Help with getting time 1 hour before sunset

Configuration
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1

I am looking for a way to get the time one hour before sunset. My goal is to see if the the current time is between sunset - 1 hr and sunset. For the sake of readability, I want to avoid templating as much as possible. Simply put, I want it to look something like this, if possible:

- condition: time
      after: sensor.sun_next_setting - 1hr
      before: sensor.sun_next_dusk

Is there a way to create a helper for example to give me the time for that day sunset - 1hr?

1 Like
2 
- condition: sun
  after: sunset
  after_offset: "-01:00"
  before: sunset
3

Thanks, but the time should be between sunset -1hr and dusk. Dusk is usually 30-45 minutes after sunset.

4 
template:
  - sensor:
      - name: "Sunset Offset"
        device_class: timestamp
        state: >
          {{ (states('sensor.sun_next_setting') | as_datetime - timedelta(hours=1)).isoformat() }}
5

Should I create this as Helpers > Template > Sensor? I get a value, but in my automation I can’t select the helper in my condition between two different times.

6

I also get a value and it appears in the list of available entities for use in the Time Condition.

Screenshot_20240221-122544~2
Screenshot_20240221-122544~2905Ă—1012 40.6 KB

Did you create the Template Sensor exactly as shown above (including the line with device_class)?

1 Like
7

I got it working. Device type wasn’t set to timestamp.

firefox_SoIw25oHnA
firefox_SoIw25oHnA752Ă—793 22.8 KB

8

For future reference, the inclusion of device_class: timestamp is important because it identifies it as being a Timestamp sensor. Without it, it’s a regular sensor and even if it has a proper date and time value, it can’t be used in a Time Condition (as you have already discovered).

9

Do you mean inside the template code? Because right now I don’t have device class in there. I selected timestamp. Is that what you mean?

10

No, in its YAML configuration.

device_class is an option of a Template Sensor’s YAML configuration (it’s never part of its template which is used in the state option).

If you create the suggested Template Sensor via the UI then only a few of a Template Sensor’s many options are available in the form. Fortunately, device_class is one of them and it appears as the Apparatklasse field in your screenshot. You chose timestamp (tijdstup) which is effectively the same as device_class: timestamp if you had defined the Template Sensor using YAML.

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