👍 This article will help you:
Create calculated points and bill points to aggregate point and bill point data
Understand advanced features of calculated points and bill points
Troubleshoot common issues
Overview
Calculated points and bill points can be created from points and bill points across different integrations, data types, or buildings, in order to perform higher-level calculations. Examples:
Create a calculated point to sum five electricity sub-points in a single building, in order to represent Whole building electricity use.
Create a calculated bill point to sum data from a historical bill point that is no longer receiving data with an active bill point with current data.
For buildings with renewable energy systems, compute net electricity use by subtracting energy consumption from energy production.
🚧 Calculated points and bill points support different input point types
Calculated points are created from points only, while calculated bill points are created from bill points or points. In other words, you cannot create a calculated point using bill point data, but you can create a calculated bill point using point data, if desired.
Create a calculated point
To create a calculated point:
Go to Points on the left side menu, or go to a building's Points tab. Use Search and Filter to adjust the table as needed.
Select one or more points using the checkboxes on the left side of the table. Then, go to Actions > Create calculated point.
On the Add a Point page, fill out all required fields. Then, select 'Create point'.
Field | Description |
Point name | How the calculated point will be displayed in Atrius. |
Building | The building which the calculated point is intended to monitor. It is possible to create a calculated point in a building with input points from other buildings. |
Point scope | Point scope determines whether the calculated point represents an entire building or only a portion of a building. |
Data type | The calculated point's data type. Use this to filter the list of available point types displayed below. |
Point type | The calculated point's point type, which allows you to filter points in tables and cards in Atrius. Point type determines the available reading type and unit options displayed below. It is possible to create a calculated point with input points of other point types. |
Reading type | Reading type determines how incoming readings are processed. |
Storage unit | The unit used to perform all calculations based on the provided formula. |
Display unit | The unit of measure in which point data are displayed in Atrius |
Formula | Enter the formula that should be used to calculated readings for this point. When creating a formula, you can reference input points by appending a '$' in front of the desired point's Atrius ID. You can also use many of the same mathematical operators found in formulas created in spreadsheet applications, including +, -, *, /, and parentheses. |
Execution | How data will be calculated for this point at each resolution. There are 2 ways data can be calculated: |
Partial calculation | If enabled, the calculated point will compute a value even if one of the input points is missing a reading. |
📘 Formula examples
$point1 + $point2
(sum of points 1 and 2)
$point1 * 0.6 + $point2
(multiply point 1 by a factor of 0.6, then add point 2)
($point1 + $point2) / 2 - $point3
(sum of points 1 and 2 divided by 2, then subtract point 3)
$point1 > 0 ? $point2 + $point3 : 0
(if point 1 is greater than 0, then return sum of points 2 and 3; otherwise return 0)
$point1 > 0 and $point1 < 1 ? 1 : 0
(if point 1 is greater than 0 and less than 1, then return 1; otherwise return 0)
$point1 > 0 or $point2 > 0 ? 1 : 0
(if either point 1 or point 2 is greater than 0, then return 1; otherwise return 0)
date(2020,1,1) <= timestamp() <= date(2020,12,31) ? $point1 : $point2
(if date is between 1/1/2020 and 12/31/2020, return point 1; otherwise return point 2)
time(9,30) <= timestamp() <= time(17,30) ? $point1: 0
(if time of day is between 9:30 am and 5:30 pm, return point 1; otherwise return 0)
($point1 < 0 ) ? -$point1 : $point1
(absolute value of point 1)
avg($point1,$point2,$point3)
(average of points 1, 2, and 3)
📘 Formula operators and functions
Operator or Function | Definition |
| add |
| subtract |
| divide |
| multiply |
| define order of operation, or contain list of parameters for a function |
| less than |
| greater than |
| less than or equal to |
| greater than or equal to |
| then (if/then statements) |
| otherwise (if/then/otherwise statements) |
| building local timestamp of the reading being calculated |
| timestamp representing a day and time of day |
| timestamp representing a whole day |
| timestamp representing a time of any day |
| average |
Create a calculated bill point
To create a calculated bill point:
Go to Bills on the left side menu, or go to a building's Bill Points tab. Use Search and Filter to adjust the table as needed.
Select one or more bill points using the checkboxes on the left side of the table. Then, go to Actions > Create calculated bill point.
On the Add a Bill Point page, fill out all required fields. Then, select 'Create bill point'.
Field | Description |
Bill point name | How the calculated bill point will be displayed in Atrius. |
Building | The building which the calculated bill point is intended to monitor. It is possible to create a calculated bill point in a building with input bill points from other buildings. |
Bill point scope | Bill point scope determines whether the calculated bill point represents an entire building or only a portion of a building. |
Point type | The calculated bill point's point type, which allows you to filter bill points in tables and cards in Atrius. Point type determines the available reading type and unit options displayed below. It is possible to create a calculated bill point with input bill points of other point types. |
Reading type | Reading type determines how incoming readings are processed. |
Storage unit | The unit used to perform all calculations based on the provided formula. |
Display unit | The unit of measure in which bill point data are displayed in Atrius. |
Formula type | Standard: The same formula will be applied to both cost and consumption. This is used for the majority of calculated bill points. |
Formula (Standard) | Enter the formula that should be used to calculated readings for this bill point. When creating a formula, you can reference input bill points by appending a '$' in front of the desired bill point's Atrius ID. You can also use many of the same mathematical operators found in formulas created in spreadsheet applications, including +, -, *, /, and parentheses. |
Cost formula (Advanced) | Enter the formula that should be used to calculate cost readings for this bill point. By default, the cost of the input bill points will be used. You can also use the consumption of the input bill points by specifying consumption($BuildingInsights_ID). |
Consumption formula (Advanced) | Enter the formula that should be used to calculate consumption readings for this bill point. By default, the consumption of the input bill points will be used. You can also use the cost of the input bill points by specifying cost($BuildingInsights_ID). Please note that this formula will also be applied to demand readings. |
Disable unit conversions | If selected, then unit conversions will not be used when consumption values are calculated across bill points. |
Partial calculation | If enabled, the calculated bill point will compute a value even if one of the input points is missing a reading. |
🚧 Emission and utility rates for calculated points
Atrius does not automatically compute emissions based on the emission rates of the input points. Each calculated point must have an emission rate structure assigned in the Emissions app.
Similarly, each calculated point must have a utility rate schedule assigned in Utility Prices. Atrius does not automatically compute cost based on the utility rates of the input points.
📘 'Utility service' for calculated bill points
Utility service is a field for input bill points that determines how consumption and cost readings are used in calculated bill points. Primarily, it prevents double-counting of consumption if you are summing two bill points that each represent generation and delivery.
For point types of Electricity / Natural Gas:
Generation & delivery: The input bill point represents both generation and delivery. Both consumption and cost will be included in calculated bill points.
Generation: The input bill point represents generation only. Only cost will be included in calculated bill points.
Delivery: The input bill point represents delivery only. Both consumption and cost will be included in calculated bill points.
For point types of Water / Sewer / Waste / Compost / Recycling:
Primary: Both consumption and cost will be included in calculated bill points. This is often used for water bill points.
Secondary: Only cost will be included in calculated bill points. This is often used for sewer bill points, to avoid double-counting of consumption when summed with water bill points.
Troubleshooting
You can troubleshoot calculated points and bill points by viewing input point readings.
Select the 'View input point readings' or 'View input bill point readings' button, located in the Formula section.
The Input Point Readings or Input Bill Point Readings table displays how rate, consumption, and cost values are aggregated across input points or bill points over all periods.
Above: 'Input Point Readings' table displays the calculated point's readings on the left and input points' readings on the right. Toggle between 'Rate' and 'Consumption', select a period, or select a resolution to adjust the table.
Above: 'Input Bill Point Readings' table displays the calculated bill point's readings on the left and input bill points' readings on the right. Toggle between 'Rate', 'Consumption', and 'Cost'; select a period; or select a resolution to adjust the table.
Problem | Solution |
The calculated point in Atrius is not showing expected values. | Make sure that your formula is inputted correctly, with the correct syntax and Atrius IDs of the input points you wish to use in the calculation. |
The calculated point is not showing any data. | Make sure that all input points are reporting expected data. If 'Partial calculation' is disabled, then all input points must have readings in order for the calculated point to compute a value. |