TL;DR: I’m looking for a thermostat that allows you send (via Local API, Z-Wave, or ZigBee) the current temperature instead of relying on the thermostat’s built in thermometer.
I would like an “average occupied temperature” based thermostat, similar to what EcoBee does with its remote room sensors. However, I don’t want EcoBee’s dependence on the cloud, inflated sensor prices ($40 each in a 2-pack with current Amazon prices), and slow sensor update times.
To that end, I’ve developed a set of automations that compute the “average occupied temperature” using whatever temperature and humidity sensors I’m already using. It works great.
I’m using it with the Go Control Thermostat which allows me to send a remote temperature via Z-Wave.
I’m curious, however, if there are any other thermostats with this same feature.
The Centralite Pearl Thermostat seems to offer this. However, ZHA’s documentation is poor, so I can’t tell if this feature is supported. And Zigbee2MQTT’s documentation doesn’t indicate that it does.
Alternatives:
I could adjust the SET POINT (instead of the current temperature) to reflect the desired change in temperature my home needs at any given time. This would allow me to use almost any thermostat supported by Home Assistant. However, this makes changing the temperature from the thermostat itself almost impossible. Additionally, the statistics/graphs from the thermostat are a bit wonky since the set point is always changing when, in reality, it’s the temperature of my home that’s changing. Additionally, it means I have to add a separate control (input_number, generic_thermostat device, etc) to actually hold the desired set point. So, all in all, it’s more cumbersome.
Help!:
I’m looking for suggestions of other thermostats that support a feature like this, as well as alternative methods to achieve the desired goal.