Defining Temperature Sources

Each energy asset in the asset tree can have its own temperature source. You can use temperatures to generate reports on the basis of degree days for analysis. In Energy AnalytiX, it is considered a heating degree day if the outside temperature is colder than the base temperature defined for the temperature source; it is a cooling degree day if the outside temperature is warmer than the temperature source's base temperature. For that reason, you may want to define a temperature source for each geographical location where you have facilities where you are monitoring energy use using Energy AnalytiX. If you will not be analyzing heating and cooling days, you do not need to define temperature sources.

 

Temperature data can come from any of the following sources:

If you have campuses that are dispersed geographically, you will need to have sources for the regions where your equipment is located. You may have more than one energy asset at a geographical location. If the base temperatures for the energy assets are different, you will need to create a unique temperature source for each. For example, the Foxboro bakery and the Foxboro storefront have different base temperatures, therefore you might create two temperature sources (will different base temperatures) using the same temperature instance from the Web service.

 

Once you have determined the sources you need to create, you can go ahead and define your temperature sources as described below in Steps for Defining Temperature Sources.

How Weather Data is Logged and Summarized

During runtime, the Energy AnalytiX service uses this data to periodically update the weather data summarization tables to include the following information:

The temperature summary is updated on a daily basis. The frequency of updates is controlled by the Weather Data Logging Rate setting in the General Options tab's Settings sub-tab; for more about setting this option, refer to the Setting Options for Processing and Data Collection topic.

Steps for Defining Temperature Sources

  1. Open the Workbench, and then click on the AssetWorX provider button in the Project Explorer to open AssetWorX.

  2. In the navigation tree, expand localhost, then expand the appropriate database name. Under the database tree node, expand Product Configuration > System Properties, and click on Temperature Sources. The Temperature Sources tab appears, as shown below.

Temperature Sources Tab

  1. Define a new temperature source by clicking on the Click here to add new item row. This enables the row so you can configure a source.

  2. Enter a Name and Description for the source. The name should identify the location and the data being collected; for example, "Foxboro Temperature". (At any time you can refer to the Temperature Sources Node topic for supplemental information about using the tab.)

  3. Then define the source:

  1. Specify the Base Temperature and the Units (such as Fahrenheit or Celsius). The base temperature is the temperature at which Energy AnalytiX considers a given day to be a heating degree day or a cooling degree day.

  2. Specify the Scan Rate at which this source's data will be logged to Energy AnalytiX.

  3. To add another row, click on the top row that contains the message "Click here to add new item." (If you are saving the first temperature source, you must first click Apply to save all changes.)

  4. Click Apply at any time to save your changes, or Apply & Close to save your changes and close the tab.

Steps for Defining a Temperature Instance

You can collect temperature data by using a dedicated Web service that is provided to you as part of your GENESIS64 installation in the Classic Workbench. Note that the Web Services provider is not available in the Workbench, so you need to use the Classic Workbench to configure it.

Using this (or another) Web service, define the temperature instances that you need in order to define temperature sources. The instances will be used as OPC tags when you define temperature sources. Follow the steps below:

  1. Open the GENESIS64 Classic Workbench from the Start menu by selecting Programs > ICONICS GENESIS64 > Workbench.  

  2. Click on the Web Services provider button in the Project Explorer. (If there is no Web Services button in the Project Explorer, you can add one by going to the Project tab on the ribbon and clicking the Edit Project button. In the Add/Remove Project Application dialog box that opens, click the Add button, and then click Web Services. The provider is added to the Project Explorer. Close the dialog and proceed.)

  3. Expand localhost > Web Services configuration database > My Web Services until you see the default web service highlighted, as indicated in the example below. Expand the web service to reveal the methods for creating temperature instances.

  4. Right-click GetCityWeatherByZIP and select New Web Method Instance from the pop-up menu. This opens the Web Services form, shown in the example below.

Configuring a Temperature Instance from a Web Service

  1. In the Name field, enter a name that makes the temperature instance easy to find and identify. Use the Description field to enter the use and purpose of the temperature instance.

  2. Click the Return Value's ellipsis button [...] to open a selection box. Expand the Return Value tree, select Temperature String and click OK.

  1. Back on the Web Services form, in the Value column enter the parameter value, which in this example is the ZIP code of the geographic location whose temperature you wish to collect.

  2. Click Apply to save the temperature instance.

  3. Repeat Steps 4 through 8 to define additional temperature instances that you need for defining temperature sources.

  4. Go to the Workbench and finish defining temperature sources as described in Steps for Defining Temperature Sources.

See also:

Overview of the AssetWorX

Quick Start with Energy AnalytiX