Amazon Echo - Energy Management & Notification

[Teken]

Hello,

 

I would like to know and propose some ideas with respect to the Amazon Echo and how it may ultimately serve me and others in achieving more awareness and energy management.

 

My first question to those who know is what are the *current* abilities of the Echo with respect to the energy management? 

 

- Can the echo tell me if the something is on, off, the value of said device? Such as if I ask Alexa to tell me the current energy consumption in my home will the skill be able to tell me this?

 

- If at some point the Echo is able to push notifications to the user. I would like it to do similar things like the *To Do List*. The only difference is I would tell her to set an alert level for XXX device, appliance, what ever.

 

Should that threshold be met it will announce *Teken, the energy target is fast approaching. The current value is 10 KWH your set limit is 11 KWH*

 

- ToU: I would like the system to also alert me to Time Of Use rates. In the big picture the system should allow a person to invoke programs which control the HA system. So instead of reactive elements it should offer the person proactive choices that are well defined.

 

Meaning if I feel based on Alexa feed back listed above that I will not meet my ToU target I can ask her to enable different tiered energy management programs.

 

- Google Calendar: Off the top of my head I don't know what could be done with the calendar with respect to energy management besides having her be able to recall each days total, days running total, to allowing the end user to place filters in the calendar which she can know about and invoke another action.

 

I am hoping this discussion brings insight, development, and integration into the whole energy management field. It goes with out saying I expect these features to support not only utility but those of us using the Brultech ECM-1240, Green Eye Monitor, and Z-Wave.

 

I am a strong believer in champion this endeavor and the invested time and resources will be rewarded in kind via sales growth. I have been involved with energy management for more than 25 years and only in the last eight has there been huge strides in integrating home automation, energy monitoring, and energy management.

 

I look forward to reading from many other members of their ideas of how such a product like the Echo could be exploited to be a powerful tool.

 

 

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi Teken,

 

You can get the status of devices using the Skill and not Connected Home.

 

We are implementing Smart Meter information into Echo ... but that will only work with Echo and can tell you power, energy today, price now, total costs for today/yesterday.

 

Announcements have not been implemented in Echo. We did specifically ask them about this and it was not in their roadmap. Maybe things will change if enough people request these features because I do think they are important.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[Teken]

Hi Teken,

 

You can get the status of devices using the Skill and not Connected Home.

 

We are implementing Smart Meter information into Echo ... but that will only work with Echo and can tell you power, energy today, price now, total costs for today/yesterday.

 

Announcements have not been implemented in Echo. We did specifically ask them about this and it was not in their roadmap. Maybe things will change if enough people request these features because I do think they are important.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

Hello Michel,

 

Can you offer some insight what are the stumbling blocks in supporting the other energy management tools / hardware? I appreciate the insight and sadly it still seems energy awareness is still not sexy for many.

 

25 years ago it wasn't sexy and now in 2016 its still the same . . .

 

The last portion of your reply does however give me hope knowing you believe its important.

 

Thank You

[Scottmichaelj]

Teken, correct me if I am wrong but doesnt ZWave switches offer energy consumption values right now? So it would seem if you had these devices installed the ISY should be able to grab these values correct? If so then the echo should be able to just spit back the info? Or am I misunderstanding how it works? I guess my point being similar to the energy module.

[Teken]

Teken, correct me if I am wrong but doesnt ZWave switches offer energy consumption values right now? So it would seem if you had these devices installed the ISY should be able to grab these values correct? If so then the echo should be able to just spit back the info? Or am I misunderstanding how it works? I guess my point being similar to the energy module.

 

Hello my friend,

 

Yes this is what I am having a very hard time understanding why data that resides in the ISY Series Controller can not be recited by Alexa via the skill.

 

As Michel indicated above, at some point in time the very same capability will be available to those using the smart meter.

 

With respect to the Z-Wave devices offering energy readings - again there are times I wonder how it is something completely unrelated to the energy module is capable of offering the very same energy readings? For those of us who have paid a huge premium for same privilege we seem to be cast aside and left to their own devices?!?!

 

At this juncture it seems we have the whole chicken / egg scenario . . .

 

I 100% agree with you what ever data resides in the ISY Series Controller should be available for use.