Microsoft Solar Energy Dashboard
Increased stakeholder decision efficiency by 25% and potentially impacts $5.28 billion solar energy output value
My Role
UX Designer
Apprenticeship
My Skills & Tool
Data visualization, Wireframing, Lo-fi prototyping, Hi-fi prototyping, UX design, Figma
Meet My Team
Peeyush Kumar, Microsoft supervisor*
Namratha Shivaraju, Front-end Developer
Chris Ge, Back-end Developer
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* To recruiter and hiring manager: My Microsoft supervisor has agreed to provide you with his Microsoft email for reference check purposes. Please message me if you require additional information.
Project Duration & Status
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6 months
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Delivered to Microsoft in March 2024
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To be shipped to B2B users soon
Project Overview
I created a managed charging dashboard for microgrid managers that helped with energy management
I designed and developed a managed charging dashboard during my Microsoft apprenticeship at the University of Washington. This dashboard was specifically created for managers of community microgrids in existing buildings or new construction. It helped them to effectively manage energy usage, which in turn benefitted their organizations and contributed to the community energy independence.
Solar microgrids are integrated networks of power for a community
Solar microgrids are integrated networks of power that generate clean electricity from the sun. Similar to how you and your neighbors receive electricity through a shared network, a solar microgrid captures, stores, and distributes energy to an entire community. To create a solar microgrid, large solar panels and batteries are installed in a central location, where all the necessary technology is stored in a secure room, often beneath the solar panels. The final step involves connecting electrical wiring from the central power location to nearby homes, businesses, and farms.
Problem
🔥 Building a community solar microgrid can be costly, which poses a challenge for communities that aspire to achieve energy independence.
Proof of Concept
💡 To help communities decide whether they want a community solar microgrid, a simulation tool is needed that includes energy consumption and generation and financial estimation.
Gaps in the secondary research
What is the decision-making process for the microgrid managers?
Community microgrid managers expressed interest in considering energy storage at the beginning of their decision-making process
My break-down strategy to to fill those gaps is as follows.
Findings and conclusions from the primary research
"🗣 I wish for a dashboard that displays data analysis to provide detailed insights and support decision-making"
— by 8 Community managers I interviewed
Insights I have identified that inform the concept direction
Key considerations for microgrid managers are estimated energy volume and financial factors to unlock energy independence
Phase 2: Design & Iteration
Power up energy management with critical data visualizations in energy balance, battery temperature, and energy efficiency
After conducting secondary research and user interviews, I have determined that the most critical data visualizations to appear on the dashboard overview are energy balance, battery temperature, and energy efficiency. In addition, users should be able to select a time frame using a time picker.
Maximizing energy efficiency is why daily battery temperature data is key
After conducting usability testing, I discovered that my initial assumption about the time picker was incorrect: users won't pick the same time frame for energy balance and the battery temperature. Users typically view monthly energy balance data, but if there are any issues with the energy balance, they tend to select the daily battery temperature data to identify the problem.
Final Design
Result​
1. List Design to Increase the Monitor Efficiency
Users usually manage 5-50 solar microgrid sets at the same time.
2. Mixing bar and line charts enhances warning sign detection
Instead of showing the data independently with a data tag filter, the data is shown together in two chat forms with tooltips.
3. Enhance the AI chatbox to access third-party data for informed decision-making​
Users tend to make decisions based on the dashboard data and search online for other data, such as whether data to make assumptions and decisions. By leveraging the LLM model, it is efficient for users to make data-informed decisions.
Contributed Back to Design System with Accessibility Approach
I contributed back to the design system by making the type and color contrast to satisfy the W3 WCAG standard
The project leverages the Microsoft Fluent Web Design System 2 with some adjustments. Even if a user doesn't have any obvious visual problems, good color contrast can enhance their productivity when reading data visualization. I took into account users who may have low vision or other conditions that affect their vision while designing. I also made sure to consider how to design for those who have red/green colorblindness.
Including the main point in a graph's title to decrease the cognitive load
Users know what to look for in the data when they read the graph takeaway first as part of the title. They also tend to rephrase the graph's title when asked to interpret the meaning of the visualization. When the graph title includes the point, the cognitive load of understanding the chart decreases.
I reduced the cognitive burden on users by directly labeling the data.
This is especially useful for colorblind or visually impaired users who may have difficulty matching colors within the plot to those in the legend. It also decreases the work of scanning back and forth to match the legend with the data, given that microgrid managers usually have to browse a bunch of data visualization.
👋 It is an ongoing project! I am more than happy to keep you updated!
Reflection
This project was an amazing learning experience for me in so many ways. Overall, our team accomplished an incredible amount of work considering our relatively short timeline of 5 weeks to date. I personally learned a lot about the process, collaboration, and working with my diverse team.
Key Takeaways
The stakeholders of this project are very complex. External stakeholders include Microsoft, the University of Washington, and community microgrid managers, while internal stakeholders include my cross-functional team members.
1. I Increased the Stakeholder Engagement by Bridging the Communication Gap
Managing a project with diverse stakeholders, both internal and external, presented a unique set of challenges. Externally, we collaborated with prominent entities like Microsoft, the University of Washington, and community microgrid managers, each with their specific interests and requirements. To bridge the communication gap and ensure alignment with these external stakeholders, I facilitated transparent and open channels of communication, providing them with regular updates and seeking their feedback.
2. I Drove and Led the Task through Effective Team Building Strategies
In my role, I took charge of driving and leading a critical task that focused on fostering effective teamwork. Drawing upon my knowledge from business school, I implemented a range of strategies to engage internal stakeholders. One of the critical approaches I employed was the concept of "Feed-forward," a method I had learned, which involved providing constructive feedback and guidance to team members. Additionally, I initiated the development of a team charter document in collaboration with my team. This charter served as a foundational document outlining our goals, roles, and responsibilities, ensuring clarity and alignment within the team.
Microsoft sponsors this project.