How do I compare consumption across different time periods?
The analytics dashboards offer several ways to compare consumption data across time:
Date range selector
Use the date picker in the dashboard header to set the analysis period. You can select predefined ranges (last 7 days, last month, last quarter, year-to-date) or set custom start/end dates.
Granularity control
Choose how data is aggregated in the charts:
- Hourly: Best for spotting daily patterns (peak hours, overnight usage)
- Daily: Good for week-over-week comparisons
- Weekly: Useful for monthly trend analysis
- Monthly: Best for annual comparisons and seasonal patterns
Multi-meter comparison
Use the meter selector to toggle multiple meters on/off in the same chart. This lets you compare, for example:
- Electricity consumption in Building A vs Building B
- Heating vs cooling usage in the same building
- Main meter vs sum of sub-meters (to check for unmetered consumption)
Cross-category comparison charts
The Grouped Bar Chart and Cross-Category Chart views let you place different energy types side by side for the same time period. Useful for seeing the energy mix breakdown.
Correlation analysis
Overlay consumption data with external factors like temperature to understand how weather affects your building's energy profile. Use the overlay comparison feature in the chart options.
Tips for meaningful comparisons
- Compare the same building across different periods to see trends
- Use monthly granularity for seasonal comparisons
- Normalize by area (kWh/m²) when comparing buildings of different sizes
- Check that all meters being compared were active for the full comparison period