i-STEPS
"How To" Guide and Other Common Problems
On Monday, June 9, 2008, the Maine Office of Information Technology shut down the state's FTP site to all anonymous users. This disruption prevents facilities from accessing their 2006 data files and the installation file for the Maine version of Satellite i-STEPS via the FTP link previously provided to you.
We have moved the 2006 data files and the Satellite i-STEPS program files to http://www.maine.gov/dep/air/emissions/2007.htm.
How to Download and Set-Up Satellite
i-STEPS on Your Computer
- If you have a previous version of Satellite i-STEPS installed on
your computer, please uninstall it before proceeding. Use Control
Panel > Add/Remove Programs to uninstall Satellite i-STEPS. Also,
you will need to delete the C:\i-sat5\ directory and any files that
may remain in that directory.
- Go to the 2007 Download Page - http://www.maine.gov/dep/air/emissions/2007.htm.
- Right-click on the Mainesatellite.exe file. Select
COPY TO FOLDER.... (SAVE LINK AS... ) and save the file to the hard-drive
of your computer. The file is 8.7 Mb in size, so expect it
to take some time, especially if you are downloading through a
56Kb modem. (If the file size is a problem, please contact
the Department at (207)287-7036 or tammy.gould@Maine.gov and
request a copy of the program on CD.)
- Using Windows Explorer or My Computer, go to the download location
of Mainesatellite.exe and double-click the file
to install Satellite i-STEPS. Satellite i-STEPS prefers to
be installed on the C:\ drive and will, by default, install itself
in a directory, C:\i-sat5\. DO NOT use a
directory name that contains spaces or any more than eight (8) characters. Please
note that if your facility uses networked computers, in particular
a Windows NT system, then you should contact your System Administrator
for help with proper installation.
- Once the software is installed, it will place an icon on the desktop. Open
the application by double-clicking on the icon. Facility-side
users may access the application with the initials SAT and
the password LAUNCH.
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How to Populate Your i-STEPS
Database
If you have reported air emissions data on paper in the past and are
using Satellite i-STEPS for the first time, are installing Satellite
i-STEPS on a new computer, or have lost or corrupted your i-STEPS data
files, you can download past year(s) data files and import them into
Satellite i-STEPS.
If you have Satellite i-STEPS currently
installed and populated with last year's data, please see the
Delete instructions below before trying to re-populate your database.
- Directions for Downloading and Extracting Your 2006 Data Files.
- Once the files are downloaded and extracted, open Satellite i-STEPS
and import your facility data. After entering Initials: SAT and
Password: LAUNCH, select Tool Box > Interfaces > Imports > i-STEPS.
- Satellite i-STEPS will then ask if you want to "bubble up" emissions. Select Yes.
- You will then be prompted to point to the directory where your facility
data is located (in our example, C:\05import\). Select the
folder or location of your unzipped files by using the drop down
arrow to locate your data files. If this is the data set you
want to use, select Yes when prompted.
- Open the Satellite i-STEPS Main Form (also known as the "Map") by
selecting File > Air. You have now populated
your facility database and can begin to edit the data.
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Editing Your Facility
Data with Satellite i-STEPS: Common Errors to Avoid
Facilities editing previous year's data need to pay particular attention
to the editing process. There are five key areas that you should
be aware of during the editing process, along with Note and Comment windows
associated with each screen.
- Facility General - Be sure to update year of inventory,
contact names, addresses, telephone numbers, etc.
- Group/Area Designation - Verify operating schedules
and seasonal throughput percentage figures.
- Stack Parameters - Has stack height, diameter or
vet height changed during the year? Also, be sure to have geospatial
coordinates for each stack (latitude/longitude or UTM coordinates). Stack
coordinates should NOT be duplicates of your facility
coordinates, but specific to the stack. Only
fugitive emissions may be reported using the facility coordinates.
- Process Unit Identification - Double check the
SCC (Source Classification Code) and process units described by the
SCC, update ash and sulfur content of fuels, process rates, actual
fuel usage or throughput figures. The ozone season process
rate needs to be calculated if your facility is in Androscoggin,
Cumberland, Hancock, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Waldo or York Counties.
- Process Unit Emissions - These are your estimated
emissions by pollutant and are linked to a particular process. If
you use method code "8" (i-Steps Calculated/AP-42 EF),
your emissions will be calculated for you. If you use any other
method, you should check your calculations and especially your emission
factors to ensure accuracy. If you have questions about which
emission factors you should be using, contact your Licensing Unit
Engineer at (207)287-2437.
- General Comments or NOTE windows are used to document
emission equations, local or derived emission factors or other pertinent
details relative to a particular process or pollutant. These
screens are available at every input level within the Satellite
i-STEPS program. We strongly encourage facilities to make
good use of this feature.
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Deleting Information from
Satellite i-STEPS
If you are importing your facility's data into a Satellite i-STEPS program
that already has a past year's facility data in it, you will get an
error message.
Satellite i-STEPS will not overwrite an existing data set. To
import data, you must first delete the existing facility data set on
your computer before you import the new data set.
- To delete all facility data, open
Satellite i-STEPS, but do not open the Air Map (Main Menu). If
you are already at the Map, close it by selecting the Exit button.
.
- Select Tool Box > Utilities > Delete.
-
The next screen asks what you want to delete. There
is a long list of things you can select (see below). To
delete all facility data, you need to select
All - Facility
General and press the
2-2 Delete button.
- Next you will get a Find Facility screen (which is useful if you
have more than one facility). Select Clear lookups,
then Find, and you will get message box telling
you how many facilities you have loaded in Satellite i-STEPS and
a drop down menu to select your facility.
- Now select the 2-2 Delete button. You will
be prompted the first of two times to verify that you want to delete
all facility data.
Select Delete facility record and all associate information and
press the Continue button. You will then be asked The
$ 64 Question: Are you sure you want to delete the selected Facility
General data record and any related child data records? Press Yes and
the deletion process will occur.
- When the deletion is complete, you are returned to the Find Facility
screen. Select Cancel and then Exit on
the next screen to leave the Delete utility.
- Lastly, you need to run the Index/Pack option in
the Utilities menu.
You can now import a new facility data set into Satellite i-STEPS.
The Delete utility can be used not only to delete all
data, but also to delete selected pieces of information, such as an
unused piece of equipment or unused stack. The items in the Delete list
reflect an associated button from the Air Map. So you will need
to know not only what to delete, but how to locate it. The following
gives a brief description of what is deleted from what level.
- All-Facility General - Selecting this will delete
the entire facility and all associated groups, processes, stacks,
and abatement equipment.
- Air-Stack Parameters - This will delete all information
for a selected stack. The stack is chosen by selecting the
facility and then the stack.
- Air-Abatement Equipment - This will delete a particular
piece of control equipment and all associated abatement efficiencies.
- Air-Abatement Efficiency - This will delete the
efficiency for a particular pollutant for a piece of abatement equipment.
- All-Group - This will allow you to select a group
and delete it and all associated processes and process emissions.
- All-Process Unit - This will allow you to delete
a process from the group without losing the group information and
will delete emissions attributed to the process.
- Air-Control Scenario - This will remove a control
scenario, disconnecting the abatement equipment from the emissions
estimate.
- Air-Process Emissions - This will delete any emissions
estimate at the process level by selecting the facility, group, process,
and pollutant. Handy if you have entered the wrong pollutant.
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How to Print
Out Your Certification Statement
A certification statement must accompany all air inventory submissions. Satellite
i-STEPS contains two, pre-built reports: the Detail Report and
the Summary Report. Because Satellite i-STEPS is now being
used to report hazardous air pollutants and greenhouse gases, the Summary
Report is no longer a suitable certification statement by itself. Maine
DEP recommends that you send in a certification
statement on company letterhead and include the last page(s) of
the Detail Report. The last page summarizes emissions of all pollutants
at the facility level.
- To print the Detail Report, open Satellite i-STEPS, but do not open
the Air Map (Main Menu). If you are already at the Map, close
it by selecting the Exit button.
- Select Reports > Detail Report.
- Select the facility for which you want to print the Detail Report. Highlight
the Facility in the upper box, press Select, then
press OK.
- You will be prompted to print to screen or printer. Select Screen to
preview the report. You can still print from the Screen mode.
- Satellite i-STEPS does not allow you to print only the last or selected
pages of a report. We recommend that you print the entire report
and keep it for your records. Make a copy of the last page
to include with your certificiation statement.
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How to Export Your i-STEPS
Data to Maine DEP
Once you have edited your facility data and you're ready to make the
submission to DEP, you will need to export the data from your Satellite
i-STEPS program.
Note: During the export procedure, all files
in the export folder are erased. We strongly recommend that you
create a new folder to store the export files. New folders or
subdirectories cannot be created during the procedure from the export
dialog box. If you are planning to store your exported files in
a new folder or directory, you will need to create it before you begin
the export procedure.
- Open Satellite i-STEPS, but do not open the Air Map (Main Menu). If
you are already at the Map, close it by selecting the Exit button.
- Select Tool Box > Interfaces > Exports > i-STEPS.
- Select the location to store your exported files using the drop
down menu. You will be prompted to confirm the export location
(ALL FILES EXISTING IN THE DIRECTORY WILL BE ERASED!) Press Yes to
confirm. A series of procedure dialog boxes will track your progress.
- Once the files are exported, they can be transmitted to Maine DEP. The
Department currently accepts electronic submissions on:
- 3 1/2" floppy diskettes;
- CD-ROM (formatted for PC); or
- via e-mail. E-mail submissions should be sent to the Emissions
Inventory Program at emissionsinventory@maine.gov according
to the guidelines listed below. A
confirmation e-mail will be sent to facilities when the submission
has been received.
The Department will
not accept submissions on
5 1/4" floppy diskettes. Be
sure to include a signed
certification statement
on company letterhead with
your submission.
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Guidelines for Submitting Data Via E-Mail
The Maine DEP encourages facilities to submit electronically,
when and where possible. Electronic submissions can include your
fifteen Satellite i-STEPS files; Adobe Acrobat reporting documents;
and Microsoft-compatible, supporting documentation, such as Word documents
or Excel spreadsheets.
When submitting electronic files, please follow these guidelines.
- Address all electronic submissions to the Emissions Inventory Program,
emissionsinventory@maine.gov
- Include identifying information in the subject line, including the
type/year of inventory; the facility name and the facility permit
number;
- Include a facility contact name and telephone number in the body
of the e-mail
- Attach your individual files. Please do not use .zip files
because State of Maine e-mail filters strip .zip files as part of
their routine, security procedures.
- An e-mail confirming receipt of the files will be sent to you within
2 working days. If you do not receive a confirmation e-mail,
please contact Tammy Gould at (207)287-7036.
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If Satellite i-STEPS Freezes
Up
On occasion, Satellite i-STEPS may "freeze up" when performing
some unauthorized actions. If this happens, follow these steps.
- Using Windows Explorer or My Computer, go the directory where your
Satellite i-STEPS program resides (default: C:\i-sat5\).
- Locate maint01.exe. Double-click on the file. A
dialog box will prompt you to point to the data directory. This
is \data\ directory created during the installation of Satellite
i-STEPS and can, by default, be found at C:\i-sat5\Data\. If
you installed i-STEPS someplace other than its default location,
use the drop down box to path to the \data\ directory.
- Press Select and the maintenance program will
run.
- i-STEPS uses views of database tables, not the tables themselves,
in its operation. If the program has "frozen up," it
might have been because of an inconsistency between the views and
the tables. As a final step, its wise to both rebuild views
and index files. Open Satellite i-STEPS and log in. Do
not open the Air Map (Main Menu). Go to Tool Box > Utilities > Rebuild
Views. A number of dialog boxes will appear as the program
runs.
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