User Guide

Instructions on how to get the most out of the software

Introduction

This guide provides instructions to help you get the most out of the Ecologic assessment and retrofit platform.

    Describing your property

    The following instructions describe how to use the software interface to accurately describe the building occupants, features, and appliances.

      Answering questions

      The audit process comprises a series of questions, each with a specific form control suitable to collect the type of data requested.

      Some common form controls include:

      • option buttons, which allows a single selection to be defined from a set of choices, for instance, what type of building you have
      • checkboxes, which allow multiple selections to be defined from a set of choices, for instance, what sorts of insulation you have installed
      • ranges, which allow a number to be defined between two range extents by dragging a handle,
      • spinners, which allow a number to be defined arbitrarily, either by clicking in the text field and typing or by clicking the plus or minus buttons either side of the field,


      There are also several special form controls that are unique to this software:

      • the building control, which allows the building geometry, zoning, and shading to be specified on an aerial photograph (see 'Describing your building')
      • the multiset control, which allows large numbers of similar appliances to be defined, for instance, collections of televisions or fridges (see below)


      Questions are grouped into sections, with each section representing a particular building feature, fixture or appliance. Sections are turn grouped into steps, which represent collections of similar sections such as those sections on utilities, the building occupants, electronic appliances etc.

      the multiset control

        Adding more detail

        Instead of overwhelming you with questions, we've gone with a more layered approach.

        Questions are grouped by priority, with critical questions such as the type of heating system shown prominently, and more detailed questions shown in optional slide-out forms.

        To add more detail about a property feature simply click 'more detail' in the bottom right of the question pane and the additional questions will slide out from below the top-level question. For instance, if you need to adjust the thermostat setting of your heating system, simply navigate to the heating question and click 'more detail', to view the thermostat questions.

          How defaults work

          If you don't want to answer a question that's no problem. We fill any unanswered questions with smart defaults.

          The defaulting logic varies from question to question and is detailed in the Engineering Reference Documentation however the following provides some simple examples:

          • if the building or appliance is old, it is likely to have poorer performance
          • if a building is occupied throughout the day, they are more likely to use appliances, lighting and HVAC equipment during the day
          • if a building is large, then they are likely to have more appliances and lighting fixtures


          Many defaults are location-specific, such as the local electricity tariff structure and rates, or the most common heating or cooling system.

          The default is typically shown in the audit interface as a pre-selected question.

            Getting more information

            If you're unsure how to answer a question or if you'd like to learn a bit more about a particular question, you can access more contextual information, including what the data is used for and a detailed description of how to answer the questions, including a detailed description of each of the question choices where relevant.

            To access more information click the small 'i' button next to the question. This will launch a panel on the right of the app.

              Describing your building

              A range of details are requested about your building to assess how it is likely to perform throughout the year and how much energy your heating and cooling systems are likely to use. This includes:

              • the building type
              • the building age
              • the wall details (wall type, eave depth etc)
              • the window details (glazing type, frame type, coverings etc)
              • foundation details
              • roof details


              In addition, the questionnaire includes a widget to describe the specific floor plan and features of the building.

              To specify the building floor plan:

              1. Firstly, you will need to specify the exterior boundary of the building or the boundary of the dwelling or premise if a multi-tenant building. To do this click on one of the corners of the building and then continue in a circuit around each of the corners of the building and then click 'done'.
              2. If you wish to divide the building into zones (e.g. if the building has heaters and/or coolers serving different parts of the building), click 'add zones', then 'add zone divider' and then click on the wall you wish to divide, then click any internal zone corners and finish the divider by clicking on another existing wall (internal or external).
              3. Once you have finished creating walls and zones, you can edit walls by clicking on a wall or edit zones by clicking anywhere within the zone. This will show a modal box with the relevant details of that wall or zone.


              For many buildings we are able to provide a default floor plan using machine vision of satellite imagery. In those situations, a default floor plan will be provided in advance of your assessment that you can edit as necessary.

              Your answers to the building-wide questions will be applied as defaults to the entirety of the building. If you wish to specify an exception for a specific wall (e.g. a different wall construction or window area) you need to edit that wall individually. Simply click on an existing wall to edit, which will show a dialogue box, with a set of questions for that wall (e.g. wall type, window area, external boundary condition, eave depth etc).

              Similarly, the heating and cooling systems specified in the earlier questions are applied by default to all floors and zones in the building. If you wish to specify an exception for a specific zone (e.g. a different heating / cooling system or a different thermostat setting for a specific zone) you need to edit that zone individually by clicking and editing that zone.

              the Map control

              Assessing your options

              Once the simulation have been completed you will be sent a list of charts to help you analyse your energy use and help you develop a tailored energy plan.

              The first page provides a sense of how the property performs, including a comparison of the property energy consumption with equivalent typical and efficient properties and a breakdown of which appliances consume the most energy to run. Similar comparisons and breakdowns can be provided for the water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and bills.

              the Audit Results Page

              The second page provides information to help you identify your preferred actions to reduce your bills and your impact. This includes the estimated cost of each action, together with the estimated bill savings you're likely to achieve, taking into consideration your unique situation.

              You can add or remove actions from your plan by clicking on the checkboxes. Once you're happy with your selection click 'create plan' to pledge your actions and create your plan.

              the Assess Page

                Acting on your plan

                We have provided a range of services to help you implement your tailored action plan.

                In the planner you are presented with a card for each of the actions you nominated earlier.

                We have prepared a set of guides, online resources and external links to help you act on your plan, all accessible by clicking 'more info'.

                For many actions we have also prepared a set of offers from local product or service providers. To request a specific offer, click 'Buy now' or ''Get Quote' and fill out the form provided. This will forward your contact details and any other necessary details to your preferred product or service provider.

                the Plan Page

                  Professional features

                  This section provides instructions on how to perform several features that are available to Pro and Partner team members.

                  The professional features are designed for users providing building energy and carbon advice to households and businesses. Pro team members have a range of extra capabilities including managing multiple properties on behalf of client households and businesses, generating PDF reports and managing team members.

                  To become a pro click the profile button in the top right corner of the app and then click 'Create Team'. You can then upgrade to a pro team by clicking 'Become a Pro' in the team admin page.

                    Managing properties

                    To review the property profiles for your team click the 'list' button or 'home' button on the top menu. You should see a set of headline profile counts at the top of the page, followed by an interactive map and table showing all the property profiles listed under your team.

                    To create a new property click the plus button in the top right navigation menu. If you are a member of multiple teams, you will need to select which team to create the property under.

                    To edit existing properties, click the buttons to the right of each property in the profile table, including review / edit the rating, review / edit the action plan.

                    To generate a PDF report for the property click 'PDF' next to the relevant property. You can also generate a PDF report within the profile view using the top right navigation menu.

                    To generate a CSV report of all property data click the download / cloud button at the top of the table (Note: you will need to have Admin team access level to perform this function).

                    the CRM Dashboard for Ecologic Pro

                      Generating reports

                      To generate a report you have two options.

                      • If you are working within an existing report you can click the PDF icon in the top menu bar
                      • If you are in the Team Dashboard view (accessed by clicking the 'list' or 'home' button) click the PDF button next to the relevant property in the property table


                      To edit the report template including the report logo, standard text copy or styling:

                      1. Navigate to your Team Admin console by clicking the 'profile' icon in the top right navigation menu and then clicking your team from the dropdown menu
                      2. Click 'Update report text' to provide standard content for the beginning or end of the generated PDF reports
                      3. Click 'Update report images' to update the cover image, header or footer images


                      PDF reports

                        Managing team members

                        To edit your team navigate to the team console by clicking the 'profile' icon button in the top right of the app, then selecting your team and clicking the 'Team Members' panel. Note, you will need Admin access to add and edit team members. Contact your team administrator if you need this access level.

                        To add a team member:

                        1. click the 'Invite Team Members' button within the member admin panel (see above)
                        2. provide the email address that your team member used to sign up and the
                        3. specify the access level that you intend for the user, for a rough guide


                        To change the access level for a team member, click the 'pencil' button next to the relevant team member and modify their access level using the dropdown menu.

                        The different access levels can perform a different range of features.

                        • members can create properties under a team but can only access and review those properties they have created or those that have been assigned to them
                        • managers have the same rights as members but can also access and review all properties across the team, regardless of who the property is created by / assigned to
                        • admins have the same rights as managers but can also add and remove team members

                        To delete a team member click the 'bin' button next to the the relevant team member

                        the Map control

                        Supplier features

                        This section provides instructions on how to perform several features that are available to supplier team members.

                        The supplier features are designed for businesses offering energy and carbon saving products and services to households and businesses in the platform marketplace. Supplier team members have a range of extra capabilities including the creation and management of offers and the creation and management of projects created on the platform.

                        To become a supplier click the profile button in the top right corner of the app and then click 'Create Team'. You can then upgrade to a supplier team by clicking 'Become a Supplier' in the team admin page.

                          Managing offers

                          To create or manage your offers you'll need to navigate to your Team dashboard by clicking the home button, then clicking the 'Offers' tab.

                          You should see a table of existing offers specified for your team.

                          Each offer has the following features:

                          • Offer name: the title of the product or service offer displayed to customers
                          • Logo: an image displayed in the offer summary listing, the logo will be dynamically resized but it will look the best if roughly square in dimensions and a reasonable resolution
                          • Images: up to 3 images of the product or service used in the offer detail listing (ideally large and high resolution)
                          • Summary: a short one or two sentence summary describing the product or service offer
                          • Description: roughly 3 paragraphs of rich text providing a detailed description of the product or service offer
                          • Price (optional): a price (fixed price), pricing rate (e.g. per lighting fixture, per floor area), or estimated price range (if a project specific variable price)


                          To create an offer click 'Create offer' above the Offers table.

                          To edit an existing offer click 'Edit' next to an offer in the table.

                          To publish an offer, click 'Publish' next to an offer in the table and select which domains to publish to.

                          To create and manage offers you need to be registered as an admin or manager within a Supplier team. If you don't have access, contact your team admin.

                            Managing projects

                            Projects can be reviewed and managed in the projects dashboard. To navigate to the projects dashboard click the home button and then click the Projects tab in the top of the page.

                            You should see an interactive map and table of all projects currently requested or in progress for your team.

                            For each project you should see the following features:

                            • Offer: the name of the offer
                            • Project type: the specific action being taken by the customer, e.g. lighting, solar, showerhead
                            • Client details: the contact details of the customer including name, phone, email and address
                            • Quoted price: the specific price listed against the offer that was taken (if provided)
                            • Active: whether the project is still active
                            • Created: the date that the project was created
                            • Status: the current status label or labels for the project, typically the project pipeline status ('Lead', 'Quote', 'Proposal', 'Progress', 'Complete')


                            To edit the project status click the 'Plus' button or clicking an existing project status flag.

                            To edit the project status labels, you'll need to be a team admin and navigate to the Labels tab in the Team admin page. We suggest matching your project status labels to match your CRM status labels if you are syncing the project status to your CRM.

                            Partner features

                            This section provides instructions on how to perform several features available to partner team members.

                            The partner features are designed for businesses, councils, governments and community groups that wish to offer an integrated energy and carbon advice service to their community or network. Partner team members have a range of extra capabilities including managing their own custom branded partner gateway, managing a network of suppliers, and coordinating email and social media campaigns.

                            To become a partner click the profile button in the top right corner of the app and then click 'Create Team'. You can then upgrade to a partner team by clicking 'Become a Partner' in the team admin page.

                              Managing your gateway

                              Your Ecologic Partner subscription includes a Gateway or white-labelled instance of the Ecologic Platform for your networks to self assess their properties. To edit your gateway click the Gateway tab in the Team admin section (you'll need team admin access to edit your gateway).

                              Your Gateway includes the ability to provide the following customisations:

                              • Logo: a logo image displayed in the app and reports, prefer 400px (w) x100px (h) with transparent background, clearly legible at small sizes
                              • URL: a URL subdomain used to access your gateway, must have no spaces or special characters (i.e. yourcompanyname.ecologicapp.com)
                              • Theme: the default theme for the gateway, currently either 'light' or 'dark'
                              • Primary colour: the primary colour for highlighted features in the app interface
                              • Secondary colour: the secondary colour for highlighted features in the app interface

                                Managing your marketplace

                                Ecologic Partner allows you to centrally coordinate which suppliers can promote products or services in your marketplace. Once supplier offers are approved for the marketplace, you can then monitor supplier quotes and projects in realtime to ensure customers receive value for money, quality products and superior customer service.

                                To review supplier offers visit the Marketplace tab in the Team dashboard (you'll need to be a team admin or manager).

                                You should see a table of all current offers listed in your Partner domain together with all offer requests.

                                To review an existing offer or offer request click 'review' next to an offer in the table.

                                To unpublish an existing offer click the 'unpublish' button next to an existing offer in the offer table.

                                To approve an offer request click 'approve' next to an offer request in the offer request table.

                                  Managing campaigns

                                  Ecologic Partner provides several features to support effective email and social media campaigns.

                                  To track the performance of campaigns, Ecologic allows UTM parameters to be included in email and social media links. This does not require any configuration within Ecologic, however it is important to embed the UTM params including source and campaign ID in the shared hyperlink.

                                  To streamline user onboarding for email direct marketing campaigns, the software also provides support for key user details, such as name and email address to be included in a 'magic link'. Essentially, the user's details are embedded in an encrypted key, which is included in the email hyperlink. When the user clicks this link, their details will be forwarded to our database and an account automatically generated for them. To enable this feature you will need to obtain an encryption key from us and we will assist you with creating the 'magic links'.

                                    Monitoring progress

                                    Ecologic Partner provides the ability to monitor the participation rates, program impacts and project status in realtime using the campaign dashboard.

                                    To monitor program participation including the number of households and business participants and their onboarding status, click the 'Profiles' tab. You should see the following headline metrics:

                                    • 'profiles' is the total number of households and businesses
                                    • 'results' is the total number of completed household and business profiles
                                    • 'plans' is the total number of household and businesses who have nominated their preferred actions


                                    To monitor program impacts including the number of actions taken, their utility bill savings and their greenhouse gas reductions, click the 'Actions' tab and review the following headline metrics:

                                    • 'actions' is the total count of actions committed by the program participants
                                    • 'bill savings' is the total estimated electricity, gas and water bill savings attributed to the committed actions
                                    • 'carbon savings' is the total estimated greenhouse gas reduction attributed to the committed actions, expressed as tonnes CO2 equivalent


                                    To monitor project status including the number, type and status of projects deployed via the platform, click the 'Projects' tab.

                                    To analyse the geographic distribution of program participation, program impacts or program projects, use the interactive map below the headline metrics.

                                    To analyse participant segments input a query using the search or filter buttons in each of the tables above. The program monitoring metrics, interactive map and table will automatically update to reflect the section.