Data has become the story of the day in organizations and academic institutions—almost every sector of our government, functions with data.
Imagine what it would be like if every sector did not utilize data. Think about this for a moment, and you will realize that data is the heartbeat of everything you do.
This fact can be evident to you as a data analyst. What crucial is how you can present your data to interested parties.
An exemplary data visualization diagram will compel your audience to answer this question. How the audience reacts to your presentation is crucial to your success.
To analyze data critically, one of the best visualization you can use is Sankey Diagram. Do you want to know how to create a Sankey Diagram in Excel? The secret is through the simple steps we will cover.
In this blog, you will learn:
Let’s begin by knowing what a Sankey Diagram is.
Definition: A Sankey Diagram is a visualization diagram that presents data with value sets from one point to another.
Here is an interesting historical fact about a Sankey Diagram. An engineer around the 1890s called Matthew Sankey discovered the chart. The engineer found it by studying how a steam engine conducts energy.
The bottom line is that you can also use a Sankey Diagram to visualize information related to energy or income flow.
With these fun facts in mind, let’s jump right into the components of a Sankey Diagram you need to know about.
Every statistical diagram has unique components that are crucial in providing insights. Well, a Sankey Diagram is one of those charts.
Let’s take a closer look at some of these components:
They look like bars in a standard bar chart. The size of the node represents the value of the variables.
The nodes in a Sankey chart in excel are connected with flow path structures called links. Flows connect one node to another with a source name.
In addition, flows have a target node that serves as an ending point.
This is a type of flow. Its unique feature is that it does not have a target node.
You will realize from the components we have just listed for you that a Sankey Chart is not stylish. It is one of the most detailed charts in excel you will come across.
In the next section, you will learn how to create a Sankey plot in excel using Sankey Chart examples. We have to use the Sankey diagram in excel using sample data.
You want to know how it works. Let us show you how.
Before we get down into business, here is a fun fact you need to know about Excel.
Excel has billions of users because it is our most common spreadsheet. With this spreadsheet in your office tool, you can create a Sankey graph in excel.
Here is the truth, Excel worksheet does not have a Sankey diagram in its list of graphs. Excel is limited to a few basic charts.
But don’t lose hope just yet. There is a solution to our problem. You want to know what it is. Let’s get to it.
Think about this for a moment, if excel does not have a Sankey chart, how can we create one? One of the crucial actions you can take is to supercharge it with an excel add-in for creating a Sankey diagram.
One of the add-ins of particular interest is called ChartExpo. This add-in cannot let you down when visualizing your data.
In other words, we can refer to it as a Sankey diagram generator in excel.
Let us explain ChartExpo and how it can help you as a data analyst.
In brief, ChartExpo is an add-in that utilizes cloud-hosting features to create statistical visualizations.
This add-in to your Excel worksheet allows you to create many graphical presentations. It is one of the simplest add-ins you can use for your excel charts.
But that is not all.
You do not need a fancy manual to work your way around the add-in. This is because it takes quick and easy steps to create a chart of your choice.
If you ever find yourself in a dilemma about which chart to use, ChartExpo has got you covered. It is a unique Sankey diagram generator in excel.
Let us dig deeper using a practical example of how to make a Sankey Diagram in Excel using ChartExpo.
This section will use a Sankey Chart in Excel to visualize the table below.
| Energy Type | Main Source | Source type | Energy Source | Usage | End-User | Mega Watt |
| Agricultural waste | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Losses in process | Lost | 3.5 |
| Agricultural waste | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | Industry | 5.1 |
| Agricultural waste | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | HVAC commercial | 3.6 |
| Agricultural waste | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | HVAC homes | 2.6 |
| Agricultural waste | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | Appliances commercial | 3.4 |
| Agricultural waste | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | Appliances homes | 1.4 |
| Other waste | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Losses in process | Lost | 5.0 |
| Other waste | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | Industry | 3.8 |
| Other waste | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | HVAC commercial | 4.7 |
| Other waste | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | HVAC homes | 3.4 |
| Other waste | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | Appliances commercial | 5.2 |
| Other waste | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | Appliances homes | 1.8 |
| Marina algae | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Losses in process | Lost | 0.5 |
| Marina algae | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | Industry | 0.4 |
| Marina algae | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | HVAC commercial | 0.6 |
| Marina algae | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | HVAC homes | 0.4 |
| Marina algae | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | Appliances commercial | 0.6 |
| Marina algae | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | Appliances homes | 0.4 |
| Biomass import | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Losses in process | Lost | 0.3 |
| Biomass import | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | Industry | 0.5 |
| Biomass import | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | HVAC commercial | 0.6 |
| Biomass import | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | HVAC homes | 0.2 |
| Biomass import | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | Appliances commercial | 0.4 |
| Biomass import | Bio-conversion | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | Appliances homes | 0.1 |
| Nuclear reserves | Nuclear Plant | Solid | Thermal generation | Losses in process | Lost | 35.0 |
| Nuclear reserves | Nuclear Plant | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | Industry | 9.1 |
| Nuclear reserves | Nuclear Plant | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | HVAC commercial | 5.6 |
| Nuclear reserves | Nuclear Plant | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | HVAC homes | 4.2 |
| Nuclear reserves | Nuclear Plant | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | Appliances commercial | 7.7 |
| Nuclear reserves | Nuclear Plant | Solid | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | Appliances homes | 2.8 |
| Gas reserves | Natural Gas | Gas | Thermal generation | Losses in process | Lost | 3.6 |
| Gas reserves | Natural Gas | Gas | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | Industry | 5.9 |
| Gas reserves | Natural Gas | Gas | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | HVAC commercial | 5.5 |
| Gas reserves | Natural Gas | Gas | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | HVAC homes | 3.4 |
| Gas reserves | Natural Gas | Gas | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | Appliances commercial | 5.1 |
| Gas reserves | Natural Gas | Gas | Thermal generation | Electricity grid | Appliances homes | 2.5 |
To get started with Sankey Diagram in Excel, install the ChartExpo add-in for Excel from this link.
You can edit the Sankey chart in excel with the colors you choose and for adding a heading. Simply click Edit Chart.
Here are some of the insights from your table that will appear like this in your Sankey Diagram.
You can create a multi-level Sankey in excel if your data has much information. Let’s take the example we mentioned above. How easily we were able to create the Multi-level Sankey Chart in Excel in a few clicks because we had the data available in layers.
You can comfortably create a Sankey Diagram in Excel from the example above. As a data analyst for your power company, you can help stakeholders understand the long-term plans for power supply.
With many visual presentations in ChartExpo, why did we use Sankey in Excel to visualize your data? Let’s jump right into those reasons.
In the following video, you will learn how to make a Sankey Chart in Excel without any coding in a few clicks.
Using a Sankey diagram to represent your data lets you see it from different levels.
A Sankey diagram in an Excel spreadsheet allows you to evaluate complex metrics graphically. Additionally, you can draw attention to one element of your data story for your audience.
It can assist you in visualizing customer behavior and opportunities provided by influential contributors from a business perspective.
A Sankey Diagram in Excel is essential in getting stakeholders to implement your ideas when presenting a project to management.
Make your Sankey graph in Excel simple to read for the audience when utilizing it to illustrate your point. Make sure your Sankey in excel doesn’t mislead your readers.
Where can we use Sankey Charts in Excel? This is the one thing we need to ask ourselves. You can use a Sankey Diagram in Excel to see data that seems like a flow, such as:
To create Sankey Chart in Excel in a few clicks without any coding, follow the simple steps below.
To better learn with the help of images you can read our blog above or you can watch a video tutorial here.
Yes, you can achieve this by downloading and installing an excel add-in for creating a Sankey diagram called ChartExpo. This is because Excel lacks chart templates for Sankey.
ChartExpo has several templates, including a Sankey Diagram. With ChartExpo, you can create a Sankey Visualization in excel.
Let’s recap everything we have discussed.
We now know that Sankey Charts in Excel are among the best charts you can employ to capture your audience’s interest in your data story.
You now know how to make a Sankey diagram in excel.
Sankey Diagrams in Excel are impressively simple to read and evaluate insights, as we have also discovered.
The most admirable feature of the Sankey graph in Excel that we now know is that it can draw attention to the critical details of your data story for the audience.
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