Energy Budgeting

Energy budgeting refers to the process of setting and managing budgets for energy consumption within a building or workplace. This involves determining the amount of energy expected to be used over a specific period and then tracking actual energy consumption against this budget. Monitoring energy usage is essential for organizations looking to manage their energy consumption more effectively, reduce costs, and improve their environmental impact.

Energy Budgeting Add-on

Lucy’s Energy Budgeting add-on allows you to track the energy consumption across multiple buildings and energy categories.

Energy Categories

Energy Categories represent different types of energy sources or consumption in a building. For example, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems. There can be different meters that track different circuits that measure these types.

However, in environments where such detailed metering is not available, overall energy consumption can be captured using a single category.

Monitoring Energy Consumption

This article explains how to track your energy consumption and compare it to your budget with Lucy’s Energy Budgeting Add-on.

This process involves three main steps:

1. Installing the Energy Budgeting Add-on

2. Configuring the Energy Budgeting Add-on

3. Creating Your Canvas

1. Installing the Energy Budgeting Add-on

To start monitoring your energy usage, first install the Energy Budgeting add-on.

To install the Energy Budgeting Add-on:

1. On the Lucy app homepage, click the Add-ons tab. Add-ons page will be displayed.

2. Click Install a new Add-on.

3. Pick the Energy Budgeting add-on from the list of add-ons.

4. Click Install. The add-on will be installed and will appear on the Add-ons page.

You can skip installing the add-on if you have already done it.

2. Configuring the Energy Budgeting Add-on

After the installation is completed, you will be directed to the configuration page. This step involves configuring energy categories and budgets and connecting meters.

To configure the add-on:

1. On the app homepage, click the Add-ons tab. Add-ons page will open.

2. Click on the Energy Budgeting add-on. A configuration wizard will open.

3. Go to Setup Budgets and Categories tab.

4. Add a new Energy Category.

   1. Click the + button.

   2. Category Name: Give a name for the category, e.g., HVAC, Lighting.

   3. Click Save. A new category will be created and listed under Setup Budgets and Categories tab.

   4. Create multiple categories if you have meters to track different types of energy consumption.

5. Configure energy consumption budgets for all the newly added categories.

   1. Click on a category.

   2. Type in the budget values for each month of the year.

   3. Click Save.

6. Connect meters. There are three ways to feed actual energy consumption data to the system.

   1. Get Smart Meters: Connect smart meters to automatically send energy consumption data in.

   2. Buy on Spacewox: Buy smart meters from Spaceworx marketplace.

   3. Manually Upload Energy data: Upload energy consumption data manually.

   4. Go to Connect Meters tab.

   5. We will pick Manually Upload Energy data option.

   6. Select the Date for the month you want to add energy data.

   7. Type in the actual consumption for each category you have created.

   8. Click Save.

   9. Click Manually Upload Energy data option to add more data.

3. Creating Your Canvas

The last step is to create a canvas to monitor energy consumption.

To create a canvas:

1. On the Lucy app homepage, go to the Gallery tab.

2. Click the + button to start creating a new Canvas.

3. Click Next.

4. Customise the background of the canvas if needed.

   1. To select a colour theme for your Canvas from the pre-selected colour themes, click on the required box. Selected colour theme will be shown under the Header Colour section.

   2. If you need to select a custom colour theme, click on the colour code in the Header Colour section to open the colour picker to select a colour of your own.

   3. Under Background Image, click the Search icon to select a background wallpaper for your Canvas.

   4. To select an image from the available collection, first, type the required keyword in the Search Images box to search for the image and then select it.

   5. To select your own image as the background of the Canvas, click Upload your image and upload your own image.

   6. Enable the Blur the background option to blur the applied background of your Canvas if necessary.

5. Provide a suitable unique Name for the canvas.

6. Grant Access to the Canvas.

   1. Select a User Group (e.g., System Administrators) if you wish to grant access to specific groups.

   2. Skip the User Group selection if you intend to allow access for everyone.

7. Click Next. A new Canvas will be created.

8. Click Go to your Canvas now button to launch it in a new window.

9. Pick and add energy related widgets on to your canvas.

   1. Click + button. Widget Browser will open.

   2. Use the Search box to search and filter required widgets by typing widget’s name/partial name, e.g., energy.

   3. We will select, Current Monthly Energy Usage, Energy Consumption (Category-wise) and Yearly Energy Consumption widgets.

   4. Click Add Widgets. Widgets will be added to the canvas. Initially, you will not see data in the widgets.

10. Filter and display data in the Monthly Energy Usage widget. This widget displays current month’s consumption.

    1. Select the Monthly Energy Usage widget.

    2. Click Filter icon.

    3. Pick the applicable location.

    4. Select the required Category e.g., HVAC.

    5. The widget will display the current month’s consumption for the selected category.

11. Filter and display data in the Energy Consumption (Category-wise) widget. This widget displays category-wise energy usage.

    1. Select the Energy Consumption (Category-wise) widget.

    2. Click Filter icon.

    3. Choose the applicable Year and Month.

    4. Select the applicable Location.

    5. Select the required Categories.

    6. The widget will display the breakdown of energy usage into different categories.

12. Filter and display data in the Yearly Energy Consumption widget. This widget shows the energy consumption details budgeted versus the actual entire year.

    1. Select the Yearly Energy Consumption widget.

    2. Click Filter icon.

    3. Choose the applicable Year.

    4. Select the relevant Location.

    5. Pick the required Category.

    6. The widget will display the energy usage details budgeted versus the actual entire year.

The video below explains the process of monitoring energy consumption in your building or workplace.