Energy per Specimen

Definition

Energy per Specimen (EpS) is the facility's total electrical energy consumption attributable to cultivation, expressed as watt-hours per specimen per day. The numerator is metered cultivation energy — lighting, climate, pumping, dosing, drone recharge, and sensor mesh — over a trailing 24-hour basis; the denominator is the mean Specimens Under Care (VC-MET-300) across that window. It is an intensity figure: it answers how much energy the facility spends to keep each living accession healthy.

Why it matters

EpS is the facility's primary energy-efficiency benchmark and a leading indicator of plant or infrastructure inefficiency. A rising intensity with stable population signals lighting degradation, climate fighting itself, pump cavitation, or a control loop oscillating — costs that accrue silently. Because it is population-normalized, EpS lets the Directorate compare efficiency across seasons and capacity levels. CHLORA trends it on the Operations Dashboard and uses it to target energy-recommissioning work.

Formula

EpS is metered cultivation energy normalized by mean population over a 24-hour basis:

EpS = E_cultivation,24h / SUC_mean,24h      [Wh·specimen⁻¹·d⁻¹]

where:
  E_cultivation,24h = Σ metered sub-loads over trailing 24 h
       = E_light + E_climate + E_pump + E_dose
       + E_drone_charge + E_mesh + E_aux
  SUC_mean,24h = time-weighted mean Specimens Under Care
                 (VC-MET-300) over the same window

Reported hourly as a rolling 24-h figure (not a midnight reset)
to suppress diurnal lighting cycles in the headline.

Sub-load attribution published alongside as a breakdown so a
rise can be traced to lighting vs. climate vs. pumping.

Normalization caveat: if SUC_mean changes > 5% within the
window, EpS carries a POP_SHIFT note (denominator moving).

Inputs

Units & Scale

EpS is reported in Wh·specimen⁻¹·d⁻¹ to two decimal places on a rolling 24-hour basis. It is an intensity ratio, not additive; sub-load breakdowns are published so a change can be attributed. The rolling window deliberately spans a full photoperiod so the headline is not dominated by lighting on/off cycles. A POP_SHIFT note is attached when the population denominator moves more than 5% within the window, and a closure flag is raised if sub-loads fail to reconcile with the main incomer within 2%.

Sampling & Source

• Recomputed every 1 hour by CHLORA as a rolling trailing-24-hour figure.
• Sub-load energy metered on the PhytoSense Mesh; population denominator from VC-MET-300 (CHLORA).
• Reported on a 24-h basis to suppress diurnal lighting cycles in the headline value.
• Stale handling: meter dropout → hour marked partial and DEGRADED; denominator shift > 5% → POP_SHIFT note.

Thresholds

Recent Trend

Facility energy intensity in Wh·specimen⁻¹·d⁻¹, last 14 hourly updates:

Interpretation Guidance

Related Metrics

Related SOPs

• SOP Library — energy accounting and recommissioning procedures.
• Sub-load attribution & recommissioning on WARN/CRIT — see the SOP Library.
• Energy-meter closure monitoring & fault alerts — Monitoring Systems.