Alarm Severities

Alarm severities are used to classify and prioritize Alarms based on their urgency and potential impact on systems, processes, or safety.

In the Alarms module an Alarm will be assigned one of four severities. The severity is set at the Alarm Rule level and is automatically assigned to the Alarms it triggers.

Critical - A Critical Alarm indicates an immediate and severe issue that could cause a significant threat to safety, system integrity, or business operations. If not addressed quickly, Critical Alarms could lead to catastrophic consequences, such as system failure, major service disruption, or severe safety hazards.

Example: "My inverter has failed, so I now have a total loss of power generation from my solar array."

High - A High-severity Alarm signals a serious issue that could escalate to a Critical level if not addressed. It may cause significant disruption or degradation in system performance, but it wouldn't be immediately catastrophic.

Example: "The temperature of my solar panel is very high, which could reduce its efficiency or even cause permanent damage."

Medium - A Medium-severity Alarm indicates an issue that may cause some disruption/inefficiency, but it's not likely to lead to serious short-term consequences. Medium-severity Alarms should still be monitored and addressed, but less urgently than a Critical or High-severity Alarm.

Example: "There is a drop in the active power from my string of panels - maybe due to being in the shade, dust accumulation, or a minor electrical fault."

Low - Low-severity Alarms are for minor issues that have little to no immediate impact on system performance or safety. They are usually just informational, indicating areas for improvement or maintenance.

Example: "I've lost communication with one of my irradiance sensors, but all of my other sensors and the core system are functioning normally."

Note: these severity definitions can vary depending on the specific context or industry, but they usually follow this general pattern.