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    Gotta Go Virtual! Look if you not using the HS Troller devices and you are using a PC but you have several PC's that do various things. Put them all on one box. I use VMware ESXi (Free) you can download it from VMware's Website. Personally, I have about 8 PCs all running on one box all from Windows XP (for some old outdated software that won't run on Later versions of Windows), Win Vista, Win 2008 Server to Linux, and Unix. This is a perfect way to GO Green for those computer enthusiast like myself.

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      I have a couple. I have solar panels, and have a variety of batteries (lawn mower, trimmer, battery charger, etc) on an Aeon z wave strip. i have an outdoor Aeon sensor. I have hs programmed to turn the Aeon strip on when the lux outside is 1600 and turn it off below 1600. That way I know I am not spending money charging the batteries - they only charge when the panels have enough energy to produce electricity.

      I also have an all off event tied to by bedroom light if it is turned off after 9 PM an all off event is run. I run all off at 11:30 to catch any that did not go off.

      I have an event that turns on power to my electronic devices TV , rotor, etc., at 5:30 AM and then turns it off a 7 AM and back on at 5 PM, so there is no ghost energy being used by my electronics (off course this does not include my dvr, which stays on all the time.

      I run an all off at 7 Am which is when I leave for work, and set my thermostat back at bit via the event in the winter.
      Last edited by wkomorow; August 23, 2015, 04:03 PM. Reason: 1600 not 600

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        Hi guys,
        I have a few of these:http://www.kiatronics.com/interface-modules.html

        They can be linked and thus save on power.

        Regards.

        Eman.
        TinkerLand : Life's Choices,"No One Size Fits All"

        Comment


          I have a vacation rental house, with a gas fireplace that is turned on and off via a thermostat.

          My tenants will turn the thing on, and leave, or go to bed, and it will overheat the house and use up a ton of gas.

          Transitioning the thermostat under Homeseer control allows me to turn off the gas fireplace 15 minutes after it gets turned on. It is a small inconvenience for my tenants, but it keeps the fireplace from running unattended.

          Comment


            Originally posted by NMTrout View Post
            I have a vacation rental house, with a gas fireplace that is turned on and off via a thermostat.



            My tenants will turn the thing on, and leave, or go to bed, and it will overheat the house and use up a ton of gas.



            Transitioning the thermostat under Homeseer control allows me to turn off the gas fireplace 15 minutes after it gets turned on. It is a small inconvenience for my tenants, but it keeps the fireplace from running unattended.

            Why would it overheat the house if it is on a thermostat?

            Why not just use a programmable thermostat that turns it off at a specific time. Or, install a manual timer switch (like one on a bathroom fan) that will automatically turn off the fireplace.

            IMHO Using HS to control an unattended fireplace is not a good idea.

            Steve Q


            Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
            HomeSeer Version: HS3 Pro Edition 3.0.0.368, Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 - Home, Number of Devices: 373, Number of Events: 666, Enabled Plug-Ins
            2.0.83.0: BLRF, 2.0.10.0: BLUSBUIRT, 3.0.0.75: HSTouch Server, 3.0.0.58: mcsXap, 3.0.0.11: NetCAM, 3.0.0.36: X10, 3.0.1.25: Z-Wave,Alexa,HomeKit

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              Green is the way to go, I have set my outdoor porch light to come on 30 minutes after sunset, and off at 10PM. Also I have converted ALL my primary lights to LED. I do the same thing for Exterior Christmas lights (seasonal).
              I can command Alexa at bedtime to secure the house (Locks all doors, turns off lights, turns the thermostat to sleep settings) and when we arm the house for leaving.
              I also have cats that utilize the laundry room for their business. We have a cat / pet door on the laundry room access, so when the cats go in to take care of business a motion detector senses their entry, turns on the exhaust fan for 10 minutes. I have a 10 minute duty cycle so I don't get retriggers for 10 minutes as well. works great!

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                Water Cooler

                We have a Poland Spring water cooler (both hot and cold water)
                I have an event which does a few things
                • Turn off water cooler @ 11PM
                • Turn on water cooler at 6AM
                • Turn off water cooler any time the house is unoccupied


                I read somewhere that running a hot / cold water cooler yearly can cost about $125. Figured that turning it off during the times we usually don't use it could save us a bit.

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                  I was looking for a place to put a new thread, but figured I would just add to this. The home we own now has 28 BR40 bulbs throughout the house. I immediately changed them to BR40 led bulbs and my wife no longer complains about the heat from the bulbs. There's no doubt that LED bulbs a much cooler temp wise.

                  Which brings me to the latest set of bulbs I bought. dimmable GE A19 bulbs, 2700k.
                  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

                  It's amazing how much heat the base of these bulbs give out. I could not hold it by the base for an extended period of time. Sure, the glass feels cool to the touch, but the bulb is still throwing out a ton of heat. Obviously an LED bulb gets warm, but this is ridiculous.

                  Comment


                    Originally posted by racerfern View Post
                    It's amazing how much heat the base of these bulbs give out. I could not hold it by the base for an extended period of time. Sure, the glass feels cool to the touch, but the bulb is still throwing out a ton of heat. Obviously an LED bulb gets warm, but this is ridiculous.
                    Yep, and my understanding is that's why they don't last much if any longer than previous technology bulbs. It's frustrating when they advertise such absurdly long life...13 years. Ha! Even at the 2 hours/day or whatever goes into that estimate, my experience is it's not close to accurate. Much lower power consumption, though, and despite the heat from the drivers the 11 PAR 30s in my kitchen don't heat up my kitchen at all compared to the halogens they replaced. Oh, and immeasurably better light quality than CFLs.

                    My LEDs with remote drivers do have a significantly longer life than, say, incandescent or fluorescent, but not the retrofit bulb type with integral driver.
                    -Wade

                    Comment


                      Here's my Green Idea that Homeseer has enabled:

                      I have used HomeSeer to create a control system that manages my home's power consumption from my 10 kW AC solar power plant. I live in a state where I pay retail prices for power I pull from the grid but sell it back a wholesale rate. I realized quickly my payback time would be extended if I allowed my to house consume power like someone without solar. Some of the system is described below. It has been in partial use for about 2 years and in full use for close to 1 year (all controls working). I have seen about a 40% reduction in power bills going from solar and no self consumption controls to the system below. It has also dramatically reduced what I consume from the grid and use their non-green power from the power company.

                      I am using Homeseer to control multiple systems in my house including:

                      Hot Water x 2
                      HVAC x 2
                      Electric Car Charging
                      Pool Pump
                      Air Compressor
                      Clothes Dryer

                      I have a Brultech GreenEye GEM monitoring my power generation and consumption. Homeseer activates and deactivates my major appliances throughout the day as it tries to keep my house power consumption around a Net 0 value. I have also realized I have several major devices that that can be used to act as short term energy storage without the need of a battery.

                      1. I use my highly insulated Marathon Water Heater to store hot water generated during the day to be consumed during time the sun is down and I want to use it. I don't take cold showers because of it.
                      2. I run my Pentair pool pump during the day at multiple speeds depending on power generated to a calculated volume. This allows me to treat my pool like a chemical battery for the day. It doesn't care when it runs, only that it has run for a specific volume of water being pushed through the pump. I also have better management of my pool now that I can monitor it through Homeseer (less algae and better awareness to when the filters need to be cleaned).
                      3. I run my HVAC system to overheat or overcool the house while the sun is shining just a bit. I built an insulated concrete form house almost 20 years ago and it holds it temperature for extended periods of time. The result is a house in a southern climate that is very comfortable especially in the summer months with low humidity.
                      4. I have it set up to charge my car when the sun shines but it doesn't work well due to a job that keeps me mostly away from the house when I'm generating enough power to charge it.
                      5. I have it run my air compressor to keep it filled when the sun is shining.

                      I won't call it a storage device, but I also modified my dryer to allow it to be activated when I am generating enough power to not consume from the grid.

                      There's a lot more to it than the above but this is the biggest part of my self consumption control system.

                      Enabled Plug-Ins
                      3.0.0.23: Autelis
                      3.7.2.0: Harmony Hub
                      3.1.0.26: Sonos
                      3.0.6678.32449: UltraECM3
                      3.0.0.88: weatherXML
                      3.0.0.36: X10
                      3.0.1.252: Z-Wave

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                        We need an EVENT IDEAS subtopic.....
                        - Soak lawn if house fire alarm goes off.
                        A computer's attention span is as long
                        as it's powercord.

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