Can I use hourly energy usage data?

Yes, you can provide hourly energy usage data as input for Energy Data Formatter. You can even use sub-hourly data and aggregate it into daily, monthly, or yearly datasets.

Using hourly or sub-hourly weather data to analyze sub-hourly metered energy data might make sense in specialist applications like HVAC-systems. 

In contrast, heating and cooling energy consumption are a lot more complicated than the energy consumption of simple on/off equipment. The relationship between outside temperature and the energy consumption inside a building is complex; there are many factors to consider. Buildings retain heat and cool in a manner that varies with construction and usage, and it isn't easy to model accurately. E.g., when the outside temperature changes, it can take some time before your heating/cooling system starts to respond.

That is why our other tools – the Energy Normalizer and the Regression Tool – need datasets with a minimum period length of one day.