How SolarSENS processes plant data
SolarSENS receives readings from commissioned site equipment through supported logger configurations and data feeds, then turns them into telemetry, analytical results, reports, and SolarSENS views. Understanding the path a value has taken helps you choose the right result for an operational question and compare views fairly.
The platform does not produce every value in one step. Current indicators, analytical results, reports, and displayed values can be related without sharing the same calculation or update time.
From plant data to a product view
Section titled “From plant data to a product view”flowchart LR
A[Config Server commissioning] --> B[Plant equipment and meters]
A --> C[Site logger or provider feed]
B --> C
C --> D[Telemetry engine]
D --> E[Live monitoring values]
D --> F[Analytical engine]
F --> G[Report-ready results]
E --> H[SolarSENS views]
F --> H
G --> H
Config Server is where a plant is commissioned: teams define the plant, devices, mappings, logger settings, and provider feed assignments that SolarSENS needs to interpret incoming readings. Sites can then send data through different supported paths. Some plants use AVA Logger configurations for device communication such as Modbus or IEC-104. Others use provider or API feeds, including supported inverter and meter platforms. Once readings reach SolarSENS, the later stages use a shared product model: telemetry supports live monitoring, period calculations, reports, and SolarSENS screens.
The stages have different purposes:
| Layer | Purpose | Typical scope | Example result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Config Server commissioning | Define the plant, devices, mappings, logger settings, and provider feed assignments before data is interpreted. | Plant setup, device hierarchy, register mappings, feed assignments, and configuration packages | Commissioned plant structure, logger package, provider feed mapping |
| Plant equipment and meters | Measure production, weather, meter flow, device state, and other plant signals. | Devices, meters, weather stations, and plant settings | Power, irradiance, meter readings, device status |
| Site logger or provider feed | Bring readings into SolarSENS through the configured acquisition path for that plant. | Logger connections, device mappings, or provider/API feeds | Modbus or IEC-104 logger data, provider inverter or meter data |
| Telemetry engine | Store received readings with the device and plant context needed to interpret them. | Timestamped measurements and related configuration | Recent power, accumulated energy, irradiance, meter values |
| Live monitoring values | Turn recent telemetry into indicators for active monitoring. | Current or recent intervals and the current day | Current PR, current-day yield, equipment status |
| Analytical engine | Evaluate consistent periods and combine related inputs. | Plant-day, weekly, or monthly periods | Daily PR, availability, loss estimates, soiling indicators |
| Report-ready results | Organize analytical outputs for standard and reusable reports. | Selected reporting periods | Daily and monthly report datasets |
| SolarSENS views | Select, aggregate, and display the result appropriate to the requested view. | The plant, portfolio, period, and resolution you request | Monitoring cards, charts, analytics, and reports |
Live monitoring and analytical processing can use the same telemetry without producing the same value. The value a view displays depends on which stage feeds it and which period you selected.
Why live and period values can differ
Section titled “Why live and period values can differ”SolarSENS views can show values from different stages of the lifecycle. A live monitoring card usually uses recent telemetry, while an analytical or report view usually uses a completed period such as a plant day or month.
For example, Current PR and Daily PR are related, but they are not the same calculation. Current PR reflects recent operating conditions; Daily PR summarizes the selected plant day after the analytical stage has processed that period. Compare values only when the view, period, and calculation type match. See Performance ratio calculation for the indicator definitions.
Plant day and processing clock
Section titled “Plant day and processing clock”Where a view is calculated by plant day, the plant day is the business period used to group that plant’s measurements and results. It is interpreted using the time context configured for that calculation.
The clock that starts and coordinates processing is separate and can use a different time basis, so knowing when a job ran does not tell you which plant-day it covered. Day boundaries can differ between views and plants — confirm the selected period rather than assuming one universal day boundary.
Where processed results appear
Section titled “Where processed results appear”Use Where calculated results appear to compare the display grain, units, and interpretation boundaries of each customer view. When two views appear to show different versions of the same period, see Data freshness and corrections before treating the difference as an error.