What is the difference between a main meter and a sub-meter?
The platform supports a meter hierarchy with main meters and sub-meters:
Main meter (is_main_meter = true): A primary meter that measures total consumption for a building or major system. Typically installed by the utility company at the building's point of delivery. Main meters appear prominently in the Energy dashboard and are the basis for building-level consumption reports.
Sub-meter (is_main_meter = false): A secondary meter that measures a portion of the main meter's consumption. Sub-meters are linked to their parent via the parent_meter_id field. They are used for:
- Breaking down a building's total electricity into floors or zones
- Measuring individual tenant consumption for billing
- Tracking specific equipment (HVAC, lighting, server rooms)
Totalized meters (is_totalized = true): A virtual meter whose value is calculated as the sum of its sub-meters. Useful when there's no physical main meter but you want to see total building consumption.
Formula meters: Calculated meters using formulas like ratio, sum, difference, or custom expressions. Example: COP (Coefficient of Performance) = Thermal Output / Electricity Input. Formula meters won't show data if their source meters have no readings.
How the hierarchy works in the dashboard
- The Energy dashboard primarily shows main building-level meters
- Sub-meter breakdowns are visible when you drill into a specific meter or use the meter topology view
- Go to Analytics → Formula Meters to see and manage the meter topology
Where to configure: Buildings → select building → Meters tab → when adding or editing a meter, set "Main Meter" toggle and optionally select a "Parent Meter".