Interpret load and grid flow
Use the plant power and yield views to understand how solar generation, facility demand, and grid exchange relate. Read interval power when you need to understand flow during part of a day. Read daily or monthly energy when you need period totals.
For the calculation model behind these values, see Metering, consumption, and grid flow.
Before you compare values
Section titled “Before you compare values”Confirm all of the following before drawing a conclusion:
- the selected plant;
- the date or date range;
- whether the view shows power or energy;
- the displayed unit;
- which series are enabled in the legend; and
- whether the expected inverter and meter data are present.
A missing load or grid series does not mean zero load or zero grid exchange.
Read the power view
Section titled “Read the power view”Use the power view to compare values for the same interval:
- Plant or Inverter Power is the plant’s solar generation rate.
- Grid Power is the grid-side power series derived from eligible meter data.
- Consumption Load is the facility load power calculated from plant inverter power and Grid Power.
Use the visible legend to identify the Grid Power series, not to infer its raw direction. The sign depends on the plant-specific meter convention. Use named daily or monthly Grid Import and Grid Export values when you need an explicit period direction, or ask a SolarSENS administrator or support team to verify the raw Grid Power convention.
Look for relationships rather than comparing unlike totals. For example, a change in inverter power accompanied by a change in Grid Power can help explain how facility demand was supplied during the same interval.
For a storage-enabled plant, the day chart can also show battery active power. Charging is drawn below zero and discharging above zero. Strategy bands show when charging or discharging is permitted; the absence of both bands marks a stop period. Highlighted readings indicate battery activity outside the permitted window and should be investigated against the selected local day.
Read the energy view
Section titled “Read the energy view”Use daily or monthly energy values to review how much energy accumulated during the selected period:
- Daily Yield is generated solar energy.
- Grid Import is energy received through the import direction.
- Grid Export is energy sent through the export direction.
- Load Energy is calculated as yield plus import minus export.
- BESS Charge Energy and BESS Discharge Energy show accumulated battery energy for the selected month or year when storage data is available.
Grid Import and Grid Export are positive energy amounts. Export may be drawn below the chart axis as a visual direction cue, but the underlying export amount remains positive and is subtracted in the Load Energy calculation.
Do not compare unlike values
Section titled “Do not compare unlike values”| Avoid this comparison | Why |
|---|---|
| Interval kW against daily or monthly kWh | One is a rate; the other is accumulated energy. |
| Five-minute Consumption Load against daily Load Energy as if one rolls directly into the other | They are separate calculations with different inputs and processing boundaries. |
| Export drawn below the axis against a stored negative energy value | The chart direction is a presentation choice; stored export energy is a positive amount. |
| A daily missing value against a monthly zero | Daily arithmetic can remain unavailable, while monthly aggregation can treat missing daily components as zero. |
Investigate an unexpected value
Section titled “Investigate an unexpected value”- Confirm the unit, period, and enabled chart series.
- Check whether the issue affects one interval, one day, or a monthly total.
- Confirm that the expected inverter and grid-meter series are present.
- Compare the result with a trusted meter reading and the plant’s verified meter direction.
- Record the plant, period, unit, chart mode, and affected series before escalating.
For a detailed counter review, use Review meter data. That guide compares consecutive displayed cumulative readings; the analytical daily grid-energy calculation described here uses the highest and lowest eligible readings within the reporting day, so the two reviews need not use the same pair of readings.
Do not change meter direction merely to make a chart look right. An authorized operator can follow Configure billing inputs for documented tariff participation and direction-swap settings after the source convention has been verified. Questions about telemetry mapping, CT ratios, or multiplier history should go to a SolarSENS administrator or support team.
If corrected readings or configuration are expected, check again after the relevant analytical and downstream views have refreshed. Those layers can update at different times; there is no single completion time that applies to every view.
Expected outcome
Section titled “Expected outcome”Before exporting evidence or escalating a discrepancy, you should be able to name:
- whether the value is power or energy;
- the interval, day, or month it covers;
- the direction convention shown by the current view; and
- whether the required meter and inverter inputs are present.
Continue with Performance and Loss Analysis when the energy-flow review points to a broader performance difference.