How Does It Work?

Let’s walk through the lifecycle from Quotation to Performance Reporting.

Preconstruction#

Denowatts provides a core technology to deliver digital twin benchmarking for solar and storage projects. Customers start by obtaining a quotation from the Denowatts Portal, including key details of the project. Part of the project intake includes details of the module and mounting type, project size, and location. Users are asked to upload documentation such as site and electrical plans, energy models, and network plans. Users are provided with an instant pricing estimate. Denowatts then reviews the submittal, confirms the quote is accurate, and returns an executable Quotation. Users may accept the Quotation in the portal, including order form details for shipping and billing.

When the order is placed, Denowatts ships the hardware kit to the purchaser for installation. Most orders can ship in a few days. Denowatts strongly encourages all documentation to be submitted before shipment (see Denobox), allowing for the hardware to ship pre-configured for the site, including a Deno equipment location plan and data ingest configuration.

Installation in DAS enclosures is commonly completed at the project site or pre-construction by third-party UL508A panel shops. Deno sensors are wireless and self-powered, requiring only a simple bolt-on installation around the time of project Mechanical Completion. Installers are encouraged to take the HeatSpring Deno Installation Certification course with a certificate (30 minutes) before Deno hardware setup. During installation, technicians use the Deno mobile app to document and commission the sensors in real time, with remote support to ensure proper installation.

See the Hardware Installation Guides for step-by-step instructions.

Preinstallation#

Before installation day, Users, with the assistance of Denowatts support, configure the project in the Deno Portal. Projects are created as Sites in the Deno data hierarchy. Sites have several components, including energy models, channels (equipment producing data), geolocational data, etc. Sites have an Owner and Providers that the Owner allows to access the Site and related data.

Related pages: Data Ingestion Setup, Virtual Site Builder, and Model Management.

Day 0#

Deno commissioning includes Deno Gateway and Sensor validation. Deno Gateways are reviewed for proper wiring, including Network Connection and RS485 connection. Deno Sensors are checked for radio signal strength, mounting orientation, and data validation. Installers upload images through the mobile app, and the Denowatts support team reviews them in real time to ensure each sensor is installed properly before leaving the project site.

Deno site setup is tracked in the Deno Portal. Sites and individual projects are created in the portal when Quotations are accepted. The Site Setup Tracker shows users what steps are complete, including responsibility. General steps include documentation (customer), portal configuration (Denowatts), Installation (customer), and Data Validation (Denowatts). Punchlist items not addressed during installation, additional required information, and issues that customers must address are created as Tasks for customers to complete. Issues or questions that arise during any stage of the project are organized as Tickets for Denowatts support team to address.

When pre-configured, the data will immediately offer initial site performance insight, though the project will remain in a Commissioning stage for several days to confirm optimal benchmarking accuracy. For example, a sunny day is often needed to confirm Deno sensor orientation is aligned with site-produced power. Denowatts uses tools to check generating equipment data and benchmarking data quality during commissioning.

Day 1#

Once commissioning is complete and the Deno Benchmark has reached an acceptable quality, the site is given an Active and Learning status. This means that Denowatts is confident in the Expected (Owner’s) benchmark and is ready to construct the Learned (Operator’s) benchmark. From a data perspective, the project is born and ready for decades of performance reporting and optimization!

Month 1#

Many customers request Denowatts’ ISO 17025 Accredited Capacity and Energy tests. These tests are optional and include additional system performance commissioning support and ASTM E2848 and IEC 61724-2 and -3 test reports. The capacity test is a common contractual milestone during substantial completion. Users can track the status of a capacity test in real time in the Deno Portal. For example, project managers may run test reports to preview results daily until they obtain the required number of valid points under their contract. Once the project meets the required performance, Users may request a record ISO 17025 Accredited Capacity or Energy Test Report. Denowatts laboratory team reviews the results and test reports for accuracy and data quality, and then produces the final report for customer delivery to counterparties.

Year N#

Every minute of every day throughout the project lifecycle, Denowatts ingests and curates data, benchmarks and learns performance, and reports performance to customers and service providers. Performance benchmarks are calculated using 5-second interval data and physics-based model pipelines. Denowatts’ backend Python environment is rich with curation modules to transform raw data into curated 5-minute records. Examples of curation modules include cumulative spread for data recreation, satellite backfill for missing data, and loss-detection modules such as snow and shade.

The Denowatts Data Quality Management System (DQMS) is a system operated by Denowatts to review raw and curated data to ensure clean, reliable data is delivered to users.

Users can use the Deno Portal to view Site and Portfolio Status, track equipment alarms, understand real-time and historical performance, and review logged Events that tell the history of the project. The charting interface is built on Plotly Dash Enterprise—a robust Business Intelligence tool built for data scientists. A key feature of Plotly Dash Enterprise is the use of callbacks—a tool for user interaction with the data for manual curation, repairs, and event creation. The Deno Portal has a Report module where users can create and schedule reports on any metric and KPI, with custom delivery options.

DenoAI, an agentic support tool for navigating the Deno Portal, provides answers to site performance, benchmark methodology, what-to-do suggestions, and configuration support. DenoAI and the Deno Portal are constantly being improved and upgraded with new features to support asset performance management. Denowatts recommends users visit DenoAI and ask “What are my capabilities” to learn more about how Deno agentic support is changing asset performance management.