Energy Management Dashboard

Introduction 

Organizations can now optimize power consumption, reduce operating costs, and support global sustainability initiatives by leveraging the insights provided on the Energy Management Dashboard. The dashboard provides visibility into energy usage trends and sustainability metrics, empowering organizations to make informed, data-driven decisions.

At the core of the Energy Management Dashboard are the energy metrics, which use data from two sources: Electricity Maps and the International Energy Agency (IEA). Electricity Maps offers real-time and historical insights into carbon intensity (kg CO2/kWh), energy mix, and renewable energy percentages. The IEA complements this with historical data on carbon emissions and electricity rates (e.g., USD/kWh), filling gaps where real-time data is unavailable. Initial estimates from power plants and energy providers are refined over time for greater accuracy.

In addition to external data sources, the dashboard also collects power consumption data from connected devices. This data is derived based on factors such as device type, firmware, and other variables.

The data collected aims to provide an accurate representation of the system's overall power consumption and takes into account both the device's energy use and any potential additional power losses.

Note: The Energy Management Dashboard is currently focused on PoE-enabled Meraki switches (MS series). Future updates will expand support to include additional Meraki and Catalyst devices.

The following are some of the key benefits of using the Energy Management dashboard:  

• Energy Insights: Get insight of how much energy your network consumes, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh), broken down by switches, networks, and time periods.  

• Environmental Impact: Measure and track the carbon footprint of your organization in kilograms of CO2 equivalent (kg CO2e).  

• Cost Optimization: Estimate energy costs in your local currency (e.g., USD, EUR) and identify opportunities to reduce expenses.  

• Sustainability Goals: Align your organization with corporate and regulatory sustainability objectives to drive effective action. 

Getting Started

1. From the Organization Menu, select Sustainability to access the Energy Management dashboard.   

2. Select a network. From the Network Picker, choose a specific network or select All Networks to view aggregated data for all networks within your organization. When a single network is selected, metrics are filtered to show data only for that network.

3. Select a month. From the Month Selector, choose a month for which the data must be displayed. By default, the dashboard shows data for the previous month. You can select data for up to six months of historical energy usage.
   

4. View the usage data in the widgets. The dashboard consists of three main widgets:  

   • Summary: Provides an overview of energy consumption, cost, and carbon emissions for the selected network(s). If "All Networks" is selected, the summary displays aggregated data for all networks within the organization. The arrow in the summary indicates a change in metrics compared to the previous month:
     
     

     • A red arrow pointing upward indicates an increase in cost, energy use, or greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

     • A green arrow pointing downward indicates a decrease, suggesting improved efficiency or a reduced environmental impact.

     • These visual indicators help users assess trends and take corrective actions to optimize energy use, reduce costs, or minimize environmental impact.

   • Energy Consumption: Displays daily energy usage trends, including average daily usage and cost. You can view metrics for the top five networks and the top five switches. Select View All Networks or View All Switches to access a paginated list of all available networks and switches.
     
     

   • Emissions: Highlights carbon emissions and the top energy-consuming networks.