, e.g., National Climatic Data Center or World Weather Online.
    Actual Temperatures URL
    Specify the URL for the Actual Temperature Source.
  4. Optionally, select the Out of Service check box to designate the region is not being used.
  5. Choose Fahrenheit or Celsius to set the region's default unit of measure for degree day data.
  6. Click Save Record.