Meter data, tariffs, and budgets
SolarSENS brings meter readings, tariff rates, and performance budgets together, but each has a different job. Meter readings describe energy movement. Tariffs translate selected energy into estimated monetary values. Budgets provide targets for performance comparison.
Cumulative and daily readings
Section titled “Cumulative and daily readings”A meter normally reports cumulative import and export counters. These counters increase over time, much like an odometer.
SolarSENS calculates a daily value from the change between consecutive cumulative readings:
Daily energy = current cumulative reading - previous cumulative reading- Import is energy recorded in the meter’s import direction.
- Export is energy recorded in the meter’s export direction.
- End-of-day values are the cumulative counters at the end of the selected day.
- Daily values are the changes during that day.
Some meters also separate energy into Rate 1, Rate 2, and Rate 3 counters. These rate bands remain distinct from the total import and export counters.
Tariff rates and estimated values
Section titled “Tariff rates and estimated values”A tariff assigns a price per kWh to a rate band. SolarSENS supports up to three rates:
- Tariff 1 is the default rate outside any Tariff 2 or Tariff 3 windows.
- Tariff 2 and Tariff 3 can represent additional rate windows.
- A schedule can use the plant’s preset meter windows or custom day-and-time ranges.
The Billing workspace uses the configured rate and currency to show estimated import and export values. These are operational estimates. Your commercial agreement remains the authority for settlement, taxes, adjustments, and invoice treatment.
Tariff history matters when reviewing an earlier period. The workspace lets you see which saved tariff snapshot is being used so that a later rate change does not silently redefine the context of an older review.
Meter direction
Section titled “Meter direction”Meter direction determines which counters SolarSENS treats as import and export. Most meters use the normal direction. If a meter was installed or mapped with the opposite convention, an authorized administrator can enable Swap import/export for that meter.
This setting changes interpretation, not the physical meter. Verify the next readings against a trusted source after changing it.
Performance budgets
Section titled “Performance budgets”Performance budgets are planned comparison values for the Insights waterfall. They include:
- expected production, used as Budget Yield
- expected irradiation
- irradiation loss
- unavailability loss
- overspill loss
- soiling loss
- annual performance ratio
Potential Generation is Budget Yield after the planned loss allowances. Budgets are planned targets, not observed production or an automatic forecast. They provide a reference for comparing actual performance with an agreed plan.
Keep the configuration jobs separate
Section titled “Keep the configuration jobs separate”| Configuration | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Meter Tariff | participating meters, currency, cleaning cost, rate values, and schedules |
| Meter Adjustments | normal or swapped import/export interpretation for each meter |
| Budget Config | performance targets used by the Insights waterfall |
| Billing | billing-cycle day and the workbook template used for bill generation |
Next, review meter data or configure billing inputs.