Insights
This report provides personalized insights to the end-user that can incentivize meaningful actions, targeting energy consumption reduction. The monthly Insights Service provides a comparative overview of the household’s activities/appliances and the overall consumption for the past month. The consumption comparison is made with the (own) historical consumption over the same categories or with the consumption of other installations with similar profile characteristics. Also, the comparison categories are separated based on the peak and non-peak periods of the day.
Insights Categories
Insights are running monthly and provide customers with useful information regarding energy consumption per appliance. More specifically, the appliances that are supported currently are:
Electricity
- Total Electricity Delivered
- Total Electricity Returned
- Always On
- Refrigeration
- Lighting
- Entertainment
- Dishwasher
- Washing Machine
- Tumble Dryer
- Oven
- Electric Shower
- Immersion Heater
- Water Boiler
- Air Condition
- Heat Pumps
- Electric Vehicle
- Pool & Sauna
- Solar Production
Gas
- Total Gas Delivered
- Space Heating
- Water Heating
- Cooking
Insights Benchmarking
In each one of the categories mentioned above, there are two types of insights offered by NET2GRID NILM Solution:
- Self-comparison: These insights realize a self-comparison of this month’s consumption with the previous month’s consumption for the installation index examination. For example, it compares October’s refrigeration energy consumption with the refrigeration energy consumption for September for a specific installation.
- Peer comparison: These insights realize a peer comparison of this month’s consumption with the peer installations group’s consumption for the same month. For example, for a specific installation, it compares October’s refrigeration energy consumption with the median refrigeration energy consumption of the households grouped with the examined customer for October.
Finally, the insights can be different based on the Time-of-Use:
- Peak (Insights): These insights consider only the consumption for a category during the Peak Hours regarding the tariff of the day/month.
- Total (Insights): These insights consider the total consumption for a category during the whole day/month.
Insights Grouping
As far as the peer matching process is concerned, the groups are created based on two factors:
- Location: The topological information can be retrieved from the country and its postal code profile information. This way, we can discern the customers from Italy and Australia since the climate and appliance penetration or usage is different. Also, we would prefer customers from the same region (e.g., Milano) in the same group instead of customers from all over the country.
- Installation Metadata and Demographics: When creating the peering groups, it is essential to compare customers with similar profiles, considering the attributes affecting (most of) the activities/appliances attempting to disaggregate. For example, a family living in a sizable household of 4 rooms can provide misleading results compared with a student living in a single-room apartment. The same goes for a family living in a newly built bungalow with a family living in a 30-year-old flat.
- Currently, the following attributes are used for clustering:
- Number of Occupants
- Property Age
- Property Type
- The Custom Clustering functionality is also in place, where each customer can specify the attributes upon which the clusters will be created.
- Currently, the following attributes are used for clustering:
Fetching Insights for the requested month
The Get monthly insights CE-API endpoint allows developers to retrieve the insights for a specific month. The insights details can then be used within the customer's solution.
A pseudo-code request to the Get monthly insights endpoint looks like this:
GET /v2/insights/{year}/{month}
Authorization: Bearer <access_token>
A successful request will return a response similar to the following:
{
"status": "ok",
"data": {
"alwaysOn": {
"peer": {
"total": {
"status": "6",
"relevance": 1,
"is_positive": true,
"benchmark": 52,
"usage": 84,
"delta_kwh": 31,
"delta_perc": 60,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
},
"self": {
"total": {
"status": "3",
"relevance": 0,
"is_positive": false,
"benchmark": 86,
"usage": 84,
"delta_kwh": -1,
"delta_perc": -2,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
}
},
"cooking": {
"peer": {
"total": {
"status": "1",
"relevance": 0,
"is_positive": false,
"benchmark": 1,
"usage": 1,
"delta_kwh": 0,
"delta_perc": -24,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
},
"self": {
"total": {
"status": "1",
"relevance": 0,
"is_positive": false,
"benchmark": 1,
"usage": 1,
"delta_kwh": 0,
"delta_perc": -16,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
}
},
"dishWasher": {
"peer": {
"total": {
"status": "6",
"relevance": 1,
"is_positive": true,
"benchmark": 11,
"usage": 25,
"delta_kwh": 13,
"delta_perc": 112,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"overall_efficiency_score": 100,
"appliance_efficiency_score": 50,
"usage_efficiency_score": 150,
"overall_eei": 89,
"frequency": 27,
"mean_energy": 0.969,
"mode_temperature": 2,
"mean_duration": 5617,
"recommendations": []
}
},
"self": {
"total": {
"status": "2",
"relevance": 0,
"is_positive": false,
"benchmark": 27,
"usage": 25,
"delta_kwh": -2,
"delta_perc": -9,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"overall_efficiency_score": 100,
"appliance_efficiency_score": 50,
"usage_efficiency_score": 150,
"overall_eei": 89,
"frequency": 27,
"mean_energy": 0.969,
"mode_temperature": 2,
"mean_duration": 5617,
"recommendations": []
}
}
},
"entertainment": {
"peer": {
"total": {
"status": "5",
"relevance": 0,
"is_positive": true,
"benchmark": 14,
"usage": 17,
"delta_kwh": 3,
"delta_perc": 20,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
},
"self": {
"total": {
"status": "5",
"relevance": 0,
"is_positive": true,
"benchmark": 14,
"usage": 17,
"delta_kwh": 3,
"delta_perc": 20,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
}
},
"nonPeakElectricityDelivered": {
"peer": {
"total": {
"status": "5",
"relevance": 0,
"is_positive": true,
"benchmark": 98,
"usage": 115,
"delta_kwh": 17,
"delta_perc": 17,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
},
"self": {
"total": {
"status": "4",
"relevance": 0,
"is_positive": true,
"benchmark": 102,
"usage": 115,
"delta_kwh": 12,
"delta_perc": 12,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
}
},
"nonPeakElectricityReturn": {
"peer": {
"total": {
"status": "2",
"relevance": 0,
"is_positive": true,
"benchmark": 13,
"usage": 11,
"delta_kwh": -1,
"delta_perc": -12,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
},
"self": {
"total": {
"status": "0",
"relevance": 1,
"is_positive": true,
"benchmark": 56,
"usage": 11,
"delta_kwh": -44,
"delta_perc": -78,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
}
},
"oven": {
"peer": {
"total": {
"status": "0",
"relevance": 1,
"is_positive": false,
"benchmark": 3,
"usage": 1,
"delta_kwh": -1,
"delta_perc": -57,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
}
},
"peakElectricityDelivered": {
"peer": {
"peak": {
"status": "4",
"relevance": 0,
"is_positive": true,
"benchmark": 126,
"usage": 138,
"delta_kwh": 12,
"delta_perc": 9,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
},
"self": {
"peak": {
"status": "6",
"relevance": 1,
"is_positive": true,
"benchmark": 88,
"usage": 138,
"delta_kwh": 50,
"delta_perc": 57,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
}
},
"peakElectricityReturn": {
"peer": {
"peak": {
"status": "2",
"relevance": 0,
"is_positive": true,
"benchmark": 35,
"usage": 32,
"delta_kwh": -2,
"delta_perc": -7,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
},
"self": {
"peak": {
"status": "0",
"relevance": 1,
"is_positive": true,
"benchmark": 96,
"usage": 32,
"delta_kwh": -63,
"delta_perc": -66,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
}
},
"refrigeration": {
"peer": {
"total": {
"status": "6",
"relevance": 0,
"is_positive": true,
"benchmark": 28,
"usage": 39,
"delta_kwh": 10,
"delta_perc": 38,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"overall_efficiency_score": 50,
"appliance_efficiency_score": 100,
"usage_efficiency_score": 50,
"overall_eei": 11,
"frequency": 30,
"mean_energy": 1.307,
"mode_temperature": 0,
"mean_duration": 86399,
"recommendations": []
}
},
"self": {
"total": {
"status": "3",
"relevance": 0,
"is_positive": false,
"benchmark": 39,
"usage": 39,
"delta_kwh": 0,
"delta_perc": -1,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"overall_efficiency_score": 50,
"appliance_efficiency_score": 100,
"usage_efficiency_score": 50,
"overall_eei": 11,
"frequency": 30,
"mean_energy": 1.307,
"mode_temperature": 0,
"mean_duration": 86399,
"recommendations": []
}
}
},
"solarProduction": {
"peer": {
"total": {
"status": "2",
"relevance": 0,
"is_positive": false,
"benchmark": 89,
"usage": 76,
"delta_kwh": -12,
"delta_perc": -14,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
},
"self": {
"total": {
"status": "0",
"relevance": 1,
"is_positive": false,
"benchmark": 205,
"usage": 76,
"delta_kwh": -129,
"delta_perc": -63,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
}
},
"spaceHeating": {
"peer": {
"total": {
"status": "3",
"relevance": 0,
"is_positive": true,
"benchmark": 97,
"usage": 97,
"delta_kwh": 0,
"delta_perc": 0,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
},
"self": {
"total": {
"status": "6",
"relevance": 1,
"is_positive": true,
"benchmark": 20,
"usage": 97,
"delta_kwh": 77,
"delta_perc": 377,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
}
},
"total": {
"peer": {
"total": {
"status": "2",
"relevance": 0,
"is_positive": false,
"benchmark": 119,
"usage": 110,
"delta_kwh": -8,
"delta_perc": -7,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
},
"self": {
"total": {
"status": "6",
"relevance": 1,
"is_positive": true,
"benchmark": 34,
"usage": 110,
"delta_kwh": 75,
"delta_perc": 219,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
}
},
"totalElectricity": {
"peer": {
"total": {
"status": "4",
"relevance": 0,
"is_positive": true,
"benchmark": 222,
"usage": 253,
"delta_kwh": 31,
"delta_perc": 14,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
},
"self": {
"total": {
"status": "6",
"relevance": 0,
"is_positive": true,
"benchmark": 190,
"usage": 253,
"delta_kwh": 63,
"delta_perc": 33,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
}
},
"totalElectricityReturn": {
"peer": {
"total": {
"status": "6",
"relevance": 1,
"is_positive": false,
"benchmark": 14,
"usage": 44,
"delta_kwh": 29,
"delta_perc": 205,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
},
"self": {
"total": {
"status": "0",
"relevance": 1,
"is_positive": true,
"benchmark": 152,
"usage": 44,
"delta_kwh": -108,
"delta_perc": -70,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
}
},
"washingMachine": {
"peer": {
"total": {
"status": "6",
"relevance": 1,
"is_positive": true,
"benchmark": 6,
"usage": 14,
"delta_kwh": 8,
"delta_perc": 121,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"overall_efficiency_score": 50,
"appliance_efficiency_score": 50,
"usage_efficiency_score": 100,
"overall_eei": 137,
"frequency": 30,
"mean_energy": 0.494,
"mode_temperature": 2,
"mean_duration": 2290,
"recommendations": []
}
},
"self": {
"total": {
"status": "4",
"relevance": 0,
"is_positive": true,
"benchmark": 13,
"usage": 14,
"delta_kwh": 1,
"delta_perc": 8,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"overall_efficiency_score": 50,
"appliance_efficiency_score": 50,
"usage_efficiency_score": 100,
"overall_eei": 137,
"frequency": 30,
"mean_energy": 0.494,
"mode_temperature": 2,
"mean_duration": 2290,
"recommendations": []
}
}
},
"waterHeating": {
"peer": {
"total": {
"status": "1",
"relevance": 0,
"is_positive": false,
"benchmark": 13,
"usage": 11,
"delta_kwh": -2,
"delta_perc": -15,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
},
"self": {
"total": {
"status": "2",
"relevance": 0,
"is_positive": false,
"benchmark": 12,
"usage": 11,
"delta_kwh": -1,
"delta_perc": -9,
"last_updated": "2022-12-01T06:03:54+01:00",
"recommendations": []
}
}
}
},
"timestamp": "2022-12-09T11:40:46+01:00"
}
As you'd probably expect, the response contains the standard JSON structure containing the status field indicating whether or not the response was successful. If successful, the data field will contain a list of appliance events for a specific day. Each message consists of the following properties:
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| status | Integer | A relative usage status is produced for each insight vs. the benchmark. This can be any of {0 - Very low, 1 - Low, 2 - A bit low, 3 - Same, 4 - A bit high, 5 - High, 6 - Very High}. The bandings are based on configurable levels of the % differences. |
| relevance | Float | For each insight, a relevance score between 0 (less relevant) and 1 (more relevant). |
| is_positive | Integer | Identifies if consumption is above or below the prior period consumption. So if TRUE (=1), then the delta is higher than the “benchmark”. |
| benchmark | Float | Peer: benchmark is the percentile of the peer group of the listed month Self: benchmark is the self-usage of the previous month. |
| usage | Float | Usage is the TOTAL of all Appliance Events or activities in a given month. |
| delta_kwh | Float | Delta between Benchmark and Usage in absolute value. This value is negative if “is_positive” = 0. |
| delta_perc | Float | Delta between Benchmark and Usage divided by the Benchmark. This value is negative if “is_positive” = 0. |
| recommendations | String[] | The list of recommendation IDs is relevant to the insight. |
This is an example screen from the Ynni Mobile App using the API above.
Updated 4 months ago