Real-Time Energy Consumption Monitor: Revolutionizing Energy Management with Automated Reporting
Revolutionizing Energy Management with Automated Reporting
In an era where energy efficiency is critical, the Real-Time Energy Consumption Monitor sets a new benchmark in energy monitoring and management. The custom-built Blazor Server-based web application modernizes a legacy energy reporting system, transforming how energy usage data is reported, analyzed, and acted upon. This tailored solution provides seamless reporting for energy managers and executives, automating and streamlining energy consumption reports across multiple client sites. With a focus on scalability, security, and user-friendly self-service reporting, the platform offers clear insights to stakeholders, enabling data-driven decisions.
Project Features
Categorized Reports
Includes hourly, weekly, and monthly energy consumption reports for improved data management and analysis.
Self-Service Report Designer
A user-friendly drag-and-drop interface for creating customized energy reports.
Advanced Filtering Options
Filters allow reports to be tailored by date range, client site, and meter.
Report Bundles
Enables grouping of multiple reports into a single package and automatic email delivery based on user-defined schedules.
Secure Authentication
Integrated Azure Entra ID for role-based access control (RBAC), ensuring secure user authentication
Automated Scheduling
Leveraging Hangfire to automatically generate and deliver reports according to a user-configured schedule.
Email Integration
Sends reports automatically using SendGrid, with customizable recipient management.
Structured Logging
Utilizing Serilog for enhanced tracking, monitoring, and debugging capabilities.
API Documentation
A Swagger-based API explorer for seamless integration and developer support.
Technical Stack
Architecture & Workflow
- Frontend Interface: Developed with Blazor Server to offer a real-time, interactive experience for energy reporting.
- Data Integration: The energy consumption data is pulled from Standard Power’s Energy API (Data Gateway), ensuring real-time access to energy metrics.
- Report Generation: DevExpress XtraReports powers the report generation engine, supporting both predefined and user-designed reports.
- Scheduling Engine: Hangfire automates report generation, enabling users to customize delivery schedules.
- Email Dispatch: Leveraged SendGrid to automate email delivery of reports, ensuring stakeholders receive timely information.
- Security: Azure Entra ID guarantees secure, role-based access to sensitive energy data across the application.
Challenges
Handling Null and Infinite Values:
The energy data received from different meters occasionally included null or infinite values, which disrupted report rendering and filtering.Inconsistent Data in 32MDC WP Hourly Reports:
Mismatched data mapping in certain reports led to inconsistencies between the source data and the output displayed.Rendering Failures in 7MDC Reports:
Reports generated for certain meters failed to render properly due to column misalignment and data formatting issues.Need for Flexible Report Bundling:
The existing reporting framework could not schedule and group custom reports, limiting user flexibility and automation.Solution Provided
Robust Data Sanitization Logic
Conditional logic and safe expression bindings were implemented to gracefully handle null and infinite values, ensuring stability across reports.Collaborative Data Validation:
The development team collaborated closely with Standard Power to audit and realign source data mappings, resolving discrepancies in 32MDC reports.Enhanced Report Template Structure:
Column structures and formatting logic were revised for 7MDC reports, restoring complete data rendering and display accuracy.Dynamic Bundle Scheduling System:
A JSON-based configuration engine was introduced to support dynamic grouping and scheduling of reports using Hangfire, enabling fully customizable automation workflows.
Impact of Real-Time Energy Consumption Monitor
- Enhanced Operational Efficiency: Reduced manual report generation time by over 70%, enabling energy managers to focus on strategy and decision-making.
- Automated Report Delivery: Streamlined report delivery, sending automated energy usage insights to 100+ clients.
- Improved Data-Driven Decision-Making: Empowered energy managers and executives with timely, accurate data, facilitating better business and energy efficiency decisions.
- Scalable & Flexible Solution: The new platform provides a robust, scalable framework for future enhancements, ensuring long-term sustainability in energy reporting.
Conclusion: Empowering Smarter Energy Management
The Real-Time Energy Consumption Monitor is a transformative solution for the energy and utilities sector. By integrating automation, real-time reporting, and secure self-service functionalities, the platform has empowered energy professionals with actionable insights while significantly reducing manual workload. Ariel Software Solutions‘ expertise in developing secure, scalable, and user-centric applications has successfully revolutionized how Standard Power and its clients manage and report energy consumption. This project underscores our commitment to delivering cutting-edge, data-driven solutions that lead to smarter, more efficient energy management strategies.
