A time-of-use (TOU) group is a set of TOU maps that define how usage is divided into different TOU periods for different days of the week and seasons of the year. A TOU group can have a work calendar associated with it to define holidays and other special days that may have different TOU periods than regular days. According to the Oracle Utilities Meter Solution Cloud Service Business User Guide, to configure a TOU group for“on peak”, “off peak”, and “shoulder” periods and have holiday consumption categorized as “off peak” regardless of the day on which it falls, the correct steps are:

• Add the work calendar to the TOU map template and set the Holiday TOU as “off peak”. This will ensure that any day marked as a holiday in the work calendar will have its usage assigned to the “off peak” period.
• Create a TOU map for each season using the TOU map template and define the start and end times for each TOU period (“on peak”, “off peak”, and “shoulder”) for each day of the week.
• Create a TOU group and add the TOU maps for each season to it.

References: Oracle Utilities Meter Solution Cloud Service Business User Guide, Chapter 4: Time-of-Use Data Management, Section 4.2: Time-of-Use Maps; Section 4.3: Time-of-Use Groups

Some of the best practices for measurement retention are:

• Derive time-of-use (TOU) values with interval data to prevent storing extra data: Time-of-use (TOU) values are scalar values that are calculated from interval data based on different TOU periods. Interval data is measurement data that is recorded at regular intervals, such as every 15 minutes or every hour. To prevent storing extra data, you can derive TOU values with interval data instead of storing them separately.
• Derive demand from interval data to prevent storing extra data: Demand is a value that indicates the maximum power or load that is consumed or generated during a certain period. Demand can be calculated from interval data by using certain methods, such as block demand or rolling demand. To prevent storing extra data, you can derive demand from interval data instead of storing them separately.
• Use Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) processes to help archive data: Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) processes are features that enable MDM to manage the lifecycle of measurement data based on certain policies or rules. ILM processes can help archive data that is no longer needed or used by moving them to different storage tiers or deleting them.

You do not need to keep scalar measurements in the customer read tables to stay consistent, which are tables that store measurement data that is entered by customers or meter readers. Scalar measurements are measurement data that are recorded at certain events, such as billing cycle end or meter exchange. You can store scalar measurements in different tables based on their source or status.

You do not need to keep initial measurement data (IMD) for the same period of time as final measurements for cancel rebill purposes, which are records that store the raw measurement data that is received from smart meter systems or other sources. Final measurements are records that store the measurement data that has been validated, edited, and estimated. You can keep IMD for a shorter period of time than final measurements based on your business needs or requirements.

To build a new Service Order process that includes meter commands, you need to configure the following options:

• Measuring component type: This defines the type of measurement that a device can record, such as scalar, interval, or event. You can associate meter commands with measuring component types to perform actions on devices that have those types1.
• Activity type: This defines the type of work that needs to be performed on a service point or device, such as installation, removal, or inspection. You can associate meter commands with activity types to trigger actions on devices when an activity is completed1.
• Communication type Message sender: This defines the communication channel and protocol that is used to send meter commands to devices. You can configure message senders for different communication types, such as AMI, AMR, or manual1.

You do not need to configure device configuration type, which defines the physical characteristics and attributes of a device, such as manufacturer, model, or serial number1. Device configuration type does not affect meter commands.