Detect energy cost variance API

Compare billed costs with expected cost from supplied tariffs and quantities. Tariffs are never invented.

The Detect energy cost variance operation is part of the Building Energy & Facilities Intelligence API on BRAINIAC.software. Compare billed costs with expected cost from supplied tariffs and quantities. Tariffs are never invented. It is exposed as POST /api/v1/building-energy/cost-variance-detect and priced at $0.04 USDC on Base. Payment uses the x402 exact scheme: an unpaid call returns HTTP 402 with payment requirements; after paying the exact USDC amount, retry the same request with a payment-signature header and Idempotency-Key. No account and no API key are required. Data sources for this product: Caller-supplied meter readings Energy bills and tariffs Equipment records Occupancy periods Limitations: Tariffs, equipment performance, and savings are never invented. Unusual usage is explained against a baseline from supplied readings. Buildings are compared only when periods and units are compatible. HVAC and connected equipment are never controlled. No utility account or building-management system is accessed. Outputs are compliance prechecks, drafts, or data lookups for human review. They are not official determinations, legal advice, identity confirmation, or certified filings. Related operations in this group include Analyze building energy consumption, Detect meter reading anomalies, Analyze HVAC performance, Calculate building energy baseline. Open the group documentation for the full request schema, field notes, and response examples before integrating.

POST$0.04 USDC
/api/v1/building-energy/cost-variance-detect

Example request

curl -i -X POST "https://www.brainiac.software/api/v1/building-energy/cost-variance-detect" \
  -H 'content-type: application/json' \
  -H 'Idempotency-Key: <fresh-64-character-random-hex-key>' \
  --data-binary @- <<'JSON'
{
  "tariffs": [
    {
      "id": "T-1",
      "utility": "electric",
      "unit": "kWh",
      "rate": 0.1,
      "fixedCharge": 20,
      "asOf": "2026-11-01"
    }
  ],
  "bills": [
    {
      "id": "BILL-1",
      "buildingId": "B-1",
      "utility": "electric",
      "periodStart": "2026-10-01",
      "periodEnd": "2026-10-31",
      "quantity": 1000,
      "unit": "kWh",
      "cost": 150
    },
    {
      "id": "BILL-2",
      "buildingId": "B-1",
      "utility": "electric",
      "periodStart": "2026-09-01",
      "periodEnd": "2026-09-30",
      "quantity": 900,
      "unit": "kWh",
      "cost": 110
    }
  ]
}
JSON

An unpaid probe returns HTTP 402 with x402 payment requirements. After paying the exact USDC amount on Base, retry the identical request with a payment-signature header.

FAQ

  • Do I need an API key? No. Pay the listed USDC amount with x402.
  • What network? Base (eip155:8453), USDC.
  • Is this an official determination? No. Results are for human review against the cited sources.

Related APIs

Building Energy & Facilities Intelligence APIFull docsHow it works