Description
The Energy Dashboard in Home Assistant currently allows users to configure:
- A main meter to track total electricity consumption and feed-in.
- Individual devices to monitor their specific power usage.
However, users who measure electricity at the circuit breaker level (e.g., per group in the electrical panel) face a significant limitation. If these circuit breaker measurements are added as separate devices, they get counted twice—once as a group measurement and again for the individual devices below them. Since Home Assistant only allows one main meter, there is no way to correctly integrate circuit-level monitoring without causing duplication in the calculations.
Proposed Feature
Introduce Measured Circuit Breaker Groups as a new category in the Energy Dashboard.
- Circuit Breaker Groups (CBGs):
- Users can configure multiple circuit breaker groups, similar to how individual devices are currently set up.
- These groups track energy usage above certain individual devices, but below the main meter.
- Device-to-Circuit Assignment:
- Individual devices can be assigned to a circuit breaker group, ensuring that their consumption is correctly nested within that group instead of counted separately.
- This prevents double counting and provides a more structured and accurate overview of energy consumption.
- Updated Energy Calculation Logic:
- The Energy Dashboard should correctly subtract the sum of individual devices within a circuit breaker group from the total group measurement.
- Any remaining unmeasured consumption (within a group or overall) should still be shown as “Unknown” or “Other Usage.”
Use Case
For example, assume a user measures the following:
- Main Meter: Tracks total grid import/export.
- Breaker Group A (Kitchen): Measures energy used by all kitchen appliances together.
- Devices: The user also tracks specific devices like the refrigerator and oven.
Without this feature, adding “Kitchen” as a separate device would cause double counting of energy use for the refrigerator and oven. The proposed feature ensures accurate aggregation while still allowing detailed insights per circuit.
Why is this Important?
- Many users monitor electrical circuits rather than individual devices (e.g., using Shelly 3EM, ESPHome energy monitors, or dedicated smart breakers).
- This feature would enable hierarchical power tracking, providing accurate consumption insights without manual workarounds.
- It aligns with the existing structure of the Energy Dashboard and enhances flexibility for more advanced users.
Implementation Considerations
- UI Update: Add a section for circuit breaker groups in the Energy Dashboard settings.
- Backend Calculation: Ensure proper aggregation logic to prevent double counting.
- Compatibility: Should work with both integration-based and manually added sensors.