Is it possible to determine the order of evaluation?

Configuration Frontend
1

I have some templates that depend on one another and need to be evaluated in a given order. Currently I solve this using staggered triggers:

- trigger:
    - platform: time_pattern
      minutes: "59"
  sensor:
    - name: Solar Zaehler
      unique_id: t_solar_zaehler
      device_class: energy
      unit_of_measurement: "kWh"
      state: "{{ states('sensor.shellypmminig3_84fce638860c_energy')|float(0) }}"
      attributes:
        m00: "{{ states('sensor.shellypmminig3_84fce638860c_energy')|float(0) }}"
        m60: "{{ this.attributes['m00'] }}"
- trigger:
    - platform: time_pattern
      minutes: "59"
      seconds: "5"
  sensor:
    - name: Solar Ertrag
      unique_id: t_solar_ertrag
      device_class: energy
      unit_of_measurement: "kWh"
      state: "{{ (state_attr('sensor.t_solar_zaehler', 'm00') - state_attr('sensor.t_solar_zaehler', 'm60'))|float(0) }}"
- trigger:
    - platform: time_pattern
      minutes: "59"
      seconds: "10"
  sensor:
    - name: Solar Wert
      unique_id: t_solar_wert
      state: "{{ (states('sensor.t_solar_preis')|float(0) * states('sensor.t_solar_ertrag')|float(0))|float(0) }}"
      unit_of_measurement: "Eur"

This is not very elegant. The two attributes in the first example above work, which means they are evaluated in the reverse order from how they are witten down. A second related problem is this template sensor created in the UI:

{{ (states('sensor.gesamtwert_2')|float(0) / states('sensor.gesamtertrag_2')|float(1))|float(0) }}

It listens to both sensors (from utility meter) which of course creates a short spike at every update. I could set an explicit trigger, but I would have to know which of the two is evaluated last. If there is no other solution I can stick with my time triggers a few seconds apart.

2

If they need to be evaluated in a given order, then make a script that does that and the script also sets the values of your sensors.

3

I don’t understand. Can you give a simple example? I can script actions but not sensors. When a template sensor is defined it gets evaluated (unless I set a trigger or condition to never). Do you mean a script with a sequence of “update entity” actions? I have this in an automation:

action:
  - target:
      entity_id:
        - sensor.leistung_phase_1
        - sensor.leistung_phase_2
        - sensor.leistung_phase_3
        - sensor.gesamtleistung_export
        - sensor.gesamtleistung_import
    data: {}
    action: homeassistant.update_entity

(It speeds up sensor readings from once every two minutes to once every five seconds to help me monitor changes on switching stuff on and off.) If I split that up into a sequence of separate actions, perhaps even with a slight delay in between, then I could determine a sequence. Is that really better than my current solution of staggered time triggers?

4

Just use one trigger, define the values as variables in order from top to bottom and apply them as needed

- trigger:
    - platform: time_pattern
      minutes: "59"
  action:
    - variables:
        m60: "{{ state_attr('sensor.t_solar_zaehler', 'm00') | float(0) }}"
        m00: "{{ states('sensor.shellypmminig3_84fce638860c_energy') | float(0) }}"
        ertag: "{{ m00 - m60 }}"
        preis: "{{ states('sensor.t_solar_preis') | float(0) }}"
        wert: "{{ preis * ertag }}"
  sensor:
    - name: Solar Zaehler
      unique_id: t_solar_zaehler
      device_class: energy
      unit_of_measurement: "kWh"
      state: "{{ m00 }}"
      attributes:
        m00: "{{ m00 }}"
        m60: "{{ m60 }}"
    - name: Solar Ertrag
      unique_id: t_solar_ertrag
      device_class: energy
      unit_of_measurement: "kWh"
      state: "{{ ertag }}"
    - name: Solar Wert
      unique_id: t_solar_wert
      state: "{{ wert }}"
      unit_of_measurement: "Eur"
5

Thank you once more. Again it is you with the most helpful answer. I have never used (or even known how to use) variables before, but your example is very clear. So a list of variables can be relied on to stick to the order they’re written? I don’t need to split it up into a sequence of actions? Just to absolutely sure.
Danke