Energy Setup

Description

The Energy tab shows a building’s consumption once a meter tree is set up. This article walks through planning the tree, creating the top-level meter, grouping sub-meters and checking that totals roll up correctly.

Open the Energy Tab

From the Building Dashboard, click the Energy tab.

  • If meters already exist, you see current consumption for the top-level meter.
  • If none exist yet, Kaizen tells you no meters have been created and prompts you to create one.
Energy tab with no meters created

Open Meter Settings

  1. On the Energy tab, click the gear to open Meter Settings.
  2. Review any existing meters and their nesting levels. Use the drop-downs to expand each one.
  3. Click + to add a new meter.
Meter Settings

Plan Before You Build

  • Pick a source. Use virtual metering (rule-calculated trend logs) or meters from your BAS or utility data.
  • One branch per energy type. Electricity, gas, steam and water each get their own top-level meter.
  • Sketch the tree first. Decide your groupings, for example by equipment type, before you start. It saves rework later.

Create the Top-Level Meter

  1. Enter a Meter Name and choose the Energy Type, for example Electricity.
  2. Check the Meter Units. Electricity defaults to kilowatt hours; you can also add a custom unit.
  3. Set the Meter Type:
    • Trend Log – a single building-level meter.
    • Aggregate – sums the meters nested beneath it.
  4. Click Save. This becomes the top of your meter tree.
Other fieldPurpose
Meter Trend LogThe trend log the meter reads (Trend Log type only)
OAT Trend Log / OAT UnitOutdoor air temperature shown with the meter. Kaizen’s built-in weather trends can be used.
Daily Display IntervalInterval used on the daily view, e.g. 60 Minutes
Target Adjustment (%)Percentage change used for Target Comparison
DescriptionOptional notes

Build the Meter Tree

  1. Under the top-level meter, add sub-groups as Aggregate meters, for example “Chilled Water Pumps” and “Air Handling Units”.
  2. Group meters by type so Kaizen can sum and break down consumption by equipment category.
  3. The top-level aggregate totals everything nested beneath it.

Please note: all meters in one tree must share the same energy type and units.

Add Individual Meters

  1. Add a meter under the right sub-group and set its Meter Type to Trend Log.
  2. Click Select a Trend Log and search for the equipment’s consumption trend.
  3. Make sure the trend is accumulating (cumulative). The Energy view calculates daily deltas, so an interval value gives wrong totals. To convert an interval trend, see Create Meters from Non-Cumulative Trend Logs.
  4. Click Save.

View the Results

  1. Return to the Energy tab. The top level shows everything beneath it, summed.
  2. Click a sub-level, such as Air Handling Units, to see just that group’s consumption.
  3. Check that the sum of your sub-meters matches the top-level total.

Once meters are set up, use Breakdown, Baseline Comparison and Target Comparison on the Energy tab. See Energy and Baseline Comparison in Energy.