A virtual meter in the AMR EMASYS application is a user-defined meter that combines data from one or more metering points using a formula. It is used when the user wants to combine consumption from multiple meters, separate part of the consumption, monitor residual consumption, detect losses, or calculate actual consumption for a facility with a photovoltaic system.

What is a virtual meter?

A virtual meter is a fictitious meter that does not exist as a physical metering point. Instead, it is calculated based on data from actual meters or previously created virtual meters.

The formula can include one or more metering points, for example:

• M1 + M2 for summing consumption
• M1 – M2 for separating part of the consumption
• Billing meter – submeters for residual consumption or loss detection
• Imported electricity + produced electricity – exported electricity for calculating actual consumption with a photovoltaic system

When should you use a virtual meter?

A virtual meter is useful when individual metering points do not provide a clear enough view of consumption for analysis, control, or reporting.

It is most commonly used when the user wants to:

• combine multiple meters into one view,
• separate the consumption of individual areas or units,
• monitor the total consumption of a complex or site,
• calculate residual or unmeasured consumption,
• detect possible losses or inefficiencies,
• calculate the actual consumption of a facility with a photovoltaic system.

Overview of the most common use cases

1. Combining multiple consumption values into one view

When to use it: When the user has several related consumption values and wants to monitor them as one total value.

Example 1: Cold water and hot water are displayed as total water consumption.

Formula 1: CW + HW

Example 2: A site has two billing water meters which are added together to get total water consumption.

Formula 2: Billing water meter A + Billing water meter B

Result: The user gets a single overview of total water consumption without having to add the data manually.

2. Separating the consumption of unmeasured areas

When to use it: When several spaces or functional units share the same billing metering point but part of the consumption is measured separately.

Example: A restaurant, kitchen, and Building A share the same billing metering point (M1). If Building A has its own separate measurement (M2), the virtual meter can show the combined consumption of the restaurant and kitchen.

Formula: M1 – M2

Result: The user gets a clearer view of the consumption of individual functional units.

3. Total consumption of a complex

When to use it: When the user wants to combine the consumption of several buildings, billing units or metering points for the same utility.

Example: A university is made up of three different buildings each with their own meter.

Formula: Billing meter building A + Billing meter building B + Billing meter building C

Result: The user gets a single view of the total consumption of the complex, which is useful for reporting, cost monitoring and comparing consumption across periods.

4. Unknown or residual consumption

When to use it: When the user wants to see consumption that is not covered by existing control meters.

Example: A site has one billing meter for total consumption, but only some areas or processes are measured with submeters. By subtracting the known submeters from the billing meter, the virtual meter shows the remaining, unmeasured consumption.

Formula: Billing meter – all submeters

Result: The user can identify residual consumption that is not clearly visible in standard reports and may require further analysis, additional metering, or investigation.

5. Residual consumption in production

When to use it: When the user wants to monitor the difference between total production consumption and the consumption of known production processes.

Formula: Production input – Process A – Process B – Process C

Result: The user can monitor whether the production difference remains within expected values. If the difference is unusually high, it may indicate a leak, water loss, inefficient consumption or the need for additional metering.

6. Loss detection

When to use it: When the user wants to compare the main metering point with the sum of all control meters.

Formula: Billing meter – all submeters

Result: The user can detect possible losses of water, gas, steam or other energy source earlier.

7. Net electricity consumption with a photovoltaic system

When to use it: When a facility simultaneously imports electricity from the grid, produces its own electricity and exports surplus electricity back to the grid.

Formula: Imported electricity from the grid + produced electricity (PV) – exported electricity to the grid

Result: The user gets a view of the facility’s actual electricity consumption.

How is a virtual meter created in the AMR EMASYS application?

AMR Emasys users can create a virtual meter by selecting metering points and defining the formula that will be used to calculate the new value.

The user can include:

• actual metering points,
• previously created virtual meters,
• a combination of actual and virtual meters.

Better insight into consumption, less manual work

A virtual meter enables users to turn existing metering data into more useful and business-relevant views of consumption.

Its greatest advantage is flexibility: the user can define the exact view they need for analysis, control, or reporting. This reduces manual data processing, makes consumption easier to monitor and helps detect deviations at an early stage.

Need help planning your metering strategy?

Virtual meters deliver the greatest value when the actual metering points are well planned and aligned with your needs for analysis, control, and reporting.

If you are not sure which metering points to monitor, how to structure submeters or how to get more useful consumption views from your existing data, EMASYS can help you plan an optimal metering strategy.

Contact us for energy metering consulting and find out how to make better use of data from your remote meter reading system to reduce consumption, detect deviations and manage energy and water more efficiently.