I’ve been exploring ways to add more sensors to Beestat without having to pay so much for the ecobee sensors and was wondering if there’s any interest in integrating Beestat with the SmartThings API. This could allow users to sync thermostat and sensor data from SmartThings into Beestat, enabling more data tracking. Specifically I would want to display SmartThings sensor data (e.g., motion, temperature, humidity) alongside Beestat’s analytics.
Would anyone else find this useful? I’m curious if there’s enough interest to explore this further, either through official development or a custom API solution.
If you have ideas, suggestions, or experience working with APIs (SmartThings or Beestat), I’d love to hear your thoughts!
For example, when I sell my home the Ecobee Thermostat and sensors stay in the house. Not only that, but they will continue to communicate and function even without a Wifi network present.
The thermostat is truly a part of my HVAC and although smart, the original function of the device must be a first thought.
This is definately something I would be interrested in. SmartThings is the only Automation API I have found usefull with ecobee.
What use cases have you imagined so far, also using what types of sensors/costs? Since ecobee is a closed system I have not really looked at independent sensors as a usefull addition.
Being able to bring sensor data into beestat here are the uses that immediately come to mind for me.
Home analysis. If I could purchase 10-20 temp sensors at a reasonable price I could Monitor an entire house and use (try out) beestat’s mappign and analysis features to evaluate a house for efficiency, HVAC balance, optimal number of sensors and placement needed for use.
Virtual Thermostat - using sensors in a house not equiped with an ecobee to observe HVAC operation and temp, simulate a thermostat, and be able to use Beestat’s features as best as possible to determine if changing to an ecobee would make sense.
Background/examples:
Primary Residence - Old house, still a bit drafty with some inefficiencies but relatively comfortable/livable with a Variable firing furnace/thermostat. Being variable it is not controlable by an ecobee without switching to staged operation and loosing the variable firing benefits. I couls use the multiple thermostats to map out the entire hose and do a comparison to operation and comfort with the existing system and then switch to an ecobee, do a comparison to a staged system and use the sensors to see if I can program in some custom operation via the SmartThings API to simulate the Benefits I get from the Variable firing system. For example I can even add sensors in the cold air returns and feed ducts if needed. Ultimately this would be an exercise to see if an ecobee would be a viable alternative for comfort and cost wile giving the control and monitorability of a smart system.
Rental - remote house with no current ecobee installed but have had one ready to install for a couple years now. The house works ok as is but the current thermostat wiring is insufficient, and the location is inconvinent for a rewire so here I would use the multiple sensors to map out the house temperature profile to locate the best location for either the thermostat and sensors. For this house the best option would be a thermostat installed near the boiler and use of one or more remote temp sensors in the living areas to control operation.
Vacation property - already has an ecobee, spends a lot of time unoccupied with the the HVAC off or at very high or low setting. I would add sensors in every room to map the house temp and behavior with the 20+degree swings to mimimize costs and better adjust the ducting or locat better control points. For example in winter thermostat set to 50 the house is cold soaked. I am visiting and remotely set temp to 70-73 for my arrival. The HVAC may run 4-6 hours to get the whole house to temp and stabilized but if I could map out the behavior for such heat and cooling events I may be able balance the ducting airflow or sensors to use where it can bring the common rooms up to temp in a shorter time and allow peripheral rooms to come up to temp viaa convection.