Future/current commands are periodic commands that Plant Optimizer sends to your plant automation system. CUP analyzes your equipment and continuously calculates operational improvements. At intervals of 15 minutes, CUP issues commands to your plant automation system. For more information about setting dispatch interval, see Configuring your optimization parameters.
You can view the duration of time until the next dispatch in the upper right of the user interface. The dispatch countdown timer reflects an approximate duration until CUP generates and issues the next dispatch. When each dispatch occurs, the data in the Future/Current Commands menu updates to reflect the changes that the dispatch makes.
The Future/Current Commands menu in the upper left of the user interface contains several options to view current and future setpoint recommendations:
- 1-HR Equipment Selection page displays the operational status of all of your primary equipment. By default, this page shows the target commands of equipment for all dispatches. Use the toggle button to show the actual status of equipments for the current and previous two dispatches. While the solver is running to predict future dispatches, the equipment values for columns in the future display as Pending. The previous dispatch values remain displayed until the dispatch completes and the new data is received. The new data replaces the values. This data change is also indicated by the status change in the table from pending (gray text, lighter fill color, and hashed border) to a different status value with a solid color.
- 1-HR Equipment Setpoints page displays target values for current dispatches, the previous two recommended setpoints, and one hour of future setpoint recommendations. Use the toggle to show actual values for the current and previous two dispatches. If a significant change occurs between the prior recommended setpoint value and the current value, the current and future dispatch columns highlight the values in yellow. While the solver runs to predict future dispatches, the temperature values for the future columns display as Pending. The previous dispatch values remain displayed until the new data is received and overrides the existing values. The threshold for what percentage change constitutes a significant change between future/current commands is configured for each individual setpoint during commissioning. The typical values are >0.06% for temperatures and >0.2% for dP/flow rates. Changes below 0.5°F are not highlighted and remain gray.
- 1-HR Full Dispatch page displays the CUP and plant automation system commands, setpoints, and actual values for all equipment organized by loop and for load coils. You can view the current dispatch, the previous two future/current commands, and one hour of predictive data. Click the arrow on the left side of the page to view the 1-HR Full Dispatch page for previous future/current commands. Click the arrow on the right side of the page to view predictions for the next hour. On the Future Dispatch Interval pages, the title displays the word Pending until the dispatch completes for that interval. The data displays on the page when it is received. Pumps for each loop are also available on the 1-HR Full Dispatch page, at the end of each loop. You can optionally toggle which pumps are displayed. Under the Load Coil section, you can find load coil information in the tables. You can view the Load Coil Enable Active Setpoint value in the CoilStatus table, which displays if a load coil is active or inactive. Device status and power usage data including target values, setpoints, and actual recorded values are displayed for each pump. Pumps that are shared between loops are listed in each individual loop.
- 7-Day Subplant Loading page displays a high-level visualization of load allocation among plants or subplants over time. The content of this chart varies depending on the energy types that you produce and consume. The vertical red line indicates the current time. When CUP generates a new dispatch, the chart updates automatically.
For a heating and cooling production chart, the production from each chiller and hot water generator, energy storage tank contributions, the load line, and unmet loads are displayed.