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Examples: User-defined battery charts and alarms

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In addition to the default charts and alarms, the portal also allows you to create user-defined charts and alarms to meet your specific battery monitoring needs. Use alarms to reliably detect issues, and use charts and heatmaps to understand and analyze the issues further.

This page lists examples for user-defined alarms, charts, and heatmaps to answer the most important battery monitoring questions:

  • Is the system safe?

  • Is the system operational?

  • How much energy is available?

  • What are the current trends?

Note

Be aware that the examples provided on this page are intended as general recommendations and are not an exhaustive list of monitoring configurations.

Every system and application should be individually evaluated—including potential edge cases—to determine the appropriate alarms, charts, heatmaps, and safety measures. Implementing the examples alone does not guarantee complete system safety or fault detection coverage.

Prerequisites

  • The data points mentioned in this page must be available in your system. See Available data points and categories.

  • Knowledge of your battery’s relevant thresholds. You can find this information in the respective data sheet.

Further actions

Combine charts and heatmaps into individual dashboards. See User-defined battery dashboards.

Is the system safe?

Set up alarms and charts to help you monitor system safety.

❗

Warning

Depending on the technology, chemicals, and application used, additional or different alarms may be required to ensure system safety.

Over-/Undervoltage

Required data points:

  • Max cell voltage B_U_CELL_MAX

  • Min cell voltage B_U_CELL_MIN

  • Voltage DC (battery) B_U_DC

Cause:

  • Overvoltage can be an indicator for damaged cells or faulty modules, cabling, or contactors.

❗

Warning

Overvoltage indicates that your battery is overcharging. This can lead to cell damage, accelerated aging, fire hazards, or failure or damage on PCS DC side.

Undervoltage indicates that your battery enters deep discharge. This can lead to cell damage and accelerated aging.

Once voltage drops below your PCS’s minimum DC voltage threshold, it can be very challenging to reconnect the battery to the PCS.

Monitoring options:

  • alarm Set up a user-defined static alarm to get notified when the voltage falls outside of your battery’s safe upper operating range.

Cell-level alarm specifications:

  • Severity: critical

  • Type: Batteries

  • Devices: all possible

  • Value: Max cell voltage B_U_CELL_MAX

  • Trigger alarm if the value is: greater than

  • In V, enter the upper threshold of your battery’s safe operating range.

Tip

If cell voltage is not available, use the next smallest hierarchy level, e.g. rack or module voltage.

Rack-level alarm specifications:

Note

Rack-level alarm is less precise than cell-level alarm.

  • Severity: critical

  • Type: Batteries

  • Devices: all racks

  • Value: Voltage DC B_U_DC

  • Trigger alarm if the value is: greater than

  • In V, enter the upper threshold of your battery’s safe operating range.

  • alarm Set up a User-defined static alarm to get notified when the voltage falls outside of your battery’s safe lower operating range.

Cell-level alarm specifications:

  • Severity: critical

  • Type: Batteries

  • Devices: all possible

  • Value: Min cell voltage B_U_CELL_MIN

  • Trigger alarm if the value is: greater than

  • In V, enter the lower threshold of your battery’s safe operating range.

Tip

If cell voltage is not available, use the next smallest hierarchy level, e.g. rack or module voltage.

Rack level alarm specifications:

Note

Rack-level alarm is less precise than cell-level alarm.

  • Severity: critical

  • Type: Batteries

  • Devices: all racks

  • Value: Voltage DC B_U_DC

  • Trigger alarm if the value is: less than

  • In V, enter the lower threshold of your battery’s safe operating range.

  • chart Set up a User-defined chart to analyze cell voltage spreads across battery units to detect imbalances early.

Chart specifications:

  • Data points:

    • Batteries > Max cell voltage B_U_CELL_MAX

    • Batteries > Min cell voltage B_U_CELL_MIN

  • Components: e.g. all racks in a container

  • View the chart in Day view

image-20260511-091711.png

  • chart Set up a User-defined chart to analyze the aggregated DC voltage, for example, of a complete rack, to detect anomalies and support safe operation within PCS and battery voltage limits.

Chart specifications:

  • Data points: Batteries > Voltage DC B_U_DC

  • Components: e.g. all racks

  • View the chart in Day view

image-20260511-093528.png
Heatmap specifications:

  • Data points: Batteries > Voltage DC B_U_DC

  • Components: all possible, e.g. all racks within a container

  • View the heatmap in Day view

image-20260527-113414.png
DC voltage (all containers) - heatmap

Over-/Undertemperature

Required data points:

  • Max cell temperature B_T_CELL_MAX

  • Min cell temperature B_T_CELL_MIN

  • Temperature (battery) B_T

Cause:

  • Differences in cell temperature could indicate cell damage or cooling/heating issues.

❗

Warning

Overtemperature can lead to thermal runaway, which can result in system failure and/or fire hazards.

If the temperature is above or below the operating temperature, the system may shut down.

Note

Undertemperature can lead to efficiency and lifetime loss.

Monitoring options:

  • alarm Set up a User-defined static alarm to detect and get notified when a cell's temperature inside a battery unit falls outside of the highest safe operating range.

Alarm specifications:

  • Severity: critical

  • Type: Batteries

  • Devices: all possible

  • Value: Max cell temperature B_T_CELL_MAX

  • Trigger alarm if the value is: greater than

  • In °C, enter the highest threshold of a cell’s safe operating range.

Tip

If cell temperature is not available, use the next smallest hierarchy level, e.g. module temperature.

  • alarm Set up a User-defined static alarm to detect and get notified when a cell's temperature inside a battery unit falls outside of the lowest safe operating range.

Alarm specifications:

  • Severity: normal

  • Type: Batteries

  • Devices: all possible

  • Value: Min cell temperature B_T_CELL_MIN

  • Trigger alarm if the value is: less than

  • In °C, enter the lowest threshold of a cell’s safe operating range.

Tip

If cell temperature is not available, use the next smallest hierarchy level, e.g. module temperature.

  • chart Set up a User-defined chart to analyze the cells’ min and max temperature within a battery unit at a glance.

Chart specifications:

  • Data points:

    • Batteries > Min cell temperature B_T_CELL_MIN

    • Batteries > Max cell temperature B_T_CELL_MAX

  • Components: all possible, e.g. all racks within a container

  • View the chart in Day view

Min and Max cell temperature, all racks, container 1, chart
Min + Max cell temperature (all racks, container 1) - chart

  • chart Set up a User-defined chart to analyze the battery temperatures within a battery unit, for example, a container. The temperature is influenced by heat dissipation from the battery cells, HVAC performance, and external weather influence.

Chart specifications:

  • Data points: Batteries > Temperature B_T

  • Components: e.g. all containers

  • View the chart in Day view

Note

Not all B_T values are necessarily comparable. Check which B_T values correspond to the ambient temperature.

image-20260511-083528.png
Ambient temperature (all containers) - chart

Charging/Discharging imbalance

Required data points:

  • Current DC (battery) B_I_DC

Note

Imbalanced charging and discharging is a risk for overheating.

Causes:

  • Imbalanced charging and discharging currents could indicate poor electrical contacts or connectors, or differences in the battery cells' internal resistance.

  • Could also indicate uneven load distribution.

Action:

  • If imbalanced charging and discharging currents occur regularly, maintenance is required.

Monitoring options:

  • chart Set up a User-defined chart to analyze the load distribution and activity over time.

Chart specifications:

  • Data points: Batteries > Current DC B_I_DC

  • Components: e.g. all racks

  • View the chart in Day view

DC current (all racks) - chart
DC current (all racks) - chart

  • heatmap Set up a User-defined heatmap to spot uneven DC currents across battery units at a glance.

Heatmap specifications:

  • Data points: Batteries > Current DC B_I_DC

  • Components: all possible, e.g. all containers

  • View the heatmap in Day view

DC current (all containers) - heatmap
DC current (all containers) - heatmap

Is the system operational?

Find out whether your system is ready for use.

Required data points:

  • Battery system status STATE[1..x]

  • Latest battery error code within the interval ERROR[1..x]

Note

Status and error codes have different meanings and can have different states depending on the battery type. Familiarize yourself with the codes specific to your battery so you can interpret the chart accordingly.

Monitoring options:

Chart specifications:

  • Data points:

    • Batteries > Battery system status STATE[1..x]

    • Batteries > Latest battery error code within the interval ERROR[1..x]

  • Components: all batteries

Possible statuses and error codes in different states
Possible statuses and error codes in different states

How much energy is available?

Analyze how much energy is/can be used right now.

Required data points:

  • Power AC (battery) P_AC

  • Chargeable energy AC B_E_CHARGE_AC and dischargeable energy AC B_E_DISCHARGE_AC

Monitoring options:

  • chart Set up a User-defined chart to analyze the actual power at PCS (AC side).
    This helps you to:

    • Detect unexpected power drops, clipping, or asymmetric behavior.

    • Confirm expected power profiles, for example, peak shaving, trading, grid services.

Chart specifications:

  • Data points: Batteries > Power AC P_AC

  • Components: all PCS

  • View the chart in Day or Week view

image-20260511-120225.png

  • chart Set up a User-defined chart to analyze the usable energy per battery container beyond raw SoC.
    This helps you to:

    • Verify whether the battery could operate, even if it was not.

Chart specifications:

  • Data points:

    • Batteries > Chargeable energy AC B_E_CHARGE_AC

    • Batteries > Dischargeable energy AC B_E_DISCHARGE_AC

  • Components: all containers

  • View the chart in Day or Week view

image-20260511-120940.png

Tip

If AC energy is not available, use DC energy instead B_E_CHARGE_DC and B_E_DISCHARGE_DC.

What are the current trends?

Set up alarms and charts to stay informed about recent developments.

SoC/State of charge imbalance

Required data points:

  • SoC/State of charge B_SOC

Action:

  • If you detect a large SoC spread, check if a balancing and/or SoC recalibration task is required.

Caution

A large SoC spread across battery units reduces the usable capacity, resulting in inefficient operation, lower revenue, and shorter battery lifetime.

Monitoring options:

Alarm specifications:

  • Severity: high

  • Type: Batteries

  • Devices/Components: all possible, e.g. racks or containers

  • Measurement: State of charge B_SOC

  • Calculation: Mean value

  • Deviation: Set the threshold for a relative or absolute deviation from the mean value.

  • heatmap Set up a User-defined heatmap to analyze unusual SoCs of your battery units and see deviations immediately.

Heatmap specifications:

  • Data points: Batteries > SoC/State of charge B_SOC

  • Components: all possible, e.g. all racks within a container

  • View the heatmap in Day or Month view

SoC, all racks, container 1 and 2, heatmap
SoC [%] - heatmap

SoH/State of health distribution

Required data points:

  • SoH/State of health B_SOH

Monitoring options:

  • chart Set up a User-defined heatmap to analyze health distribution across all battery units to detect uneven aging early.

Heatmap specifications:

  • Data points: Batteries > SoH/State of health B_SOH

  • Components: all battery units

  • View the heatmap in Month or Year view

FCE/Fully cycle equivalent

Required data points:

Monitoring options:

  • chart Set up a User-defined chart to monitor battery usage over time and compare battery utilization across battery units.

Chart specifications:

  • Data points: KPIs> FCE/Fully cycle equivalent

  • Components: all battery units

  • View the chart as of Day view

image-20260825-143128.png
FCE (all containers) – chart

Availability (battery)

Required data points:

Monitoring options:

Chart specifications:

  • Data points:

    • KPIs > Availability (battery)

  • Components: all battery units

  • View the chart as of Day view.

image-20260825-142632.png
Availability (all containers) – chart

Further examples of use

Peak shaving

Required data points:

  • SoC/State of charge (PPC) PPC_BAT_SOC_ABS

  • Sum of PV inverter active power (PPC) PPC_PV_P_AC_INV

  • Power (meter) [M_AC_P]

Monitoring options:

  • chart Set up a User-defined chart to analyze how the battery charges and discharges to limit grid power peaks.

Chart specifications:

  • Data points:

    • PPC > SoC/State of charge PPC_BAT_SOC_ABS

    • PPC > Sum of inverter active power PPC_PV_P_AC_INV

    • Meter > Power M_AC_P

  • Components: all batteries

image-20260512-065541.png


Zero feed-in/Band shaving

Required data points:

  • Sum of PCS active power (PPC) PPC_BAT_P_AC_INV

  • Power (meter) M_AC_P

  • Create a new term for load (meter value preferred if available). See Terms.

  • Create a new term for the discharging threshold. See Terms.

Monitoring options:

  • chart Set up a User-defined chart analyze band shaving with zero feed‑in by visualizing the sum of battery PCS active power alongside feed‑in meter power and load demand, highlighting how the battery discharges below a defined threshold to limit peaks and prevent grid export.

Chart specifications:

  • Data points:

    • PPC > Sum of PCS active power PPC_PV_P_AC_INV

    • Meter > Power M_AC_P

    • User-defined term for load

    • User-defined term for discharging threshold

  • Components: all batteries

image-20260512-070255.png