Answers on the sensors, installation, connectivity, and the CloudVU platform. Cannot find what you need? Email support@vutility.com.
Products & Sensors
What does Vutility make?
Three self-powered electrical sensors: HotDrop™ (amperage), VoltDrop™ (voltage and power factor), and PulseDrop™ (pulse-counted utilities like water, gas, and BTU), plus the CloudVU platform they report into over LoRaWAN.
What is the difference between HotDrop™, VoltDrop™, and PulseDrop™?
HotDrop™ is a split-core current sensor for amperage and amp-hours. VoltDrop™ measures voltage, real, reactive, and apparent power, and power factor on single- and three-phase circuits. PulseDrop™ counts dry-contact and open-collector pulses from water, gas, BTU, and runtime meters.
How accurate are the sensors?
Revenue-grade. Every channel meets ANSI C12.20 Class 0.5, which is 0.5% accuracy.
Do the sensors need batteries?
No. HotDrop™ and VoltDrop™ harvest their own power from the conductor they monitor, so there are no batteries to replace and no parasitic load on the panel.
Installation & Deployment
How long does installation take?
Seconds per circuit. The split-core sensor clips onto a live conductor without de-energizing the panel, so there is no planned service window.
Do I need a licensed electrician?
No. Because the sensors clip onto live conductors and never break the circuit, they install without pulling the breaker or taking the panel offline.
Can Vutility scale across many sites?
Yes. The same hardware and install motion deploy from one site to hundreds, with flat platform pricing. One campground network runs 4,500+ sensors across 50+ properties.
Connectivity & Gateway
How do the sensors communicate?
Over LoRaWAN to a gateway, which forwards data to the CloudVU platform. LoRaWAN is long-range and low-power, so a single gateway can cover a large site.
My gateway is offline. How do I fix it onsite?
Power-cycle the gateway (off for 30 seconds, then on), confirm the SIM card is seated for cellular or that port 1700 is open and cables are secure for Ethernet, and watch for a pulsing blue light that confirms a connection. If it still will not connect, relocate it to reduce interference, then contact support@vutility.com.
What do the gateway LEDs mean?
Red flashing means powered on and ready to connect. Blue flashing means connected to the cellular network. Green flashing means connecting or navigating interference; a steady green means a stable connection.
Can I switch between cellular and Ethernet?
Yes. The gateway firmware supports both. Set Ethernet priority in the LAN settings to switch. If a SIM is installed, billing continues until the SIM is canceled.
Can I use my own SIM card?
Yes, as long as it works in your region (US, EU, AUS, or a global SIM) and is configured in the gateway dashboard. You should be comfortable troubleshooting cellular connectivity if you bring your own SIM.
CloudVU & Data
What is CloudVU?
The web platform behind every sensor: a multi-site tree, role-based access, threshold alerts, and a 13-month rolling data window. It is white-label ready and includes the VutilityAI assistant.
How much data history does CloudVU keep?
A 13-month rolling window per channel, at a 15-minute default cadence with a live reading on each device card.
Does CloudVU have an API or integrations?
Yes. There is a REST API on every account, plus Modbus and BACnet support on the devices themselves.
What is VutilityAI?
A natural-language agent built into CloudVU. Ask it in plain English to read live sensor data, search the spec docs, and write device configuration, at no extra license.
Account & Support
Are there service contracts or data fees?
No. There are no service contracts, and the platform is flat-priced.
How do I get support?
Email support@vutility.com. For SIM or warranty questions, contact support before removing any hardware so they can help without voiding your warranty.
Still have a question?
Talk to a Vutility engineer about specs, integration, or a deployment.