Aggregator Guide

Learn how to use the Aggregator to compare emissions data across multiple counties side-by-side.

What is the Aggregator?

The Aggregator is a tool that lets you:

Select multiple counties at once
Compare emissions data across different geographic areas
Filter by pollutant, aggregation level, and metrics
View aggregated data in tables and charts
Analyze regional patterns and differences

This is useful for:

Regional planning: Comparing multiple counties in your region
MPO analysis: Analyzing emissions across your planning area
State-level analysis: Comparing counties within a state
Identifying patterns: Finding which areas have higher/lower emissions

Accessing the Aggregator

Click "AGGREGATOR" in the sidebar (TOOLS section)
The Aggregator page will load with toggleable sidebars

Understanding the Interface

The Aggregator has a unique layout with toggleable sidebars:

Left Sidebar (County Panel): List of counties you can select
Right Sidebar (Selection Panel): Filters and options
Main Content Area: Data table and comparison charts
Toggle Buttons: Show/hide the sidebars

Toggle Buttons

At the top, you'll see buttons to show/hide sidebars:

"☰ County Panel": Toggle the left sidebar (county selection)
"☰ Selection Panel": Toggle the right sidebar (filters)

Click these buttons to show or hide the sidebars as needed.

Step-by-Step: Using the Aggregator

Step 1: Select Counties

In the left sidebar (County Panel), you'll see a table of available counties
Select counties by clicking the checkboxes on the left of each row
You can select multiple counties at once
Use "Select All" to select all counties, or "Deselect All" to clear selections

Note: The county list shows available data files. Currently, this may include sample data. Future versions will show your actual orders.

Step 2: Choose Pollutant

In the right sidebar (Selection Panel), find "Pollutant"
Select the pollutant you want to analyze:
- CO2e: Carbon dioxide equivalent
- CO: Carbon monoxide
Available options depend on the data

Step 3: Select Aggregation Level

In the right sidebar, find "Aggregation Level"
Choose how you want data grouped:
- Overall: No sub-grouping, total emissions
- By Vehicle Type: Group by source type (motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses, etc.)
- By Fuel Type: Group by fuel (gasoline, diesel, CNG, electric, etc.)
- By Road Type: Group by road classification (rural/urban, restricted/unrestricted)
- By Regclass: Group by regulatory class (light duty, medium/heavy duty, etc.)

Step 4: Select Group Type (if applicable)

If you selected an aggregation level other than "Overall", a "Select Group" dropdown will appear
Choose the specific group you want to analyze:
- By Vehicle Type: Select specific vehicle type (e.g., "Passenger Cars")
- By Fuel Type: Select specific fuel (e.g., "Gasoline")
- By Road Type: Select specific road type (e.g., "Urban Unrestricted Access")
- By Regclass: Select specific regulatory class (e.g., "Light Duty Vehicles")
If "Overall" is selected, this dropdown won't appear

Step 5: Select Metrics

In the right sidebar, find "Metrics"
Select one or more metrics to display:
- Emissions: Total emissions values
- VMT: Vehicle miles traveled
- Vehicles: Vehicle counts
You can select multiple metrics to compare

Step 6: View Results

The main content area will automatically update showing:

Emissions Data Table: Pivot table with aggregated data
- Rows: Years and counties
- Columns: Selected metrics
- Values: Aggregated emissions/VMT/vehicles
Comparison Plot: Bar chart comparing counties
- Separate panels (facets) for each metric
- Color-coded bars for each county
- Easy visual comparison

Understanding the Results

Data Table

The table shows:

Rows: Each row represents a year-county combination
Columns: Each column represents a metric (Emissions, VMT, Vehicles)
Values: Aggregated totals based on your filters
Sorting: Click column headers to sort

Comparison Chart

The bar chart shows:

X-axis: Counties being compared
Y-axis: Values for the selected metrics
Facets: Separate panels for each metric (if multiple selected)
Colors: Different colors for visual distinction
Bars: Height represents the value

Reading the Chart:

Taller bars = higher values
Compare bars across counties to see differences
Each metric has its own panel for clarity

Tips for Using the Aggregator

Start with Overall: Begin with "Overall" aggregation to see total emissions, then drill down
Select Multiple Metrics: Compare emissions, VMT, and vehicles together to understand relationships
Use Filters Strategically: Filter by specific vehicle types or fuel types to focus your analysis
Toggle Sidebars: Hide sidebars when you want more space for the charts
Compare Gradually: Start with 2-3 counties, then add more as needed

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Compare Total Emissions Across Counties

Select 3-5 counties in County Panel
Choose pollutant (e.g., CO2e)
Select "Overall" aggregation level
Select "Emissions" metric
View table and chart to see which county has highest emissions

Scenario 2: Compare Vehicle Types

Select counties
Choose pollutant
Select "By Vehicle Type" aggregation
Select a specific vehicle type (e.g., "Passenger Cars")
Select "Emissions" metric
See how passenger car emissions compare across counties

Scenario 3: Multi-Metric Analysis

Select counties
Choose pollutant and aggregation
Select all three metrics: Emissions, VMT, Vehicles
View separate panels for each metric
Understand relationships: high VMT doesn't always mean high emissions (depends on vehicle mix)

Scenario 4: Fuel Type Comparison

Select counties
Choose pollutant
Select "By Fuel Type" aggregation
Select a fuel type (e.g., "Electric")
Compare electric vehicle usage across counties

Understanding Aggregation Levels

Overall

Shows total emissions without breakdown
Best for: High-level comparisons
Use when: You want to see which county has most total emissions

By Vehicle Type

Breaks down by vehicle categories
Best for: Understanding which vehicle types drive emissions
Use when: Analyzing fleet composition impacts

By Fuel Type

Breaks down by fuel categories
Best for: Understanding fuel mix impacts
Use when: Analyzing alternative fuel adoption

By Road Type

Breaks down by road classifications
Best for: Understanding geographic distribution
Use when: Analyzing urban vs. rural patterns

By Regclass

Breaks down by regulatory classes
Best for: Regulatory and compliance analysis
Use when: Working with regulatory frameworks

Troubleshooting

No Data Showing

If the table or chart is empty:

Make sure you've selected at least one county
Verify you've selected a pollutant, aggregation level, and metric
Check that the selected group type (if applicable) exists in the data
Try selecting "Overall" aggregation to see if data appears

Counties Not Available

If you don't see the counties you need:

Currently, the Aggregator may use sample data
Future versions will show your actual orders
Create orders for the counties you need first
Contact support if you need specific counties

Chart Not Updating

If the chart doesn't change when you adjust filters:

Wait a moment for the chart to recalculate
Make sure you've clicked to save your filter selections
Try toggling a sidebar off and on
Refresh the page if needed

Future Enhancements

The Aggregator is being enhanced to:

Show your actual order data (not just sample data)
Allow selecting orders directly from your orders table
Load data from your order buckets automatically
Support more counties and data sources

Next Steps

After using the Aggregator:

Create Orders - Create orders for counties you want to compare
Visualize Data - Use Visualizer for more detailed exploration
Generate Reports - Create reports comparing counties
Download Data - Use Data Hub for bulk downloads

Creating Orders - Create orders for counties to compare
Visualizer Guide - Detailed visualization of individual counties
Data Hub Guide - Bulk download data for analysis
Reporter Guide - Generate reports with comparisons

Ready to download data in bulk? See Data Hub Guide for bulk download capabilities.