Hey everyone,
I wanted to share a custom app I’ve been working on: the Advanced Energy Management Controller.
Initially, I just wanted to know when my laundry was done. But as I started tracking appliance power draw, I realized how much data we are leaving on the table. This app turns your standard energy-monitoring smart plugs into a full-fledged financial dashboard and predictive maintenance system for your major appliances.
Instead of just looking at raw watts, this app analyzes behavioral baselines to warn you before an appliance fails, tracks exactly how much money you are spending (or saving), and gives you incredibly granular control over how your house handles appliance cycles.
Key Features
Live Financial & Health Dashboard The app generates an HTML-based dashboard right inside the Hubitat UI. It gives you a birds-eye view of your Refrigerator, Chest Freezer, Washer/Dryer, Dishwasher, and Microwave. It tracks 7-day run counts, average cycle times, 7-day estimated costs, and total money saved through automated shutdowns.
Predictive Maintenance & Health Tracking It doesn't just track if an appliance is on or off; it learns its baseline!
- Creeping Watts: Warns you if an appliance starts drawing 20% more power than its historical average (e.g., a failing motor).
- Compressor Health: Tracks fridge/freezer cycle times. If the compressor is running 30% longer than normal, it triggers a "Clean Coils" warning. If it persists, it upgrades to a "Struggling / Imminent Failure" alert.
- Temp Creep & Spikes: Tracks temperature sensors to alert you of sudden spikes or gradual baseline temperature creep (bad door seals).
Smart Cycle Detection & Auto-Off No more false "Laundry Done" alerts because the washer paused to soak! You can set custom debounce timers (e.g., 15 minutes) so the app knows the cycle is actually finished. You can also configure the app to automatically kill the power to the washer/dryer/dishwasher the moment the cycle finishes to save standby power.
Slaying Vampire Power (Mode & Schedule Shutdowns) Automatically cut power to the microwave, washer, or dishwasher when the house shifts to "Away" or "Night" modes, and restore it when you wake up or return. The app calculates exactly how much money this feature saves you over a 7-day period and displays your ROI. (Note: Fridges and freezers are hard-coded to ignore this to protect your food).
"Always-On" Protection Accidentally turned off the smart plug to the chest freezer? The app monitors your Refrigerator and Freezer switches. If they are ever turned off manually or by another app, it instantly forces them back ON and sends a critical push notification.
Hyper-Granular, Per-Appliance Notifications Don't want your house announcing that the dishwasher is done at 2 AM? You have complete control.
- Set specific Push, TTS (Sonos), and Audio Siren (Zooz) devices per appliance.
- Choose exactly which events trigger which device. (e.g., Send a Push notification for "Laundry Done", but play a Zooz audio track and TTS announcement for "Critical Fridge Temp").
- Restrict alerts by Mode and Time windows on a per-appliance basis.
What You Need
- Energy Monitoring Smart Plugs (Zooz, Sengled, Kasa, etc. rated for the appliance load).
- (Optional) Temperature Sensors for your fridge and chest freezer.
- (Optional) TTS/Audio Devices like Sonos or a Zooz Siren for custom audio alerts.
Pro-Tip for Modern Inverter Appliances
If you have a modern, high-efficiency appliance (like a 2025 GE Profile Fridge with an inverter compressor), the app is completely customizable. You can drop the "Compressor Run Threshold" down to 25W so it accurately tracks those modern "low-and-slow" cooling cycles!
License & Disclaimer
This app is 100% open source and free to use. Feel free to take the code, modify it, and adapt it for your own projects.
Disclaimer: Because this application actively controls power to high-end, expensive appliances, please use it at your own risk. I am not responsible for any damage to your equipment, spoiled food, or other issues caused by incorrect settings, user misconfiguration, or unforeseen bugs in the code. Always double-check your thresholds and test carefully!
I'd love to hear your feedback, feature requests, or any interesting data you discover about your appliances using the dashboard. Let me know what you think!
