So, I think I’m just outgrowing sense… I like it… But I need more info than its giving me. Sounds like there is no good “API” other than the un-official one, which sense doesnt support so who knows if it will remain viable.
My issues with sense and my “wishlist” below:
Issues first:
Sense’s use of the great data it gets falls short like
*the dollar amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar.
*no power factor, or voltage logging, var, or amp readings.
*incorrect terms, “powered by solar” should be “while the sun is shining this percentage of your load is powered by solar” lol,
Wishlist, what I’m looking at other energy meters for and really, really, wish sense did.
*allow me to purchase a second sense with 4 CT’s and add it to my existing account whatever way I wanted too… For example, I have two solar arrays, one is a string inverter, one is micro inverters, i would love to monitor those two arrays separately while still seeing the full output on the dashboard. while my first sense can monitor the main breaker panel, and a sub metered panel using all 4 of its CT’s. Then in the sense web app i could tell sense, that sense device1 is solar, CT pair 1 is array1, CT pair2 is array2, but both are solar. Then i can tell sense, that sense device2 CT pair1 is my main utility feed, and device2 CT pair2 is a sub panel. or a specific device I want to manually add to sense.
I like sense, really… Just like I said, I think i’m out growing it. Its cool for normal houses to view their load, and thats what it is built for. Solar is a plus, handy there too. But get into more elaborate systems and you start to run into walls… If they had an API I could do all of this on my own in splunk, build my own dashboards, do my own math, etc… But without reverse engineering the communications to-from the sense device who knows… I’m going to try out this un-official API and hopefully I can get the data into my own server then I just have to purchase another sense and can be happy lol… Next step is to reverse engineer the sense comms, with a man in the middle. Sense I guess other than the things above, an API with access to all data, real time Volt, amp, (whatever conversions you are doing in the device itself) watt, pf, var, frequency, per CT would be my second wish.
RECAP:
Wish 1: allow me to purchase a second sense with 4 CT’s and add it to my existing account whatever way I wanted too.
Wish 2: API with access to detailed real-time info from the actual device, or your web service. ALL info.