Learn how to bulk import data in Data Manager using this guide. This page includes:

• Available Importers
• Template Instructions
• Upload Instructions
• View Import History

For bulk uploads in Core, please refer to How to: Upload a Bulk Upload template.

Available Importers

See below for a summary of available importers within Data Manager, including links to download the Excel template. 

Template Instructions

Pre-populated Import Template

For supported importers, you have the ability to download a pre-populated template to save you time and effort when filling it out. (All user roles have the ability to access the template pre-filling feature.)

1. Navigate to the Bulk Import page in the Collect section of Data Manager.
2. Click Download Template from the importer you want to use.
3. Select which buildings you want to bulk import data for and click Download when ready.
   1. Note: All Connect and Bill Upload meters are automatically excluded from the pre-populated template as manual readings cannot be created for these meters.
4. Download the file when it is ready for download.

General Instructions

1. Pay attention to the color of the column headers when filling out the template.
   1. Columns highlighted in green are required and must be filled in for a successful upload to Data Manager.
   2. Columns highlighted in blue are optional which means they only need to be filled out if you want to upload information for those columns. (Some of these are only available for certain meter types. Please refer to the table below for more details on these restrictions.)
   3. Columns highlighted in grey are only provided as helpful context when filling out the template and are not used in the upload process. (Columns are only pre-filled if using the template pre-filler feature in Data Manager.)
2. If there is a dropdown menu in any of the cells, please use one of the options from the menu.
3. Dates can be in either format (MM/DD/YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY) but must be consistent throughout the same import file. The importer will be able to detect either format if used consistently. 
4. Only input 1 line of data per row.
5. Please do not add additional columns, fields, or alter the template in any way.

New Readings on Existing Meters

In addition to the general instructions above, the following apply to this specific template:

1. The Meter ID values are required for successful upload.
   1. Note: the Pre-populated Import Template feature automatically includes these in the file but if you are starting from a blank template, you can use the Meters table in the Manage section of Data Manager to get these IDs. (You can add “Meter ID” as a column to the table and export the table to easily copy these values into the template file.)
2. The Period Start and Period End values are both required. These usually correspond to the billing period on your utility bill.
3. The Usage value is required and should be the consumption value shown on your utility bill.
4. The Cost value is required for all meter types except On-site Renewable Electric meters.
5. The Demand value, measured in kilowatts (kW), is optional and is only available for Electric meters.
6. The Demand Cost value is optional and is only available for Electric meters.
7. The Exported value is optional and is only available for On-site Renewable Electric meters. This value is separate from Usage and should include the total renewable electric usage exported to the grid. Usage should only include the amount consumed.
8. The Sewer Spend value is optional and is only available for Water meters.
9. The Estimated Reading value is optional and should be set to “Yes” if the reading is estimated and “No” if not. (Blank values will automatically be considered “no”.)
10. The Estimate Source value is only required if the Estimated Reading value is set to Yes. Select from the available options (Customer, Utility, Third Party). 
11. The Estimate Note value is optional and can only be set if the Estimated Reading value is set to Yes. There is a character limit of 1,500.

The following table shows which fields are available for each meter category and type. Meter ID, Period Start, Period End, and Usage are excluded since they are required for all readings regardless of meter type and therefore supported for all meter types. Estimated Reading, Estimate Source, and Estimate Note are also excluded since they are supported for every meter type below. (Note that this table does not indicate which fields are required vs. optional; please refer to the instructions above for that distinction.)

Upload Instructions

Once you have finished filling out the bulk import template, you are ready to upload data.

Note: at this time only Portfolio Managers and Portfolio Members (without the Reviewer role) are allowed to upload data in Data Manager.

1. Navigate to the Bulk Import page in the Collect section of Data Manager.
2. Click Upload Data from the importer you want to use.
3. Upload your completed template file by clicking anywhere in the “What data do you want to upload?” box.
4. Select the non-instructions tab/worksheet in the resulting dialog box and click Confirm.
5. Address any issues that are flagged by the importer’s data validations. You can edit values directly in the table by double-clicking the cell. (See section below for more details about these validations.)
6. Optional: you can also choose to fix these issues outside the importer.
   1. Click the Export button and select Export error rows to Excel
   2. Select the Rows with issues tab in the importer pane
   3. Select all rows (holding shift will allow you to multi-select)
   4. Click the Delete _ selected rows button to remove the rows with issues from the current upload
   5. Continue the import process below for rows without issues.
   6. Fix issues directly in the downloaded file and re-upload by starting from #1 above.
7. Click the Import button once all rows have been reviewed and no issues remain.

You will be taken to the Import History page after successful upload, where you can navigate to the specific upload you just performed to track its status.

Importer Data Validations

To ensure only high-quality and accurate data enters your portfolio, the importer has been programmed with several data validations that will review the data in your upload and surface any issues prior to final submission. 

For more details about the specific data validations being used in each importer, please refer to the following support article: Bulk Import Data Validations in Data Manager.

Resolving Upload Issues

While the importer data validations should ensure 100% of your upload succeeds, sometimes there are issues that prevent data from being successfully ingested. 

When viewing a specific import from the Import History page, the number of successful and failed records will be shown. Follow the steps below to address any failed records:

1. Navigate to the Bulk Import page in the Collect section of Data Manager and click the Import History tab
2. Select the specific import from the table you need to resolve upload issues for
3. Click the Download button and select Download Failed Rows file
4. Open the file and review the Failure Reason column for each failed row
5. Resolve issues, if possible
6. Go through the upload process again with your updated file

View Import History

Portfolio Managers and Portfolio Members also have access to view the history of bulk imports in their portfolio, regardless if you or another user uploaded data. Note that this view will only show imports made in Data Manager and not Core.

From this page, you can:

• View all imports made in your portfolio
• Review high-level details about each import, such as status and records processed
• Navigate to individual imports to review more details and download the uploaded files