Energy is the most volatile operating expense for buildings, but it is also one of the most controllable and explainable expenses for firms with proper real-time and interval data monitoring. WatchWire provides easy access to all interval and real-time data from both consumption meters as well as onsite generation meter data (Solar, Fuel Cell, etc.), offering multiple visuals for analysis, actionable insights, and alerting. This granular visibility into the energy use of their buildings/facilities can allow our clients to track their portfolio against carbon offset goals, quantify avoided utility costs and emissions, and prioritize additional renewable investments. The real-time monitoring module also provides a heat map visual and monthly profiles visual to provide deeper insight into how energy is being used throughout the respective period, making it easy to spot any operational anomalies
Important Invoice Analysis Features Available to Users:
- Custom meter characteristics
- Data Auditing
- Heat Map
- Monthly Profiles
- Daily Profiles
- Real Time Meter Widget
How It Works
First, navigate to the Real-time monitoring module found on the left-hand side’s navigation bar. Each meter in WatchWire is listed with the option of organizing them by a specific internal grouping or hierarchy. Interval data can be ingested directly into the platform via smart meters or manually uploaded into the platform via WW’s import template. Watchwire is hardware agnostic and can be configured to support any interval meter that can pulse out its data digitally.
Real-Time Monitoring Dashbaord
WatchWire’s real time monitoring dashboard and map provides an overview of your portfolio’s meter data, viewable by day, week, year, or billing period.
- There is a drop down menu on the right that gives you the option to choose between different metrics you want to view on the map. Depending on your account, you can choose between kWh Production, Production by Technology, Electric Consumption, Natural Gas Consumption, Water Consumption, Steam Consumption, Renewable Production Avoided Emissions, and Installed Capacity.
- In addition, by clicking on the ‘Meters’ button near the top right corner of the screen, you will see a list view of all your meters.
Real-Time Data Analytics
WatchWire’s Real-Time Monitoring module provides various visualizations giving the ability to identify any type of energy inefficiency and take advantage of opportunities to save.
- Data Issues: This graph will show actual readings received vs expected readings we should have received per hour for that meter. This will help you understand if the meter is receiving an accurate number of readings per hour or not.
- Renewable Production Tracking: WatchWire connects directly to your renewable generation sources, delivering either a lagged or real-time data integration of all onsite renewable production data (whether solar, fuel cell, battery, etc.) across multiple sites and vendors.
- Heat Map Analysis: The heat map visual provides actual demand, temperature, and heating or cooling degree days, making it easy to spot anomalies in equipment or operating times.
- Monthly Profiles Analysis: The monthly profiles analysis breaks down usage each day over the course of a month, providing graphic images for each. This allows granular visualization of how energy is used throughout each day, making it easy to spot any inconsistencies in how weekday operations compare against each other
- Daily Profiles Analysis: This visual graphs the average usage per day for the past year, summer, winter, or shoulder periods to ensure daily usage meets expectations depending on seasonal regularity. (e.g. lower use on weekends and holidays vs. business days).
While each visualization uses the same interval data, they each act as a different tool in your energy management plan. From the broad picture to the most granular data, each visualization helps to identify any type of energy inefficiency and take advantage of opportunities to save. However, to fully leverage your interval data, it should be analyzed alongside your actual utility bills and costs, not just estimated averages. Knowing exactly when and how your power is being used in your building is essential to limiting demand, decreasing consumption, and ultimately saving you money.
Importance
Analysis for real-time data can become challenging when dealing with a large portfolio of buildings serviced by multiple utility providers across many databases. WatchWire provides a single source of truth for all interval and real time data. Beyond simply aggregating the real-time numbers on your utility data, a platform like WatchWire is actually capable of interpreting that energy data in clear charts and analytics. Additionally, acquiring interval utility data all in one place for analysis can help you discover any inefficiencies in your building right away by displaying spikes in data month over month. Interval monitoring can give you immediate feedback on whether your sustainability efficiency projects are working. Knowing exactly when and how your power is being used in your building is essential to limiting demand, decreasing consumption, and ultimately saving you money.
Additionally, new reporting standards require sustainability and emissions data (which originate from energy data and utility invoices) to hold up to financial audit-level scrutiny. With rigorous building performance standards, and climate-related disclosure requirements on the horizon such as California’s SB 253, the SEC disclosure bill, and European standards such as CSRD, companies will need to have a way to measure where their company is at in terms of emissions and energy use. WatchWire understands the need to develop a strong baseline of accurate and complete data that can readily be analyzed and sent to auditors or consultants for reasonable assurance verification with confidence. Real time data is highly granular and reveals more about energy consumption, allowing companies to manage and measure their emissions with better clarity.
