Metering and energy

Revenue and check meters are registered against each site with their meter number, energy type, unit and reading mode. Reading mode decides how a value is read: a cumulative meter reports a running total, an interval meter reports the energy for one period. Getting this wrong doubles or erases production, so it is set once, on the meter, and every reading inherits it.

Raw readings arrive with a read time, a value and a quality flag: valid, estimated, missing or invalid. Each reading is turned into exactly one energy interval for its meter, with a start, an end, an energy quantity and a unit. Intervals for the same meter never overlap. An interval starts as received and becomes validated, or rejected when the reading cannot be trusted.

The energy analyst owns meters, readings and intervals. The rules are strict on purpose, because the energy record is what settlement and performance reports are built on.

• One reading, one interval. A second reading for the same meter and time is treated as a duplicate and ignored, so a resent file never doubles the energy.
• Rejected, not zero. An invalid, reset or overlapping reading becomes rejected coverage. A gap stays visible as a gap instead of looking like a period with no wind.
• Validated before reported. Reports use validated intervals; received and rejected intervals stay visible to the analyst until they are resolved.

List every meter with its site, meter number, unit and reading mode before loading readings. Agree how estimated readings are handled: whether they are accepted, held for confirmation or replaced when the actual value arrives. Agree who investigates rejected coverage and how quickly. Prepare examples of a normal day, a duplicated reading file, a meter reset that makes a cumulative value drop, and a communications gap with missing readings.

A meter’s communications drop for three hours overnight and then resend the whole day. The duplicate readings are ignored, the new ones become intervals, and the three-hour gap that was never filled stays as rejected coverage. The energy analyst sees the gap in the readings needing attention and the rejected intervals, and can follow it up with the site.

When the monthly energy report runs, the site total uses only validated intervals. The rejected hours are listed next to it, so the site manager can explain to the offtaker why the metered total is lower than the turbine production intervals suggest, rather than finding out from an invoice dispute.

• Energy intervals awaiting validation — Intervals still in received status, by meter and period.
• Readings needing attention — Readings flagged estimated, missing or invalid.
• Rejected energy coverage — Periods that were rejected instead of counted as zero.

• Readings to energy intervals: From a raw reading to a validated or rejected interval.

Check the data model before importing meter history.