Maybe this is already known but here is my nice discovery.
I am/was using Ecobee 4 Thermostat with 3 extra Temp Sensors for few years.
My HE-Ecobee integration was done by using HE native Ecobee Integration app.
Everything is/was working just fine - Thermostat and all 3 Temp Sensors are
visible to HE and used in multiple RM rules.
Bit this integration is Cloud-based which I really dislike.
About 6 month ago I added Home Assistant to my Home Automation.
Primary reason was to get a reliable Arrival Detection (done).
As a side effect I noticed HA has a local (no clouds) integration for the
SwitchBoat Curtains (I have 5 of them). So I immediately switch to curtains local control.
I new Ecobee has a local integration with Apple Home Kit but I did not know
HA has a Home Kit Controller. Today I figured this this out by accident.
So I tried Ecobee integration with Home Kit.
The attempt was instantly successful.
Now I can say Good Bye to the Ecobee Cloud - integration became local.
Plus all my 3 Ecobee Temp Sensors are also presented themself as
a Temperature/Motion/Occupancy sensors .
I am using Home Assistant Device Bridge (HADB) designed by @tomw
for the HE-HA integration. All devices are visible by HADB app and
Thermostat itself and Temp/MS Sensors already visible by HE.
Occupancy Sensors did not change state yet.
Let me see when they will change state will they become visible to HE.
Bottom line:
with native Ecobee HE integration is cloud based, Temp Sensors are
visible only as a Temp Sensors.
with HA/Home Kit + HADB integration is 100% local and Temp Sensors are
visible as Temp/MS (and potentially Occupancy) sensors.
I am happy with my discovery (maybe already known) and one Cloud less.
That's not true - all my (13) Ecobee sensors also report motion when using the native HE integration. This is also true using the Universal Ecobee Suite.
With the Ecobee Suite drivers I have been using I get both occupancy and temperature. I use the sensors when the room is no longer occupied to fire off "reset" rules for lighting:
As you can see you get a lot control with the sensors and they look like normal motion sensors from Hubitat's point of view. Also you can set the sensor on the Thermostat itself to look just like another remote sensor:
Well, I never tried custom Ecobee-HE integration.
With native HE integration Temp Sensors were seen only as Temp Sensors
(at least with my setup).
However I knew, Thermostat itself used them as Occupancy Sensors as well.
I haven't used them as motion sensors because mine always took a long time to register motion. It sounds like that is not as much of an issue anymore. I'll have to try it out again.
They are not good as motion sensors, since their cool down period is something like 30 minutes. They act well as indicating recent occupancy, which makes them great for use in HSM rules for Away monitoring.
