What this article covers
Hybird OS records consumption in kWh for every breaker, breaker set and site. This article explains how to turn those figures into answers about cost: what a piece of equipment costs to run, how sites compare, and where savings are still hiding.
From kWh to cost
Consumption is measured in kWh over time. To estimate what that consumption costs, it is correlated against the electricity spot price for the same period: the kWh used in each period is multiplied by the spot price for that period. Because the spot price changes hour by hour, the same number of kWh can cost very different amounts depending on when it is consumed.
The spot price is the raw market price of electricity. Your invoice also includes tariffs, taxes and your supplier's terms, so treat spot-based figures as an estimate of the market cost component rather than your final bill. For background on how spot pricing works in Denmark, see "Spot price electricity in Denmark · how it works".
Analysing a specific piece of equipment
To see what a specific device or group of devices consumes and costs, build a virtual meter over the breakers that feed it. The virtual meter aggregates the kWh of those circuits, with 24-hour and 30-day views, and its consumption can be correlated against the spot price to estimate the operating cost of that equipment. See "Virtual meters: what they are and how to build one".
Comparing sites
Every site reports its own consumption, so you can put sites side by side and ask why one uses more than another. When comparing, keep in mind:
Compare like periods, for example the same 30 days at both sites, so seasonality does not distort the picture.
Differences in kWh are not the same as differences in cost. A site that consumes more during cheap hours can still cost less than a smaller consumer running through expensive hours.
Comparable virtual meters at each site, for example one per refrigeration group, make the comparison equipment-by-equipment rather than just totals.
Finding after-hours consumption
Equipment that keeps drawing power outside operating hours is one of the most common sources of avoidable cost. To find it:
Look at a site's 24-hour consumption profile and check the level during closed hours. Some baseline is normal, since refrigeration, alarms and network equipment run continuously.
If the overnight level looks high, use virtual meters over your main equipment groups to see which circuits are still consuming.
For equipment that has no reason to run after closing, consider Timers to switch it off on a schedule, or an alarm on load during closed hours so you are notified when something is left on.
Estimating remaining savings potential
Two questions reveal most of the remaining potential:
Is anything consuming when it should not be? After-hours and standby consumption, found as described above, is usually the quickest saving.
Is consumption concentrated in expensive hours? Correlating a virtual meter's consumption profile against the spot price shows whether the equipment runs mostly when electricity is expensive. If it does, shifting flexible loads to cheaper hours reduces cost without reducing consumption. Hybird Optimisation can help structure this through event-based control of breaker sets.
Common questions
What did my equipment consume in the last 24 hours?
Open the virtual meter covering that equipment to see its 24-hour kWh figure. If no virtual meter exists yet, create a breaker set over the circuits feeding the equipment and tick the Virtual Meter option.
What has that consumption cost me?
The kWh consumed in each period is multiplied by the spot price for that period to estimate the market cost. Remember tariffs and taxes come on top.
How does one of my sites compare to another?
Compare their consumption over the same period, and ideally compare matching virtual meters at each site so you are comparing equipment with equipment.
What is still consuming electricity after closing, and what does it cost?
Check the site's overnight consumption profile, then use virtual meters to identify which circuits are drawing power during closed hours. The cost follows from correlating that after-hours kWh against the spot price for those hours.
Where can I still save?
Look for after-hours consumption you can eliminate, and for consumption concentrated in expensive hours that could be shifted. Both show up clearly once virtual meters are in place over your main equipment groups.