Your Emporia devices continuously monitor and record energy data, giving you detailed insights into your home’s electrical usage over time. This article explains how measurement data is stored, which units are used, and how Balance helps you understand unmonitored consumption.
How measurement data is stored
Emporia devices measure energy in real time and store data at multiple resolutions to balance detail with long-term accessibility. Your energy data is captured and stored at different time intervals.
Data resolutions
1-second interval data (1SEC): Measurements every second, available only in CSV exports, with approximately 3 hours of storage.
1-minute interval data (1MIN): Measurements every minute, stored for up to 7 days, and available via CSV export.
15-minute intervals: Stored for up to one year and exportable via CSV; your current monthly 15-minute peak appears in Graphs.
Hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly data: Aggregated measurements are preserved long-term and available in both the app and CSV exports.
Time period boundaries
Understanding when each period starts and ends helps align Emporia data with your billing cycle.
Hour resolution: The 1:00 AM entry includes data from 1:00:00 AM to 1:59:59 AM.
Day resolution: 12:00 AM – 11:59 PM.
Week resolution: Monday at 12:00 AM – Sunday at 11:59 PM.
Month resolution: By default, runs from the 1st to the last day; if you set a billing date (for example, the 8th), the month runs from that date to the day before it in the following month.
Initial device operation
During the first hour of operation, newly connected devices may show slight discrepancies in hourly and daily data because a complete hour of measurements is required for accurate aggregation. This behavior is expected and does not indicate an error.
In-Grid and Out-to-Grid data
In-Grid and Out-to-Grid metrics are calculated from sensor data and shown on the Home screen for daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly time resolutions. These values are not included in CSV exports and are not currently available on the Graphs page.
Units of measurement
Emporia devices support multiple units of measurement, so you can view your energy usage in the format that best matches your goals and utility billing.
Available units
Kilowatts (kW) / Kilowatt-hours (kWh): Measure power and energy consumption over time and are the standard units used by utilities for billing.
Amps (A) / Amp-hours (Ah): Measure electrical current and cumulative usage, useful for understanding individual circuit loads.
Currency: Shows cost estimates by applying your configured electricity rate to measured energy usage.
Volts (V): Displays average voltage between each live phase and neutral.
Power vs. energy
Understanding the distinction between power and energy is essential for interpreting your measurements.
Power (kW or A): Real-time measurements updated at second, minute, or 15-minute intervals that reflect instantaneous or short-term usage; for example, an air conditioner drawing 1.5 kW right now.
Energy (kWh or Ah): Cumulative usage over time; for example, an air conditioner using 1.5 kW for 3 hours consumes 4.5 kWh.
How data is displayed by time resolution
The app automatically adjusts which units are shown based on the selected time period.
Live (seconds) and minute-based views: Display power in kilowatts (kW) to show near real-time usage.
Hour, day, week, month, and year views: Display energy in kilowatt-hours (kWh) or Amp-hours (Ah) for long-term analysis and billing alignment.
Understanding Balance
Balance helps you identify energy usage that is not directly tracked by your individual circuit sensors.
What Balance represents
In the Emporia app, Balance is the difference between total energy usage measured by your main sensors (200A CTs) and the combined usage of your monitored circuit sensors (50A CTs). It effectively represents energy consumed by circuits that are not directly monitored by 50A sensors.
How Balance is calculated
Balance is calculated using this equation.
Balance=Mains Usage−Sum of Circuit Usages (Circuits 1–16)Balance=Mains Usage−Sum of Circuit Usages (Circuits 1–16)
Mains Usage: Total energy measured by the 200A main sensors.
Sum of Circuit Usages: Combined energy usage of all circuits monitored by the 50A sensors.
Interpreting Balance values
A Balance value is neither inherently good nor bad; its meaning depends on how many circuits you monitor.
Expected Balance: If you only monitor key circuits, Balance typically represents usage from unmonitored loads like lighting and small plug loads.
Low Balance: If all circuits are monitored, an ideal Balance is near zero, though small discrepancies can occur due to sensor tolerances or wiring differences.
Example scenario
In a typical household without solar, where only several circuits are monitored, Balance captures the remaining unmonitored usage.
Mains Usage: 100 kWh.
Circuit 1 (HVAC): 40 kWh.
Circuit 2 (Water Heater): 25 kWh.
Circuit 3 (Kitchen): 15 kWh.
Total monitored: 80 kWh.
Balance: 20 kWh, representing energy from unmonitored circuits such as lighting and small appliances.
Troubleshooting an Unexpected Balance
If Balance appears incorrect, review both the installation and configuration of your sensors. Confirm that all mains and circuit CTs are installed on the correct conductors and that multipliers are configured properly. Consider unmonitored solar production or misapplied multipliers, which can cause Balance to deviate significantly.
Feedback and suggestions
This knowledge base is designed to help you understand and manage your energy usage more effectively with Emporia products. If you find this article unclear or have suggestions for improvement, please contact the Emporia Customer Support team.