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I have created a new project called EMHASS, written in Python, to implement an optimized energy management for a household and with easy integration to Home Assistant. The main contribution of this project is that the energy management strategy is&#; well&#; optimized! I&#;ve done this using a real mathematical optimization technique called Linear Programming.

The main use case for this project will be for someone who has installed some PV solar panels in his house and is already using Home Assistant to control (on/off) some crucial power consumption in his home. For example the water heater, the pool pump, a dispatchable dishwasher, and so on. We can also imagine that he has installed an optional battery like a PowerWall, in order to maximize the PV self-consumption. With Home Assistant he also has sensors that can measure the power produced by the PV plant, the global power consumption of the house and hopefully the power consumed by the controllable loads. Home Assistant has just released the Energy Dashboard where we can visualize all these variables in some really good looking graphics. See: https://www.home-assistant.io/blog//08/04/home-energy-management/.

Now the questions are, how can we be certain of the good and optimal management of these devices? If we define a fixed schedule for our deferrable loads, is this the best solution? When we can indicate or force a charge or discharge on the battery? When should I optimally start my water heater? This is a well known academic problem for an Energy Management System.

The first and most basic approach could be to define some basic rules or heuristics, this is the so called rule-based approach. The rules could be some fixed schedules for the deferrable loads, or some threshold based triggering of the battery charge/discharge, and so on. The rule-based approach has the advantage of being simple to implement and robust. However, the main disadvantage is that optimality is not guaranteed.

The goal of this work is to provide an easy to implement framework where anyone using Home Assistant can apply the best and optimal set of instructions to control the energy flow in a household.

When I was designing and testing this package in my own house I estimated a daily gain between 5% and 8% when using the optimized approach versus a rule-based one. In my house I have a 5 kWp PV installation with a contractual grid supply of 9 kVA. I have a grid contract with two tariffs for power consumption for the grid (peak and non-peak hours) and one tariff for the excess PV energy injected to the grid. I have no battery installed, but I suppose that the margin of gain would be even bigger with a battery, adding flexibility to the energy management. Of course the disadvantage is the initial capital cost of the battery stack. In my case the gain comes from the fact that the EMS is helping me to decide when to turn on my water heater and the pool pump. If we have a good clear sky day the results of the optimization will normally be to turn them on during the day where solar production is present. But if the day is going to be really clouded, then is possible that the best solution will be to turn them on during the non-peak tariff hours, for my case this is during the night from 9pm to 2am. All these decisions are made automatically by the EMS using forecasts of both the PV production and the house power consumption.

Some other good packages and projects offer similar approaches as EMHASS. I can cite for example the good work done by my friends at the G2ELab in Grenoble, France. They have implemented the OMEGAlpes package that can also be used as an optimized EMS using LP and MILP (see: (omegalpes) [OMEGAlpes / OMEGAlpes · GitLab]). But here in EMHASS the first goal was to keep it simple to implement using configuration files and the second goal was that it should be easy to integrate to Home Assistant. I am sure that there will be a lot of room for optimize the code and the package implementation as this solution will be used and tested in the future. I hope that this project come as and can be used as a perfect complement for the just released Energy Management and Energy Dashboard by Home Assistant.

So where to begin?

• If you have to Home Assistant OS or Supervised then just go for the add-on: https://github.com/davidusb-geek/emhass-add-on

• Or if you are using Home Assistant with other installation methods as the docker container or HA core then read the installation instructions on the core EMHASS github repository: https://github.com/davidusb-geek/emhass

You will find all the needed instructions to install and use the package, but if you have any questions I will happily try to help anyone interested in this project. Leave a message on this thread or if you find any bugs open new issues on those github repositories.

There is a complete documentation that can be found here: https://emhass.readthedocs.io/

You will get efficient and thoughtful service from acrel.

And there is a separate thread presenting the add-on: https://community.home-assistant.io/t/emhass-add-on-an-energy-management-optimization-add-on-for-home-assistant-os-and-supervised/

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How to maximise the value of your energy management software

An effective energy management software is critical to making informed and impactful utility management decisions. When your organisation&#;s consumption is demonstrated by accurate real-time data, waste, overspending and efficiencies can then be identified and addressed.

Access to an application is one matter, utilising it to your best advantage is another. Here are some pointers on making the most of your energy management software.

How does your software align with your organisation&#;s sustainability ambitions?

New energy management software can be an agent of change in making your organisation&#;s sustainability strategy a reality.

There are a few things to consider when it comes to finding the right software and making informed decisions.

• Does your organisation have an objective to calculate Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions? An energy management software can review this data and monitor and assess progress for each appropriate timescale suited to your business.
• Is one of your sustainability goals to reduce energy consumption across all work premises in the next 12 months? An efficient management software can assist with comparing and ranking sites according to their performance. Seeing how much energy is used at various sites will help spot any overconsumption and stop any waste.
• Not only can an energy management software assist in reducing over-expenditure and lowering carbon emissions but demonstrates your organisation&#;s commitment to creating a positive environmental impact and meeting its net-zero goals. If one of your organisation&#;s goals is to focus more on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) metrics, energy management software can enhance the carbon reporting required for various ESG disclosures.

What training have you had on your software?

As with any program, you must know how your energy management software works to get the most out of it.  Training gives organisations hands-on experience using software and an opportunity to ask questions about its various features. It&#;s important to ask the following:

1. Can all staff members use this software?
   The more colleagues are trained, the less reliant knowledge and deliverables are on individuals, which builds organisational resilience in cases of absence or change of staff.
2. Do you have refresher training sessions to ensure you&#;re aware of new updates and best practices?
   Technology develops and software receives updates to ensure it serves its users efficiently. Frequent refresher sessions allow your organisation to stay in the know and make most of the any new features.

When was the last time your system had an update or a health check?

If you have used the same software for years, your business has likely evolved and expanded since. It&#;s easy to continue using a software in day-to-day work and not take stock of its operability, but it&#;s important to review whether your current toolkit still serves your organisation&#;s requirements and ambitions &#; Has the system evolved to cater to your new goals, business needs or industry legislative changes? Regular maintenance of your software will help protect your data quality.

What about interoperability?

Is your software fully integrated with other internal systems? As your business grows, knowing how your energy management software can integrate with other internal systems and facilities will improve overall efficiency in other areas of your business. This helps to make utility management a seamless part of your business operations and reporting.

How can SystemsLink experts help?

SystemsLink experts have plenty of insights on how to unlock your energy management software&#;s full potential. Learn how to get the most from your Web Portal here.

Unsure about your utility management solution?  Our Implementation Project Management (IPM) Team can carry out a GAP Analysis and review your current system. Please contact or call 988 855.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website energy management software solution.