The ecodb database provides an inexpensive means to obtain access to a sophisticated database system that has been designed specifically for the management of data concerning our environment. This represents a diverse range of users:

• Industrial plant managers who need to comply with emissions permits (licenses), and monitor operating parameters;
• Engineers who need to monitor dam levels, river flows, rainfall, drinking water salinity levels, and pump start stops;
• Environmentalists who need to monitor a watershed or wetland area as part of a remediation program;
• Environmental health agencies who monitor the health of recreational swimming areas for pathogen levels;
• Agriculturalists who must ensure fertilizer is cost effectively applied, and that excess nutrient run-off is minimized.

All have the requirement of needing to store data that is comprised of measurements over time, transposing these data measurements into data sets with various measurement units, and transforming them into datasets representing different parameters based on calibration relationships. Ecodb provides a growing spectrum of data manipulation and reporting facilities.

Our cloud based service is referred to as an Application Service Provider (ASP) business model. Which means that this service is accessible via the Internet and the same functions are available to all license holders, however they have complete security over their own data.

One of the major benefits of this approach is that we can offer sophisticated functions that allow organizations to readily share their data if desired, both within their organization and with other entities.

The central concept is that data values are measurements over time, i.e. a data set, concerning a specific parameter usually identified by a data collection unit and possibly a location. These data sets are measurements of a specific parameter (e.g. rainfall, amount of gas discharged, dam levels, pump start/stops etc); and have a unit of measurement applied to them.

Once represented within the ecodb database, these data sets can be mathematically manipulated so that they are recalibrated into different units of measurement; or even transposed into measurement of a different parameter based on pre-defined 'calibration relationships'.

We are then able to provide an increasing range of sophisticated reporting functions, data search facilities, regulatory reporting, data sharing, and even a market for trading data sets that is available on a global basis.

In addition to the two-week interim evaluation license (extended while we are in soft launch), we offer four ongoing categories of license which will support a diverse range of requirements:

1. Corporate licenses are designed for organizations that have a requirement for significant environmental data storage and comprehensive evaluation and review functions. These requirements may range from having a legal requirement to store and report on environmental data (e.g., emissions compliance); a need to monitor the efficiencies of diverse manufacturing plant; Associations that support a wide scale and potentially geographically spread user base with well-defined data needs; through to government entities responsible for geographic areas that have the mandate to collect large amounts of data to accomplish their mission and who wish to support 'open government policies'. Ecodb is designed to replace the requirement for in-house data storage and most analytical systems.
2. Retail licenses are optimal for the professional environmentalist; consultant; citizen scientist; farmer; hobbyist; or private contractor to support a project or client and where typically a single user access is required. These licenses are also useful for 'specific project' needs where the data is required to be more clearly segregated for management reasons, and where the project may have a limited term requirement before integration with a primary corporate or academic license.
3. Academic licenses are designed for academic or research institutions that tend to use smaller volumes of data sourced from other organizations or collected themselves, but require more comprehensive analytical functions. Full access is provided to the sophisticated data manipulation, search and data acquisition facilities; as well as the ability to publicly list and freely share data. Particularly appropriate for supporting social media of e-projects.
A particularly low cost Ecodb license that can be used as a single user, or can be expanded at minimal cost to include unlimited sub-accounts for team based collaborative projects.
4. Re-seller's licenses or "VAR" for Value Added Reseller are for eco-entrepreneurs who can add value to either their own or another entities' data and re-sell this data through a market enabled by ecodb. Other license categories could acquire a VAR license, even on just an interim basis, as a mechanism to sell their data.

Ecodb also supports a 'Public Domain' for optionally publishing your data sets. This public domain is free to access by the public, and provides extensive search, data set review, and download facilities. Only ecodb licensees can publish to this Public Domain.

Emissions Permit (License) Establishment

1. Many license holders will be utilizing ecodb to track their emissions permits (licenses). This screen provides the ability to establish basic permit information, and is a prelude to entering data measurements on an ongoing basis.
2. There may be more than one permit for a facility, or there may be a facility wide permit (e.g. 'Title V' in USA).
3. Regardless of whether permit information is to be entered, it is mandatory that the equipment or "data collection unit"(DCU) location is identified (either here or via the 'environmental projects screen'). All data set samples collected need to have their location of data collection identified.
4. For all DCU, we need to identify what the "parameters" are that we are measuring, together with their "units of measurement". This function establishes the data set for all future sample data entry.
5. Now that the data set(s) have been established, data entry of sample values can commence.
6. Some license holders will go to this screen a number of times to enter additional permit information or to establish new data sets. As soon as a data set's samples have been entered, the data set can be recalibrated into different 'units of measurement' and/or a different 'parameter'.

Facility Permit

1. This function will provide key date information concerning the permit. This will be subsequently utilized to generate reminders concerning permit renewals.
2. Some organizations may wish to establish their permit information from various locations and generate a consolidated permit information system.
3. Within each facility, there may be many items of equipment that are to be monitored. Each DCU must be uniquely identifiable, and the serial number or other comment must be utilized.

Equipment Location

1. DCU may be spread around the plant, or throughout a watershed. The screen enables the license holder to enter their location utilizing a description that may also include the GPS coordinates; the latter information will subsequently provide the ability to generate searches for data sets within geographic boundaries.

Calibration Relationship Menu

1. An essential feature of ecodb is the ability to be able to re-calibrate data sets. This menu provides information on standard calibration relationships available as well as enables the creation of user defined calibration relationships that are only available to the license holder.
2. Calibration relationships are grouped by catalogs for ease of searching. The 'Catalog of Calibration Relationships' lists all catalogs available whether they are provided by ecodb or have been defined by you. You will not see any other license holder's catalogs.
3. The 'Calibration Relationships' option will enable you to view individual calibration relationships grouped by calibration catalog. Here you will have the ability to view, and if permitted, edit and delete them. You will also be able to add new calibration relationships.
4. Calibration range will provide the ability to view the precise formula used and the ranges of data over which this formula is valid, e.g. re-calibrating samples values in Centigrade into Fahrenheit where the sample value are valid from minus 273 degrees Centigrade upwards.

Catalog of Calibration Groups List

1. This screen provides a listing of all defined catalogs of calibration relationships that are accessible by the license holder.
2. The license holder will also be able to add their own calibration catalogs that will then be available to their license only (i.e. includes all of their sub-accounts).
3. The screen then provides a link to then next logical step, which is to define the 'calibration relationships' for this catalog.

Calibration Relationships

1. All calibration relationships that are available to the license holder are listed alphabetically by version.
2. The details of each can be viewed, and if permitted, the sub-account can delete or edit this information.
3. The next step of defining the mathematical relationship between two parameters for various ranges of parameter sample values is established.

Calibration Range Create

1. For each calibration relationship (i.e. calibration id and version, the ranges over which conversions of data are valid must be established. Then for each range the formula to be used to convert the data is entered.
2. Enter the 'range number'; you can check which existing range numbers are in use via the drop down box immediately following.
3. Now enter the range value inequality. Check the negative and/or positive infinity boxes as required, e.g. "-273.15 <= X < infinity" would be the range that Centigrade values can be converted to Fahrenheit.
4. The formula for this conversion would be Fahrenheit values would become equal to 32 plus 1.8 times the Centigrade value, i.e. Y = 32 +1.8 X.
5. As this is one of the many standard calibration relationships already entered and available for you there is no need to create another one, but you may wish to experiment and create your own specialized calibration conversion relationships.
6. Ranges of data values to convert cannot overlap. However you may want to use a different formula for a different range of data values, e.g. when calibrating the profile of a stream against a height of river against a pole, to generate the cross sectional area.