Powerpal smart energy monitor

[stackner (clint)]

@Know1

  customize_glob:
    sensor.powerpal_output_actual:
      state_class: measurement
    sensor.powerpal_output_total:
      state_class: total_increasing

this has given me the sensors. and they show one initial value each but after 10 hours both value have not changed so it is not updating? i have the scan interval at 60 seconds like you do.
any ideas?

[stackner (clint)]

oh i just realised you need to app running on a phone for this to work?

[mindmelting]

Hmmm, that’s odd. Let me try a fresh install of HA tomorrow and test… seems to be working for some other folk though…

[mindmelting]

Yes, data only gets updated to the Powerpal servers if the App is running in the background and connected to Powerpal (I have mine running on an old iPad that is also my HA dashboard)

[Dean2706]

OK… so I am one of the fortunate that does not have any apple devices in the house and lockdowns make it hard to just borrow one. So after a bit of fumbling around I have worked out how to get the API from mitmproxy with an android device.

So first thing to do is, strip the security out of the PowerPal apk, which you can download the apk from here: https://m.apkpure.com/powerpal/net.powerpal.PowerPal and use “apk-mitm” on it to remove the security: https://github.com/shroudedcode/apk-mitm

Next step is to get mitmproxy running, then set your android’s WIFI connection to your mitm proxy server, I also turned off data to avoid it trying to auto switch the connection.
Now you need to install the mitm certificate, which is done by browsing to “mitm.it” from your android device and download the .cer listed under Android. To install this certificate you will need to go through the phones systems settings, each phone can have it in different places but it’s usually somewhere under security, there should be an option to install a certificate. You will be prompted what type of certificate you would like to install, on some phones you will need to install it as a CA certificate or on Samsung’s it will need to be installed under VPN/apps. If you are asked to name it, just pop in anything.

You can install the patched APK and setup your PowerPal in the app.
Now watch all the traffic from the app get logged on your mitm proxy.

[Dean2706]

In case you CBF you can download this patched apk I have already made: Powerpal_v1.16.1_apkpure.com-patched.apk - Google Drive

[stackner (clint)]

tried reinstalling it via HACS 3 times and no go.

instead, manually enter the data above that “markcs” supplied and that works perfectly.

[stackner (clint)]

@aksvenk

Charles proxy

this method worked perfectly for me also. thank for posting. just had to dig out one of my old android phones (keeps all my old ones) that ran an old enough version of android.

[Igor_Polshikov]

Hi, I managed to obtain the key, installed the component using HACS, and succesfully added it in integrations with the details.

Problem is, no sensors show up and I get this in the logs:
Unable to prepare setup for platform powerpal.sensor: Platform not found (cannot import name ‘STATE_CLASS_TOTAL_INCREASING’ from ‘homeassistant.components.sensor’ (/usr/src/homeassistant/homeassistant/components/sensor/init.py)).

any ideas how to fix this?

[mindmelting]

Hey @Igor_Polshikov what version of home assistant core are you running? STATE_CLASS_TOTAL_INCREASING (which is needed for energy statistics) was introduced in 2021.9.0 - if you are running a later version let me know, and I can look into it further

[del13r]

I found a way to replicate what powerpal does in Home Assistant using the production/consumption CT clamp data from my solar inverter instead. I have found this method to be better than what powerpal does because powerpal only measures energy being pulled from the grid. I appreciate this is not a good suggestion for anyone that doesn’t have solar.

See

Using Home Assistant to calculate my energy bill using data from my Solar Inverter

Update 21/July/2023 - I have started a new topic that uses a fully manual solution I came up with using just the rest sensor for Enphase Envoy on D7 firmware. It’s a lengthy guide with lots of explanation. Hopefully it helps someone else out. Original Guide from October 2021 - Hi, Why am I writing this? I am sharing this project as a lot of work went into it and I am hoping to help anyone else in a similar position. What is the problem that needs solving? I wouldn’t call it a problem, bu…

[LintHart (Linton)]

Interesting tidbit, I was doing some maintenance on an ESP32 running ESPHome and my powerpal popped up in the logs.

Such a shame we cant latch onto the data! unless someone has also discovered this and is working on it??

[17:04:02][D][esp32_ble_tracker:719]: Found device F6:6B:E1:6F:AF:6B RSSI=-98
[17:04:02][D][esp32_ble_tracker:740]:   Address Type: RANDOM
[17:04:02][D][esp32_ble_tracker:742]:   Name: 'Powerpal 00014f41'
[17:04:34][D][esp32_ble_tracker:719]: Found device 7E:FD:59:9E:75:91 RSSI=-77
[17:04:34][D][esp32_ble_tracker:740]:   Address Type: RANDOM
[17:04:34][D][esp32_ble_tracker:744]:   TX Power: 2

[Brad_Hill]

Just had Powerpal installed at my place - on the install certificate I got via email, there is a checkbox fo r “Zigbee enabled” and the installed ticked “no”. There was a bunch of other Zigbee fields on the form to be filled in if “yes” had been ticked.

So there is some kind of Zigbee functionality here, maybe, I don’t know if it needs a different model hardware or not. Does this open the door to some kind of HA integration?

Hope this helps someone

[DangerMouse]

I suspect that might be a generic installation form for power monitors provided under the government scheme.

[DerHerzog7]

Do you know why it’s not storing my energy from previous months? Does it only sync with Powerpal and not retain the information?

[simon4 (Simon)]

I’ve just built a Home Assistant Glow sensor to monitor power usage. As I was using a Powerpal already, I made sure to include a LED that relays the flash from the meter (ie. when the Glow sensor picks up a flash, the LED flashes too). By strapping the existing Powerpal sensor to the LED on the Glow, I can now track power use in HA and keep Powerpal reporting as usual. Happy to share more details if it would be of interest - it was pretty cheap and quite easy.

[MaxPower]

Hi Simon,

I’d love to hear more about your implementation of the Glow & Powerpal. I’ve just got all the parts for the Glow and was wondering how I could do exactly what you’ve achieved. Not sure the best way for you to share, maybe some photos? Do you have a 3D Print STL of a enclousre you’ve designed? How did you attach the glow to the meter and the Powerpal to the Glow?

Thanks for any know-how you could share,

[simon4 (Simon)]

Sure - I’ve tried to make an Imgur post, hope this works (the links aren’t working, but I’ll try to fix them): Home Assistant Glow and PowerPal - Album on Imgur

I don’t have a 3D printer, so just used some off-the-shelf enclosures that I had from the local Jaycar. They aren’t a snug fit, but do the job with a liberal amount of hot glue and some drill holes, and look neat enough.

Let me know if anything is unclear here.

[MaxPower]

Excellent write up Simon, thanks for taking the time for so much detail. I’m in the process of constructing my Glow/Powerpal solution. Hoping to adapt the exisiting 3D print case with the Powerpal bezel and thereby using the same concept with the add-on RGB LED to trigger the Powerpal. I tried integrating the Powerpal bezel into the 3D case but it proved to be difficult due to the small detail of the locking. I’ll take some photos and send an update when I get mine up and going.

[simon4 (Simon)]

Great, good luck. I did look at trying to do something with the Powerpal locking part but, without a printer, when a rubber band did the job I went with that for now! It is helpful that the sensors poke out a bit and help make good connections.

Do let me know how you go, I’m looking at hackerspaces in the area, so might have the chance to print in the future.