  Climate zones are an established part of urban energy management. California
is divided into 16 climate zones, for example, and each zone imposes different
energy-related building standards -- so for example different zones have
different roofing standards. Although developed long ago, these zones continue
to shape urban policy. New climate zone definitions are now emerging in urban
settings. Both the County of Los Angeles and the US Department of Energy have
recently adopted refined zones -- for restructuring electricity rates, and for
scoring home energy efficiency. Defining new zones is difficult, however,
because climates depend on variables that are difficult to map.
  In this paper we show that Los Angeles climate zones can be inferred from
energy use data. We have studied residential electricity consumption (EC)
patterns in Los Angeles data. This data permits identification of geographical
zones whose EC patterns are characteristically different from surrounding
regions. These regions have topographic boundaries in Los Angeles consistent
with microclimates.
  Specifically, our key finding is that EC-microclimate zones -- regions in
which block groups have similar Electricity Consumption patterns over time --
resemble environmental microclimate zones. Because they conform to
microclimates, but are based directly on EC data, these zones can be useful in
urban energy management.
  We also show how microclimates and household electricity consumption in Los
Angeles are strongly linked to socioeconomic variables like income and
population density. These links permit data-driven development of microclimate
zones that support zone-specific modeling and improved energy policy.
