A data consolidation platform for a web-based energy information system

Abstract

Large energy consumers have recently experienced increasing pressure to reduce their energy consumption. The South African government therefore adapted legislation to provide financial incentives through Demand Side Management and tax incentive programmes aimed at conserving energy. However, to benefit from these programmes energy consumers need energy reporting tools to accurately manage their consumption. Therefore, a comprehensive data consolidation platform was developed. This platform provides users with a framework to import energy data and production data from multiple sources. The resulting dataset thus enables users to produce the required reports. Customised processing modules can also be added to the platform without adapting the plat-form's structure. These processing modules reformat files and save it in a generic format. These generic files are then archived and imported into the generic database. The platform was successfully implemented and used to consolidate data from nine large energy consumers in South Africa. The data consolidation platform was then combined with an on-line energy management system to produce reports. Three presented reports were then compiled from the comprehensive database and these comply with industry standards and templates. The generic data consolidation platform therefore allows users to manage energy related data by consolidating it into a single comprehensive data set. Energy report generation is simplified by combining the platform with an energy management system.