Alright everyone - I’ve got a beta version of a Sense Smartapp and Device Handler ready to go! For anyone brave enough to give it a try, I’ve started a new post with install link: https://community.smartthings.com/t/beta-sense-energy-monitor.
My favorite feature so far is the ability to trigger SmartThings push notifications on delay (example: only notify that the dryer is off if it’s stayed off for at least 15 minutes). That piece itself has made writing this worth it for me.
nvm is a great way to run different versions of node on one system.
I’m watching this pretty closely. I haven’t bought Sense yet (still need to find an electrician to do the install) but I am super intrigued by the opportunity to integrate with smartthings for sure!
Nice! Are you able to select which devices appear? I have some plugs and such which are already doing this and I don’t really want to see duplication.
Currently no, but that’s the next thing I plan to add when I get some more time to write it.
well stop chit-chatting here and get to it! 
Incidentally, how well did it recognize things? Been reading up on it to see if overall it is worth it
For device detection, I’d probably give it a 7/10. While it’s far from perfect, I have been very impressed overall. After 1 month, mine has detected 20 “devices” (some of them are pieces of the same appliance such as dryer heater and dryer motor). The raw “currently used” value seems to be very accurate and updates in real-time, which is an amazing tool for just seeing how much energy something pulls when you turn it on.
It’s not a cheap device, so it’s hard to say if it’s worth it to you - probably depends on what you need out of it. To be clear, I got mine for free by winning a contest, but at this point I’d say it would be worth the cost for me. I think it’s feasible that one day I’ll have the majority of my energy use accounted for through this device, which can definitely help save some money. Also, the on/off automations are a really nice plus now that I’ve got them working with SmartThings.
At some point they’re supposed to come out with a way to monitor multiple panels - at that point, I’ll probably buy a second monitor to handle a second panel for my house.
Is it recognizing different types of devices (TVs, DVR, speakers, phone/computer chargers)? Or is it kinda focusing more on appliances and bigger things?
It definitely seems to go for the big stuff first. The lowest thing mine has detected has been halogen lights under my cabinets that draw 120w and run most of the day.
That said, it does maintain an “always on” category to give you an idea of how much is being used by those sorts of things.
Gotcha. Have you considered contacting the company to see if they would be interested in your work? They seem to be pretty techy folks in general. This just seems like a really cool integration.
Please keep us posted on your progress, I’ll probably sit tight and read reviews about it before I pull the trigger (maybe as an xmas present or something)
Tagging along on this thread. I have a different use case that I’m wondering how to solve. I’m looking to get a push notification if my usage is more than X kw between the hours of 9am and 9pm M-F. My utility company charges a “peak demand” charge that I’m trying to mitigate. I have solar which mitigates until about 4pm, at which time I crank up the A/Cs to uncomfortable levels, but it just takes one mistake of running the dryer, pool pump, etc to cost me a lot of money.
I’m actually a software developer by trade, but mostly Windows (.net) stuff.
This should be possible. The SmartApp tracks overall usage, so you could probably set up a WebCoRE rule to alert you if it goes above a threshold during a certain time period.
Thanks Brian.
I’m using the Aeotec Home Energy Meter Gen5 for demand management with solar and it is working well for me. Since demand is typically an integrated average of power consumed instead of energy used, it is generally important to get near real-time power consumption (eg Watts) data for accurate monitoring (as opposed to energy data (kWh) which some devices track in real-time but don’t always send as often). If the the Sense can provide power data several times a minute, I would think it could also work well for this purpose.
I wrote a smart app that works with the Aetec HEM (but any power monitoring device should work) that tracks current demand for 30 or 60 minute demand cycles and provides notifications when it projects demand for any 30 or 60 minute cycle might be exceeded. It can also turn off devices and/or adjust the thermostat cooling set-point based on projected demand. So far the calculated demand numbers have matched my utility’s demand numbers spot on.
Your utility demand tracking from 9am-9pm sounds a bit different than the typical 30 or 60 minute demand cycle use case I wrote the smart app for, but I’d be interested in expanding the use cases for the smart app to meet the requirements from other utilities. If you have any more information on how your utility charges for demand I’d appreciate it (you can PM me if it seems out of scope for this thread). I’m also interested in a beta tester for the demand smart app if you end up getting a home energy meter and I’m able to work out your use case with the app.
We do have a 60 minute demand cycle. It’s only applicable, however, from 9am to 9pm M-F. Peak usage time here is Phoenix, AZ. Sounds like your app would work great as long as it could be configured to ignore high demand during non-peak hours (or at least a higher threshold).
That makes sense. I’m in the Phoenix area as well (SRP). Yes, the app allows you to set multiple peak schedules. It will continually monitor demand all the time, but only perform actions on weekdays for the start/end schedules you specify (edit: more information on features here). As a bonus to providing push or text notifications, if you add in a HomeSeer WD200+ dimmer or two, it can use the LED’s to indicate the current solar production kW level (it needs a device handler for your inverter if you have one - I have a Solar Edge) and can indicate peak periods by red/green color and will flash the LED if demand is approaching the goal limit you specify. I’ll look a bit more into how well this might work with Sense vs the Aeotec HEM.
Here’s a snapshot of the (early alpha) current mobile UI DH dashboard for the app in operation.
Anybody else besides me and @brbeaird using sense and Brian’s beta dth and app? This looks so great working with sense but I’m having issues getting the app to discover my devices like it does in Brian’s.
I’m getting closer to looking at purchasing the device, more for energy monitoring across all the things in my house than anything else. I don’t have solar, and am still a ST newb, so the very detailed ST integration not the main purchase point, yet.
For those that have been using it, have you seen identification of devices go up with general increased adoption? With the price point of this device, it it more of an interesting data point, or has it helped save you money from adjusted energy consumption?
I’ve had mine for just under a year. Sense has identified around 25 devices for me, which pretty well covers all the big ones in my house - washer, dryer, stove, dishwasher, fridge, disposal, microwave, garage doors, HVAC, space heater, coffee maker, etc.
Identification is not perfect, but it’s actually pretty good and keeps getting better with time.
Money savings is dependent upon what you’re willing to change with the information. A few things I have changed since getting the device running:
Now I’m trying to tackle my “always on” stuff. Mine is reading close to 400w, which seems way higher than it should be. Just bought some compatible smart plugs to try and isolate what’s causing that.
Obviously, none of these things are going to quickly bring about savings that will pay off the device cost overnight, but it could definitely happen over a few years.
I do enjoy being able to integrate with SmartThings, though - having Alexa announce when my dryer turns off is like something out of a sci-fi movie.
For those still thinking about purchasing the Sense and supporting integration with ST, I have been a Sense user for just over one year now. Currently 30 devices discovered which accounts for over 90% of my electricity use. I would love to see Sense team up with ST without having to set up a node server between but for now this is a great project.
If you are considering if it is “worth it”, here is one example from my experience. Sense detected my basement dehumidifier and I noticed it was cycling very often and was on track to use just under $300 in electricity per year. It is a model that allows me to set the desired humidity cutoff level and was maintaining that level just fine (except and a high cost). I narrowed my problem to the condenser coils likely freezing when the basement is on the cooler side this making the dehumidifier inefficient. ST to the rescue. I put a smart switch on the dehumidifier, ST multi sensor for temp in the room, a little WebCore magic and now the dehumidifier will he powered off when the temp is too cold for mold to effectively grow anyway and will force longer breaks when the temp is cool enough to freeze over the condenser. So far $200/yr in electricity saving and the same desired humidity in the basement so the Sense will have paid for itself shortly. Plus, as a data geek, can you really put a price on those sweet sweet graphs?
Off topic, but I’ve always wondered if the load from a dehumidifier would work with a smart switch. Same with space heaters… Which switch/monitors are you using?
I normally just unplug in the winter, since my humidity is low.
