Solar Production Monitoring

S.C.O.R.E. → Resilience → Energy

Overview

This capability provides homeowners with a real-time view of their solar energy generation in comparison to energy consumption. It empowers residents to optimize energy usage and increases awareness of solar production, leading to potential cost savings and enhanced sustainability.

Benefits

• Enables homeowners to track their solar energy output and consumption patterns.
• Helps in maximizing the use of solar energy, reducing dependency on grid power.
• Promotes informed decision-making regarding energy usage and future solar investments.

Intent

The purpose of this capability is to allow residents to view solar generation data alongside their energy consumption in a single interface. This integration leads to better energy management and promotes sustainable living practices.

Preconditions

• Home Assistant platform is set up and running.
• Solar generation data is being collected from a compatible solar inverter.
• Energy consumption data is available from a home energy monitor.
• Home Assistant installed and configured.
• Integration available and authenticated: Zigbee2MQTT.
• Device installed and reachable: Energy Monitoring.

Actors

• Homeowner monitoring energy usage
• Family members checking solar performance
• Guests interested in home sustainability

Trigger

The capability is triggered by the collection of new solar generation and consumption data from the connected devices.

Workflow Diagram

flowchart TD
    A[New Data Available] -->|check| B{{Is Solar Generation Available?}}
    B -->|Yes| C[Display Solar & Consumption Data]
    C --> D[User Reviews Energy Usage]
    B -->|No| E[Exit Monitoring]

Workflow Description

1. Data Collection

Home Assistant collects solar generation data from the solar inverter.

2. Energy Monitoring

Home Assistant retrieves current energy consumption data from the energy monitor.

3. Data Integration

The system integrates solar generation and consumption data into a single dashboard.

4. User Notification

Users receive notifications if solar generation is higher than consumption.

5. User Interaction

Homeowner or family members can access the dashboard to analyze data.

Postconditions

The homeowner has access to an updated dashboard displaying real-time solar generation and energy consumption data, enabling better energy management.

Optional Enhancements

• Integrate with smart home devices to automate energy usage based on solar generation.
• Add historical data analysis to track performance over time.
• Provide alerts for optimal energy usage times based on solar output.

Recommended Components

Source Examples

• Home Assistant (platform)