Getting Your Data Ready

Don't worry - preparing your data for LoadViz Pro is pretty straightforward. Here's what you need to know:

File Type - Keep It Simple

Save your file as a CSV (that's just a simple text file where values are separated by commas). Most spreadsheet programs can save as CSV - just look for "Save As" and choose CSV format.

Smart Column Detection

Good news - you don't need to rename your columns or put them in any special order! Our tool is pretty good at finding what it needs:

  • It'll look for your timestamps in columns with names like 'Date', 'Time', or 'Period'
  • It'll find your power usage in columns with names like 'Usage', 'kW', 'Load', or just numbers

If you have multiple possible columns, don't sweat it - we'll pick the ones that make the most sense.

Quick Tip About Headers

Adding a header row (like 'Timestamp' and 'kW') helps our tool work better, but it's not required. If you skip the header row, we'll figure it out from your data.

Timestamps - Nice to Have

Including timestamps makes your visualizations more meaningful, but they're optional. Here's the deal:

  • If you include timestamps: We can handle pretty much any format (YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS, MM/DD/YYYY HH:MM, or even Excel dates)
  • If you don't include timestamps: No problem! We'll create hourly timestamps starting from January 1st of this year

Power Usage Data - The Important Part

This is the one thing you definitely need - a column of numbers showing your power usage (usually in kW).

  • Just plain numbers - no "kW" or other text mixed in
  • We'll assume it's in kW, but any consistent unit works fine

Example Files

Here are some examples of files that'll work great:

Super Simple (just the numbers):

105.2
101.8
98.5

Basic Format (time and power):

Timestamp,Usage
2023-01-01 00:00:00,105.2
2023-01-01 01:00:00,101.8
2023-01-01 02:00:00,98.5

Different Order (still works fine):

Power,Time
105.2,01/01/2023 01:00
101.8,01/01/2023 02:00
98.5,01/01/2023 03:00

Complex File (we'll find the right columns):

Date,Time,Load_kW,Temp,Notes
2023/05/15,00:00,75.1,15.5,Normal
2023/05/15,01:00,72.3,15.1,
2023/05/15,02:00,70.9,14.8,

Things to Watch Out For

  • Don't add any extra text at the top of your file - start with your header row or data
  • Keep it simple - no merged cells or fancy formatting
  • Remove any units or symbols from your numbers (like "kW" or "$")
  • Try to keep your time intervals consistent (like every hour or every day)

That's all there is to it! If your file looks anything like the examples above, you're good to go. Give it a try and see what insights you can discover about your energy usage!