Web Deployment - Getting Started
Table of Contents
Overview
Panoramic Power’s energy management system is the leading device-level energy intelligence platform. The software platform monitors electrical energy consumption at the individual circuit level and detects excess usage. Our patented sensor technology is coupled with cloud-based analytics to provide insights for optimized energy management. This allows organizations to identify and reduce energy and maintenance expenses, and improve their system level performance.
In this guide, we’ll explain how to use the web deployment tool, which will allow you to quickly map large-scale sites and complete your sensor installations for your projects.
Panoramic Power Sensors
The key to the Panoramic Power system is our unique wireless, non-invasive sensors. These sensors enable organizations across a wide range of industries to quickly and easily collect energy consumption data in real time on all critical loads in each facility, without disrupting your current business activity.
The wireless, self-powered sensors are engineered for rapid, non-invasive installation, with almost no disturbance to operations. Sensors are easily attached to circuit breakers by simply snapping them onto an outgoing electrical wire. The sensors monitor the flow of electricity through the resulting magnetic field and also use the field as a power source. They do not require any maintenance.
Data collected by the sensors is sent to a Bridge, which, in turn, transfers the information to the server through the Internet, using cloud technology. The sensors report the energy consumption to the Bridge at sub-minute intervals. Detailed consumption reports can then be retrieved through the system.
Sensor installation consists of the following steps, which are discussed in detail throughout this guide.
- Mapping a site’s devices and circuits.
- Physically installing the sensors to electrical wires.
- Monitoring the proper functioning of the sensors.
Accessing the Web Deployment Tool
The web deployment tool will be available for any user with the Deployer User permission. With this permission, you'll be able to open a site and then view the Deployment Tool tab once entering the site.
Deployment Hierarchy
To start mapping your account, you'll need to set the correct hierarchy, as follows.
- Accounts
- Sites
- Bridges
- Zones
- Panels
- Devices
- Circuits
- Sensors
Please check out our article about Electrical Hierarchy to learn more details.
Deployment Hierarchy and Views
Navigation in the Deployment Tool tab is done through the tree on the left side of the screen. The hierarchy displays as follows: Sites > Zones > Panels > Devices.
- Clicking on the Site level in the tree will show the Zones list to the right.
- Clicking on the Zone level will show the Panels list to the right.
- Clicking on the Panel level will show the Devices list to the right.
Deployment Hierarchy Breakdown
The Deployment hierarchy is as follows:
- Accounts – At the top of the hierarchy stands the customer account. Accounts could be for example an industrial manufacturer with multiple facilities at distinct locations, or a large store chain consisting of multiple sites. Customers are predefined in our web tool. For users with access to multiple customers, they will start by picking a customer. The deployment itself will build the hierarchies below each customer. Note that accounts (or a list of sites) will appear only for users with certain permissions.
- Sites – Customers have sites. Our built-in software applications control and manage the installation process of multiple endpoints across multiple sites. The Web Deployment tool can be used to not only install new sites, but to modify or add to an existing site as well.
- Zones – Each site is hierarchically divided into zones (e.g., west wing, production floor).
- Panels – Panels can feed devices in a single zone. Panels feed power to a subset of devices in the site. They divide electrical power feeds into subsidiary circuits, while providing a protective circuit breaker for each circuit in common enclosures.
- Devices – Each panel feeds power to a set of devices, which are the elements that consume power on your site, machinery, HVAC, etc.
- Circuits – Based on the connection type of your panel, your devices are fed either with a single phase, or with two or three phases. Circuits represent those phases.
- Sensors - Sensors will be installed on each one of the circuits, to accurately measure the device’s power.
- Bridges – Bridges connect sensors in a panel or group of panels in physical proximity into the cloud service. At least one bridge must be installed at your site; commonly, a bridge covers all devices of a given panel, or all devices of a given zone.
Note: You must go through the entire hierarchy above, even if a site consists of only one zone and all panels are concentrated in that zone.
Mapping Site Circuits
Creating a Site
The first step you’ll need to do in order to map your circuits is to create a new site. You can also go into an existing site that you've already created.
To create a site, at the bottom of the Account Dashboard Home screen, click + Create Site.
Then follow the steps in the Site Settings article, to create a new site.
Site Settings
As an Admin or Deployer User, you can edit any site within any account in your scope. From the Site Dashboard, you can go click on Settings from the navigation menu to the left.
In the Settings, you can view and edit General settings, Utility Tariffs, and Ops Data Import.
You can set the site's name, address, facility type, subcategory, area (used in the Benchmarking application), time zone, schedule, and enabling the Generation category for devices.
Note: Time Zone shall be set according to standard time (even during daylight savings). The system adjusts to DST but it is not reflected in the dropdown menu.
You should select a schedule for your site, to define its operating/working hours. Site Schedule working and off hours are effective for off-hours reports, and for Triggers that consider a site's working and off-hours.
You can then access the Deployment Tool to start mapping sites and deploying Sensors on sites from the Site Dashboard under the Configuration tab in the navigation menu.
Adding a Zone
Once you’re in your site (after one has been created), you will be able to see a list of zones within the site. You can either click Create New Zone at the right corner of the screen to create a new zone, or click on an existing zone to view its properties.
Provide a name and the Area of the zone if you are interested in using it as a normalization factor in the Benchmarking application. Otherwise, this characteristic is optional.
Web Deployment - Setting Bridges, Loggers, & Pulse Connected Meters
Setting Bridges, Loggers & Pulse Connected Meters
This article details how to set Bridges, Loggers and External Meters that connect to the platform via a pulse input.
Bridges feature [2] independent KY pulse inputs channels.
To get started, the Bridge must be assigned to a site. The configuration is done in the Inventory section of a Site Dashboard.
Adding a Bridge or Logger
During the mapping stage, you will also need to add a Bridge that connect different groups of sensors to the network. Typically you will set up a Bridge per panel, or a couple of panels in the same zone.
We recommend first installing the Bridge creating the connection to the cloud. This way, once you’ve installed the sensors you’ll immediately get signals for the reception validation.
To add a new Bridge navigate to the site's Bridges & Loggers inventory table from the Site's navigation menu.
To create a new Bridge or Logger, click + Add New and select either "Bridge" or "Logger"
It is recommended to Name the Bridge based on its physical location or the panel(s) in which it is closest to. Description is a free text field that can be shown in a column on the Bridge Status window for additional details of the Bridge. Serial Number is above the barcode on the Bridge on the front (lower right corner) and the back towards the bottom.
For Loggers, give any Name you wish. Select Obvius as the Logger Type. Provide a Password. Provide the Serial Number (S/N) of the Logger. Click Apply when finished.
Adding a non-Electric External Meter
In order to set a pulse connected meter that isn't Electric type and associate it to a 4th generation bridge or a 3rd party logger, go to the External Meters tab under the Inventory section on the navigation menu of a site and click on +Add New
Fill in the meter's parameters:
- Meter Name: assign a descriptive name for the meter (what it measures)
- Meter S/N: is the S/N the meter itself, it is for record only and can help identify the physical meter connected to the Bridge.
- Meter Type: select from the supported options. Supported types are: Gas, Water, Heat and Compressed Air meters.
- Associated Bridge/Logger: Choose the Bridge/logger the meter is connected to from the list of supported Bridges and loggers set up in the site.
-
Scaling Factor: set the ratio between pulses and the measured unit. For electricity, for example, it will be kWh per pulse.
Important: use KYZ scaling factor (rather than KY scaling factor) when connecting electricity meters even though only two wires are connected to the Bridge. When connecting other types of meters, use the KY scaling factor. KY scaling factor is exactly twice that of KYZ.
Note: Different type of meters may require additional parameters.
The parameters below are relevant for Gas meters only:
- Normalization: Volume changes with temperature and pressure, therefore these parameters are relevant for flow meters such as Gas that are not Normalized.
Normal cubic meter (Nm3) - Volume in Temperature: 0 °C, Pressure: 1.01325 barA
Standard cubic meter (Sm3) - Volume in Temperature: 20 °C, Pressure: 1.01325 barA
Depending on the meters selected units type. If units are already normalized (Nm3, Sm3 or SCF), the first field in the Normalization (Normalization Factor) will be disabled. However, if you select a unit that is not normalized, you can enter the Normalization parameters to see normalized volume units.
- Calorific Factor: Calorific Factor is a measure of heating power and is dependent upon the composition of the gas meters (only). The Calorific Factor refers to the amount of energy released when a known volume of gas is completely combusted under specified conditions. The CF of gas, which is dry, gross and measured at standard conditions of temperature (15 °C) and pressure (1013.25 millibars), is usually quoted in mega-joules per cubic meter (MJ/m3).
Channel: the physical channel on the Bridge/logger the pulse is connected to
Note: "Disconnected" option in the "Associated Bridge/logger" allows to define a meter before the Bridge/logger is installed. It also allows to disassociate the meter from the logger in case a Bridge/logger needs replacement
You can edit or delete an existing meter by clicking the three dots on the of the requested meter
Later on, we will discuss how to configure an Electricity Meter in the Add Devices section of this article.
Verifying Data Flowing from the Bridge
The settings detailed above can be done before or after the physical installation of the Bridge; however, you can only verify the data after post-Bridge installation.
- First, verify that the Bridge is connected to the platform.
- Go to the Bridges inventory view by either clicking on the Bridges & Loggers view in the Inventory widget
- Make sure that the Bridge is connected. A green status icon indicates that it is.
- You can also click on the Bridge name and the Connected Sensors table will populate below and in the Last Measurement column will display the last time the Sensors within its range reported to it.
Note: The sensors are delivering the data for any Bridge within its range to collect and deliver to the server. The server will then take the one with the strongest RSSI to report its sensor's data in the system. So there is no need to be worried about multiple Bridges reading the same sensors; there will not be interference or duplicates in the data readings in the system.
- From the Site Dashboard navigation menu, click the Time View application.
- Clicking on the Measurement Type show by will present all existing meters in the site. All external meters will be presented under one of the following:
- Gas
- Heat
- Air
- Water
The daily view presents aggregated five minutes data. The Gen4 measurement resolution of electricity meters is every one minute. Use the 6 Hours view to see the data in one-minute resolution.
Sites with Gas, Heat, Flow and Temperature Meters
Gas and Heat measurement is presented in energy, and the resolution is every one hour.
Gas, Water and Compressed Air measurement are presented in flow or Volume units (cubic meter, cubic feet and Gallon), for volume measurements the resolution is every one hour and for flow measurements the resolution changes based on the period selected in the graph, illustrated in the second image. Temperature meter measurements are presented as degrees, Celsius or Fahrenheit.
Validating Heat, Gas Water, Compressed Air, and Temperature Readings
After the meters are configurated on the platform, we start the validation process to make sure the readings on the platform are the same as on the physical meter onsite.
For four hours on every round hour, take physical counter readings and pictures from all meters onsite. Compare the delta between hours of those readings to the energy view in the Time View energy graph (the view will be updated after the whole hour has passed; at the end of the measurement period, the energy of 01:00 am will be updated only at 02:01 am).
For example:
| Hour | Physical Meter Counter (kwh) | Physical Meter Counter (kwh) | UI Energy in Time View (kwh) | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07-01-2018 00:00 | 113000 | 200 kwh | 200 kwh | 100% |
| 07-01-2018 01:00 | 113200 | 230 kwh | 230 kwh | 100% |
| 07-01-2018 02:00 | 113430 | 70 kwh | 70 kwh | 100% |
| 07-01-2018 03:00 | 113500 | 0 kwh | 0 kwh | 100% |
| 07-01-2018 04:00 | 113500 | 0 kwh | 0 kwh | 100% |
This is a validated meter.
Note: the fixed difference between the UI and the physical meter might be caused by a difference in
1) the Scaling factor and
2) the Caloric factor