Only allow a sensor value to increase

[_Brian]

I need to monitor the energy consumption of an entire building, so I have the follow template sensor to combine the energy consumption:

  - platform: template
    sensors:
      energy_consumption:
        friendly_name: "Energy Consumption"
        unit_of_measurement: "kWh"
        value_template: "{{ (states('sensor.fibarowp9_electric_consumed_kwh') | float + states('sensor.fibarowp10_electric_consumed_kwh') | float + states('sensor.fibarowp11_electric_consumed_kwh') | float + states('sensor.fibarowp12_electric_consumed_kwh') | float + states('sensor.fibarowp13_electric_consumed_kwh') | float + states('sensor.fibarowp14_electric_consumed_kwh') | float + states('sensor.fibarowp15_electric_consumed_kwh') | float + states('sensor.fibarowp16_electric_consumed_kwh') | float + states('sensor.fibarowp17_electric_consumed_kwh') | float) | round(3) }}"      

Then I use the utility meter to generate energy consumption reports:

utility_meter:
  energy_consumption_quarter_hourly:
    source: sensor.energy_consumption
    cycle: quarter-hourly
  energy_consumption_hourly:
    source: sensor.energy_consumption
    cycle: hourly
  energy_consumption_daily:
    source: sensor.energy_consumption
    cycle: daily
  energy_consumption_weekly:
    source: sensor.energy_consumption
    cycle: weekly
  energy_consumption_monthly:
    source: sensor.energy_consumption
    cycle: monthly
  energy_consumption_yearly:
    source: sensor.energy_consumption
    cycle: yearly

The problem is, sensor.energy_consumption sometimes decreases in value when a sensor is unavailable. This messes up the reporting from utility meter. Is there any way to ensure that sensor.energy_consumption can only increase in value? Or can I make a new sensor using a template that only increases in value?

Ideally, I would have some kind of template which compares the new value to the previous value, and if the new value is less than the previous value, discard it.

[tom_l]

You need to add an availability_template to your template sensor.

The simplest way would be to multiply all the dependant sensors together and check the result is > 0. If any of the sensors are unavailable the |float filter for that sensor will return 0, thus the whole multiplication will be zero.

availability_template: >
  {{ states('sensor.fibarowp9_electric_consumed_kwh') | float *
     states('sensor.fibarowp10_electric_consumed_kwh') | float *
     states('sensor.fibarowp11_electric_consumed_kwh') | float *
     states('sensor.fibarowp12_electric_consumed_kwh') | float * 
     states('sensor.fibarowp13_electric_consumed_kwh') | float *
     states('sensor.fibarowp14_electric_consumed_kwh') | float *
     states('sensor.fibarowp15_electric_consumed_kwh') | float * 
     states('sensor.fibarowp16_electric_consumed_kwh') | float * 
     states('sensor.fibarowp17_electric_consumed_kwh') | float > 0 }}

[_Brian]

Thank you, I was not aware of that functionality, I will give it a try

[_Brian]

Unfortunately, this does not work because sometimes the value of sensor.fibarowpXY_electric_consumed_kwh is actually 0 (some wall plugs are not yet used. thus 0 is correct).

[tom_l]

Ok then, try this:

availability_template: "{{ 'unavailable' not in [ states('sensor.fibarowp9_electric_consumed_kwh'), states('sensor.fibarowp10_electric_consumed_kwh'), states('sensor.fibarowp11_electric_consumed_kwh'), states('sensor.fibarowp12_electric_consumed_kwh'), states('sensor.fibarowp13_electric_consumed_kwh'), states('sensor.fibarowp14_electric_consumed_kwh'), states('sensor.fibarowp15_electric_consumed_kwh'), states('sensor.fibarowp16_electric_consumed_kwh'), states('sensor.fibarowp17_electric_consumed_kwh') ] }}"

[_Brian]

So this solves part of the problem, but it seems the sensors are unreliable and sometimes report 0 instead of unavailable.

Is there really no way to create a template which does the following:

if new_state < old_state # should not be allowed to decrease
  state = old_state
else
  state = new_state

[Troon]

Take a look at my post here:

Asymmetrically-damped sensor

I have a hot water cylinder heated via a gas boiler that supplies the house hot water including a power shower. The water is heated via a coil, like this: [image] I have three DS18B20 temperature sensors on the tank: one at the top buried in the insulation next to the electric immersion heater (not shown on diagram), and one cable-tied to both flow and return pipes as close to the tank as possible. From these sensors, I derive a weighted “tank heat charge” percentage figure into a template se…

which should be simple to adapt for upwards-only logic. Uses an input_number as a proxy for a sensor — you can always create a template sensor from it if needed.

[_Brian]

Sorry, just for my own understanding, you are using the input number to store the old_state basically?

[Troon]

Yes, and then adjust it depending on the incoming new value. I’ve just remembered I do something closer to what you want with my house “maximum power” record:

- alias: Max power recorder
  trigger:
    - platform: state
      entity_id: sensor.power_meter_house
  condition:
    - condition: template
      value_template: "{{ (states('sensor.power_meter_house')|float > states('input_number.max_power')|float) }}"
  action:
    - service: input_number.set_value
      data_template:
        entity_id: input_number.max_power
        value: "{{ states('sensor.power_meter_house')|float }}"

Again, this is an input_number, and it is storing the maximum house power draw, updated via this automation which triggers whenever the prior maximum is exceeded. I wrote this some while ago: should probably have the template in the trigger instead of the condition, and there’s no need for data_template any more, as data works fine.

[_Brian]

Thank you so much! I was able to come up with a solution based on yours.

Step 1: Create an input number to store the old sensor value (input_number.energy_consumption_old_state)

Step 2: Create an automation to update the input number input_number.energy_consumption_old_state only when the sensor value of sensor.energy_consumption increases

automation energy_consumption:
  - alias: "Check new state of sensor.energy_consumption and store it in input_number.energy_consumption_old_state if it has increased"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: sensor.energy_consumption
    condition:
      - condition: template
        value_template: "{{ (states('sensor.energy_consumption') | float > states('input_number.energy_consumption_old_state') | float) }}"
    action:
      - service: input_number.set_value
        data_template:
          entity_id: input_number.energy_consumption_old_state
          value: "{{ states('sensor.energy_consumption') | float }}"

Step 3: create a sensor (sensor.energy_consumption) with a value template that checks the old state stored in input_number.energy_consumption_old_state, if the new value is smaller than the old value, keep using the old value. If not, update to the new value.

sensor:
  - platform: template
    sensors:
      energy_consumption:
        friendly_name: "Energy Consumption"
        unit_of_measurement: "kWh"
        value_template: >
          {% set new_state = (states('sensor.fibarowp9_electric_consumed_kwh') | float + states('sensor.fibarowp10_electric_consumed_kwh') | float + states('sensor.fibarowp11_electric_consumed_kwh') | float + states('sensor.fibarowp12_electric_consumed_kwh') | float + states('sensor.fibarowp13_electric_consumed_kwh') | float + states('sensor.fibarowp14_electric_consumed_kwh') | float + states('sensor.fibarowp15_electric_consumed_kwh') | float + states('sensor.fibarowp16_electric_consumed_kwh') | float + states('sensor.fibarowp17_electric_consumed_kwh') | float) | round(3) %}
          {% if new_state >= states('input_number.energy_consumption_old_state') | float %}
            {{ new_state }}
          {% else %}
            {{ states('input_number.energy_consumption_old_state') | float }}
          {% endif %}

What an absolute pain to make something so simple Thanks a lot @Troon