How to configure (and validate) new customers and sites?

Having a new customer, the followings need to be registered in a separate, new „Initial Data” Excel

The brand new Excel to be used is in the "Attachment" section; Mana_InitialData_Template_R001.xlsx

Customer information to be added to „Clients” worksheet

Users to "Users" section

Information to be gathered directly from the customer, or be searched in the internet, like „Time zone”

Mandatory fields:

Full Name, Email

Password

Status: Active / Inactive

Time Zone

Optional fields

Phone

Notification rights & configurations

Website notifications

E-mail notifications must be configured here. For details, please see „Subscribing to Notifications” and „Auto watch” paragraphs „Administrator’s Guide” / Events and  notifications”: https://help.manamonitoring.com/books/mana-administrators-guide/page/events-and-notifications

Customer to „Companies” section

Majority of the information is coming from the contract, the rest to be gathered from the internet, e.g. Widget.

Mandatory fields

ID: Must be a unique identifier

Type: Finance / O&M

Primary User: values coming from active users from „Users” section

Optional fields

Company Email, Company Phone, Company Website, Street Address, City, State, ZIP, Country, Weather Widget Label, Weather Widget Latitude, Weather Widget Longitude, Comments

Rights & privileges

Site features

Reports; detailed in „SR – Standard reports” in „Mana Test Manual”

Data streams: to be filled according to the devices / measurements relevant for the customer

API: to be ticked only if customer is using our services only as a background API

Staff members to be added to „Staff” section

Information to be gathered directly from the customer

"Primary User" of a company does not need to be added as an employee

Mandatory fields:

Company: values are coming from „Companies” section

User: values are coming from „Users” section

Role: Administrator / Manager / Operator / Site owner

Optional fields

Unrestricted access? (Complete access to all sites of the customer)

Tag-based access

(Tags – i.e., grouped sites – to be added here comma separated)

Affiliates to be added to „Affiliates” section

Information to be gathered directly from the customer

Mandatory fields:

Company: values are coming from „Companies” section

Affiliate company: values are coming from „Companies” section

Role: Full access / Restricted access

Optional fields

Unrestricted access? (Complete access to all sites of the customer)

Tag-based access

(Tags – i.e., grouped sites – to be added here comma separated)

Special Purpose Entities to be added to „SPE” worksheet

Source: information is coming from Project Information Form (PIF) document

Mandatory fields:

ID: Must be unique, to be added manually

Company name

SPE Term (yrs)

Optional fields

Company Email, Company Phone, Company Website

Street Address, City, State, ZIP, Country

Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) information to be added to „PPA Contracts” and „PPA Tables” worksheets

Contract information to „PPA Contracts” sheet

Source: all the information is coming from Project Information Form (PIF) document

Mandatory fields:

Calculated Contract Label

Site name

PPA type: Export PPA / Host PPA

Offtaker, Offtaker Short Name, Offtake Address, Offtaker City, Offtaker State, Offtaker Postal Code, Offtaker Country

Special Purpose Entity (SPE); value list from „SPE” sheet

PPA Start Date, Start Date on Invoice

PPA Term (yrs), Base PPA Rate, Inflator, Inflator Type

Tax rate

Optional fields

Contracting company: value list from „Clients” sheet

Technical / administrative fields to be left blank

Terminated

PPA rates and schedule to „PPA tables”

Source: all the information is coming from Project Information Form (PIF) document

Mandatory fields:

PPA Contract:

Initial term

Term 2, … 4: to be calculated based on „Base PPA rate (%)”

Sites to be added to „Sites” worksheet

Source: almost all information is coming from Project Information Form (PIF) document

Mandatory fields:

ID: Must be unique, to be added manually.

Site name, Short Name

System Owner; values are listed from „Companies” section, from „Clients” worksheet

Time Zone

Minimum Irradiance Threshold

Graph kW Max Type: DYNAMIC / INV O/P / FIXED

Site Street Address, Site City, Site State, Site State, Site Postal Code, Site Contact

Contact Email,

Optional fields

Graph kW Max, Graph W/m2 Max, Occupancy Count, Square Footage

Contact Phone, Nearest Weather Station

Client Access URL

Comments

Technical / administrative fields to be left blank

Deleted Dev?

Deleted Test?

Deleted User?

Systems to be added to „Systems” sheet

Each system must have general system information

Source: almost all information is coming from Project Information Form (PIF) document

Mandatory fields:

System ID: Must be unique, to be added manually.

Site name: values are listed from „Sites” sheet

Parent system: vales are listed from „Calculated System Label”

Utility Meter #

Project Installer, O&M Company: values are listed from „Clients” sheet

System Start, Publish On

COM ERR Timeout (min)

Latitude, Longitude

Optional fields

Derate Factor, Temp Coefficient

Calculated fields

Calculated System Label; based on „Site name” and „System Description”

Technical / administrative fields to be left blank

Deleted Dev?, Deleted Test?, Deleted User?

Do not modify system IDs for existing, already deployed systems. Mark them deleted and add new ones taking new, unused IDs in the database.

Devices to be added to „Systems” sheet

Each device must be listed for each System (as a separate row)

Source: almost all information is coming from Project Information Form (PIF) document

Mandatory fields:

Device ID: Must be unique, to be added manually.

Device Type: Cell Temp / Cluster Controller / Module / Monitoring / Inverter / Inverter Monitor / Master Meter / Racking / Transformer / Site Net Meter / Irradiance / Revenue Grade Meter / Site Net Meter / Virtual Irradiance Meter / Virtual Master Meter

Device MFR; values are listed from „Equipment Manufacturers” / „Name” from „Manufacturers” sheet

Gateway MFR: values are listed from „Manufacturers” sheet

Device Model

Technical / administrative fields to be left blank

Device Paused?, Device Deleted?

Optional fields

Parent device

Device Tag Type: AE (Absolut Energy), P (Power), IRR (Irradiance)

Device Role: GRID NET / PV Output / SITE LOAD

Production Device Type: PRIMARY / SECONDARY

Data Transformation Recipe: INVERSE

Presentation DTR

Wattage, Device Count, Azimuth, Tilt, Tilt, Tracker, Voltage

Phases

Custom Online Readout Credentials, Description/Comment, Shared Online Readout Credentials

Number of inverters to be checked, and be registered as separate devices

Name of subsystems must be unique; to be registered like Inverter A/1, A/2 and B/1, B/2

Plane of Irradiance (PoA) meter (if any) must also be integrated and irradiance figures must be validated

Do not modify devices IDs for existing, already deployed devices. Mark them deleted, add new ones taking new, unused IDs. Make sure eGauge base URL is used. (Check one the existing eGauge devices and take that URL format as a baseline pattern.)

For eGauge meters, each register to be registered as separate device in Mana, like usage, generation

SolarEdge solar production and consumption configuration

On site level

For solar production, always load "site energy" regardless there's any production meter and as delta energy

Device Type: Master Meter

Device Tag Type: DE

Device Role: PV OUTPUT

Production Device Type: PRIMARY

Device MFR, Gateway MFR: SolarEdge

Custom Online Readout Credential XML: {"solarEdgeSiteId":"XXX", "queryType": "SITE_ENERGY", "apiKey": "XXX"}

For consumption, always load it as delta energy

Device Type: Revenue Grade Meter

Device Tag Type: DE

Device Role: SITE LOAD

Production Device Type: PRIMARY

Device MFR, Gateway MFR: SolarEdge

Custom Online Readout Credential XML: {"solarEdgeSiteId":"XXX", "queryType": "SITE_ENERGY", "apiKey": "XXX"}

On inverter level

Both absolute energy and power to be loaded

Device Type: Inverter Monitor

Device Tag Type: AE, P

Device Role: PV OUTPUT

Production Device Type: PRIMARY

Device MFR, Gateway MFR: SolarEdge

Custom Online Readout Credential XML:{"solarEdgeSiteId":"xxx","inverterSerialNumber":"xxx", "timeZone":"US/Pacific"}

Time zone to be specified only if it's not Pacific / Hawaii (UTC-10 hours)

Enphase solar production configuration

In case of having an Enphase Production Meter; i.e. Revenue Grade Meter

Both direct energy and power to be loaded

Two separate devices to be registers; one Revenue Grade Meter and one Inverter

Revenue Grade Meter

Device Type: Revenue Grade Meter

Device Tag Type: DEP

Device Role: PV OUTPUT

Production Device Type: PRIMARY

Device MFR, Gateway MFR: Enphase

Device Model: RGM

Device Count: 1

Custom Online Readout Credential XML:{"EnphaseJsonDeviceConfig":{"enphaseId":xxx,"accessId":xxx,"endpointType":"RGM_STATS", "sampleRateMinutes":15, "loadFrequencyMinutes":60, "loadDelayMinutes":15}}

Inverter

Device Type: Inverter

Device MFR, Gateway MFR: Enphase

Device Model, Wattage STC, Device Count: as per site / Enphase information

In case of not having Enphase Production Meter

Both direct energy and power to be loaded

Device Type: Revenue Grade Meter

Device Tag Type: DEP

Device Role: PV OUTPUT

Production Device Type: PRIMARY

Device MFR, Gateway MFR: Enphase

Device Model, Wattage STC, Device Count: as per site / Enphase information

Custom Online Readout Credential XML: {"EnphaseJsonDeviceConfig":{"enphaseId":xxx,"accessId":xxx,"endpointType":"STATS", "sampleRateMinutes":15, "loadFrequencyMinutes":60, "loadDelayMinutes":30}}

SMA Cluster Controller solar production configuration

Activities to be done in SMA Cluster Controller

Further applications section to be configured in Cluster Contoller

Data export in CSV format: Yes

Login: mana-cc-ftp

Port: 21

Password: M@n@!234

Server path: upload/xxx

xxx: Cluster Controller's Serial number

Server: push.manamonitoring.com

WAN IP address to be shared with developers to make it a whitelisted IP address

On inverter level

Both absolute energy and power to be loaded

Device Type: Inverter Monitor

Device Tag Type: AE, P

Device Role: PV OUTPUT

Production Device Type: PRIMARY

Device MFR, Gateway MFR: SMA

Custom Online Readout Credential XML: {"smaDeviceConfig":{"ccSerialNumber":"xxx","invSerialNumber":"xxx","deviceTagConfigs":[]}}

ccSerialNumber is the Cluster Controller's Serial number

invSerialNumber is the respective inverter's Serial number

SMA Sunny Portal / ennexOS API solar production configuration

On inverter level

Only Direct Energy (DE) to be loaded

Device Type: Inverter Monitor

Device Tag Type: DE

Device Role: PV OUTPUT

Production Device Type: PRIMARY

Device MFR: SMA

Gateway MFR: SMACloud

Custom Online Readout Credential XML: {"smaCloudDeviceConfig":{"smaDeviceId":xxx,"deviceTagConfigs":[]}}

Device ID from Sunny Portal / ennex OS

eGauge solar production configuration

On inverter level

Both Absolute Energy (AE) and Power (P) to be loaded

Device Type: Revenue Grade Meter

Device Tag Type: AE,P

Device Role: PV OUTPUT

Production Device Type: PRIMARY

Device MFR, Gateway MFR: eGauge

Custom Online Readout Credential XML: {"egaugeConfig":{"deviceTagConfigs":[{"url":xxx,"registerName":xxx, "userName":xxx, "password":xxx, "sampleRateMinutes":15, "epochRelative":true}]}}

url: the link of eGauge device

registerName: respective tag / register to be loaded

userName / password: credentials towards eGauge device

FusionSolar solar production and consumption configuration

On site level

For solar production, only Virtual Master Meter to be configured

Device Type: Virtual Master Meter

Device Tag Type: AE, P

Device Role: PV OUTPUT

Production Device Type: PRIMARY

Device MFR: Huawei

For consumption, always load it as absolute energy & power

Device Type: Revenue Grade Meter

Device Tag Type: AEP

Device Role: GRID NET

Production Device Type: PRIMARY

Device MFR, Gateway MFR: Huawei

Custom Online Readout Credential XML: {"fusionSolarDeviceConfig":{"devTypeId":47,"devId":10000000xxx,"deviceTagConfigs":[{"deviceTagType":"ABSOLUTE_ENERGY","dataPointName":"reverse_active_cap,-active_cap"}, {"deviceTagType":"POWER","dataPointName":"-active_power/1000"}]}}

devID last characters are coming from FusionSolar's link

On inverter level

Both absolute energy and power to be loaded

Device Type: Inverter Monitor

Device Tag Type: AEP

Device Role: PV OUTPUT

Production Device Type: PRIMARY

Device MFR, Gateway MFR: Huawei

Custom Online Readout Credential XML: {"fusionSolarDeviceConfig":{"devTypeId":38,"devId":10000000xxx"deviceTagConfigs":[{"deviceTagType":"ABSOLUTE_ENERGY","dataPointName":"total_cap"}, {"deviceTagType":"POWER","dataPointName":"active_power"}]}}

devID last characters are coming from FusionSolar's link

In case of "mixed" setup - i.e. there are AE and DE inverters on the same level of the hierarchy), than Device Tag Type must be DEP, P (please see Napili Shores)

New „Manufacturer” (if any) to be added to „Manufacturers” worksheet

Source: information is coming from Project Information Form (PIF) document

Mandatory fields:

Code, Name

kWh divisor: by default: 3600000

Optional fields:

Raw Data Schema

Client Access URL

Manufacturer of newly added devices to be checked. If not existing, must be registered

New manufacturer must also be registered to the shared Initial Data file as well, Mana_InitialData_Shared RXXX.xlsx

Production estimates and Consumption estimates (if any) to be added to „Production Estimates” worksheet

Source: almost all information is coming from Project Information Form (PIF) document

Mandatory fields:

System:

Include: must be X in case of Enestar (as this flag drives the display)

Type: „Monthly”; by default

Data source

Degradation factor

JAN, FEB, …, NOV, DEC

TOTAL: aggregate / sum of monthly production estimates

Consumption estimates (if any) to be also registered here

Mandatory fields:

JAN, FEB, …, NOV, DEC

TOTAL: aggregate / sum of monthly consumption estimates

How to review and validate new sites?

What kind of data do we need to check?

Double-check meta information; like system size on site level or device, technical information and credentials on device level

Production characteristics to be checked, e.g.

Time of sunset and timestamp of last production must be very close to each other.

Peak production shall be around noon.

Production estimates information must be available

Checking system by system / device by device to confirm that

Status / communication status is matching with external monitoring site information

List of inverters must match

Comparing daily, monthly and yearly production figures with figures from external monitoring sites

External monitoring sites are directly accessible from give device (as seen above)

What kind of problems can we meet?

Having „Communication error” status

Having „Not producing” status

Device is not accessible or available in external monitoring site

Monthly production figures are not matching with external monitoring sites

Inverter is not configured / available in Mana

Guide on how to resolve cases with "Communication error"

Inverter is without any reading, but continuously reporting in external monitoring sites

There might be cases inverter in without any reading at Mana, but continuously reporting in external monitoring sites

Potential root cause

Credential information is not matching

Inverter was changed by the customer / O&M company without informing us.

API key can’t be leveraged to extract data as the site has a different owner

Action(s) to be taken

Credential information to be updated accordingly the current set; i.e. to change and reset the inverter

Valid "communication error"

In case there’s no production information in external monitoring site, or eGauge inverter is not directly accessible; i.e. „Device egaugeXXX was not found on this server”

Potential root cause

Valid communication / connection error; to be check onsite

Action(s) to be taken

Nothing or inform the customer / O&M company

Guide how we are resolving cases when monthly figures are not matching with external monitoring sites

Improper and / or not matching credentials

Credentials in Mana do not match with the credentials in external / inverter monitoring sites

Potential root cause

Typos / improper registration at Mana

Inverter was changed by the customer without notifying us

Action(s) to be taken

Credential information to be updated accordingly the current set; i.e. to change and reset the inverter

Production information is missing for a few days

There might be cases when daily production figures are not matching with the ones from external sites, as production information for one or a few days are missing

Potential root cause

Communication error occurred in the last days

Minor differences (<1-2%) in case of eGauge due to time zone difference

Weird Fronius API behaviour that resulted in that production information for a particular day didn’t synchronized

Action(s) to be taken

Double-checking daily reconciliation issues under „Readings” /  „Daily Summary”

Generating a „Portfolio Overview” report for given site (and inverter) for the relevant period

Checking „Validation results” and reloading data

Details and screen shots in MANA-3884

Inverter network was offline for a certain period

If such case, but it was working meanwhile (i.e., its internal meter was counting), we experience a jump in the cumulative energy when the meter network re-establishes

Total energy that was produced during the offline period is booked to the first day after re-connection.

Pro(s)

Energy produced during the offline period does not „vanish”

Cons(s)

External / inverter systems, like SolarEdge doesn’t calculated the gap period to the yearly production that causes discrepancies.

Minor discrepancy to due different time zones in case of eGauge meters

Due to the normal behaviour of eGauge monitoring, production figures for a certain period might be different in eGauge and Mana platform due to time zone difference

But, difference must be less than 1-2% of the sum production during that period

Meter reset

If there has been a meter replacement, we need to forcibly remove the big jump from cumulative energies which is implicitly caused by the fact that a new meter usually starts from 0 or from a certain start number, which has no relation to where the previous meter has ended

Pro(s)

Mana figures are in line with external / inverter system figures

Cons(s)

Total production that took place during the offline period is blanked out

External monitoring sites

https://www.egauge.net/

No credentials needed for most of the cases. If needed, can be retrieved from Initial Data.

https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/

username / password: zoltan@manamonitoring.com / Mana1234

https://www.solarweb.com/

username / password: zoltan@manamonitoring.com / Solar123!

https://monitoring.solaredge.com/solaredge-web/p/login

username / password: zoltan@manamonitoring.com / MHS2020!

https://la5.fusionsolar.huawei.com/

username / password: ManaMonitoring / octubre01