Interface 103
Interface is Future Energy’s revolutionary cloud-based, data visualization and energy-management software. Our clients use Interface to fully integrate, automate, and control all of their smart systems from a single pane of glass.
Interface connects intelligent building solutions such as lighting, safety and security systems, electric vehicle (EV) chargers, and many more smart systems on your property. Interface allows users to monitor and measure electrical use to lower costs, make strides toward sustainability goals, and generate proactive business decisions.
For additional information about Interface, see the first two installments of our Interface blog:
Interface 101: What is the importance of charging management software? How can your company get started using Interface?
Interface 102: How does Interface help with EV fleet management? What types of metrics does Interface track to bring value to your business?
Future Energy works as your partner, giving a human touch to the benefits the Interface software provides. In the Interface 103 guide, we demonstrate how Future Energy acts on your behalf to handle and interpret the data and analytics solutions that Interface provides. We help you focus on what’s most important to your business: driving value.
Integrating and Managing Your Building and EV Charger Energy Use
Interface obtains data from all the assets on your property that draw electricity. The software integrates these devices so you can measure and automatically manage energy use.
Real-Time Tracking
Exceeding your peak load allowance, even for a minute, can affect your energy rate for the whole year. Future Energy estimates that a one-time incident of exceeding your kilowatt demand could result in tens of thousands—or even hundreds of thousands—of dollars in annual electricity costs.
All of your Internet of Things (IoT) devices connect to Interface so the software tracks your energy use in real time. This allows Interface to automatically adjust power usage as it happens. For example, if you are charging multiple electric vehicles simultaneously, Interface can lower power consumption of another system so you remain beneath peak load.
Alerts
Using Interface, you can easily visualize the power usage throughout your property down to the individual hardware component. If your electricity use approaches a preset limit, Interface sends alerts directly to your mobile phone or other device.
Reporting
Interface generates reports that help the management of multiple sites and business divisions. You can obtain reports from individual systems up to enterprise-level overviews.
For example, Interface EV charging reports reveal:
- Utility power demand
- Cost of charging
- Charging session times
- Number of EVs charged
- Average station idle time, or charging efficiency
- Average and maximum power utilization
- Power utilization of the building vs. EV chargers
Building a Software and Hardware Ecosystem
Are you wondering how Interface is able to integrate all of your devices to drive value for your business? Here’s a look at how Future Energy provides an end-to-end system to help serve your needs.
Connecting Devices
All electrical devices on your property use smart meters, panels, breakers, and more to connect to Future Energy’s hardware, called Interface Edge. Interface Edge is a hub for all of your IoT devices including lighting, thermostats, video monitoring, and additional systems.
Through Interface Edge, your IoT devices talk to Interface Cloud. Interface Cloud is a virtual server that compiles live and historical data from all EV chargers, IoT devices, and energy usage within your company. Additionally, Interface Cloud automates and sends commands back to all devices.
Communicating with the Cloud
Your company doesn’t have to worry about IT or other technology needs. Future Energy installs a private cellular network as a conduit to the cloud to collect information and send commands. That way, Interface does not rely upon or interfere with your company’s pre-existing wireless or other networks.
Visualizing Information
Any authorized person in your business can use the Interface web software to access a dashboard that presents your energy usage in easy-to-read formats, such as graphs and charts. Interface reveals data concerning energy use for all of your systems and real-time operational status. The software also is capable of performing automations for any IoT device. These automations include turning a system on or off, adjusting energy use up or down, and load sharing among devices.
Identifying Value through the Human Touch
Interface provides your company with unparalleled amounts of data. All the data in the world is meaningless, though, without the ability to develop insights that drive business value. That’s where Future Energy’s Client Success Team comes in.
Providing Insight
Future Energy includes consulting and client success services with every paid Interface software subscription. Your company has a dedicated Future Energy expert assigned to your account who will provide:
- General customer support, troubleshooting, and emergency response
- Quarterly meetings to review your energy usage and provide data-driven recommendations
- Additional maintenance and ongoing site assessment through our Inspect service
Planning Future Objectives
Future Energy experts help interpret data from historical energy use to plan future energy budgets. Your energy management strategy should correlate with your financial objectives and company roadmap.
Active energy management is critical for many of our clients, especially as environmental initiatives become integrated into the roadmap. Interface’s utility insights module looks at your company’s utility spend across all utility use—electric, gas, and even water. In collaboration with your Client Success Team, you can use Interface to set targets, track toward those targets, and see emissions improvements based on those targets.
Offering Inspect Service
Your Client Success representative monitors your company’s Interface data and operations. This ensures uptime, monitors your energy efficiencies, and uncovers opportunities for your business to reduce costs.
In addition to identifying opportunities to optimize your energy use, Future Energy’s Client Success Team also provides more conventional services to keep your electrical systems and hardware running smoothly. If necessary, you can initiate a maintenance or service ticket directly through Interface.
Our field specialists conduct regular multipoint inspections of your electrical vehicle service equipment (EVSE). These experts evaluate all aspects of your hardware for wear and tear, corrosion, cables, seals, wiring, and more. In many cases, Interface can detect a hardware issue and notify your Client Success Team proactively.
Creating Business Value
Energy management is a complex process that involves more than just monitoring electrical systems. Interface helps companies integrate automated processes and use data for proactive decision-making to help strategize and build a roadmap for the future.
At Future Energy, we understand that no two businesses are the same. Our Client Success Team considers your unique use case as we set up and manage a simple, complete solution for our clients. The combination of software and our human experts streamlines tasks and reveals value.
Finding More Information on Interface
Our goal at Future Energy is to provide our clients with a simple, complete solution. Contact us today for more information about how our automated software solutions and dedicated experts can support the unique needs of your business.
Let’s Connect
Designing smart building connectivity begins with a personal connection. We’ll discuss your goals, budget and timeline, and take it from there.
