IoTaWatt VS Expandable-6-Channel-ESP32-Energy-Meter

If anyone is interested in having this type of real-time usage data for their own own home, I highly recommend IoTaWatt: https://iotawatt.com

It's a completely local energy monitor that you can install into your home's circuit breaker panel, and then view dashboards or read data via an API from a local web server running on-device. You choose how many sensors you want, but you can monitor your whole home as well as individual circuits.

For example, I track and trigger automations when my various appliances (laundry, dishwasher, microwave, etc) start/stop. It's very cool. Just be warned that it does require some research, basic understanding of electricity, and comfort working with high voltage mains connections if you plan to DIY it but I found it approachable and easy to setup.

What it looks like: https://i.ibb.co/qBVmBD1/IMG-1595.jpg

I use an IotaWatt system. It's super easy to install and manage. It uses inductive sensors at your circuit breaker so you can see your total usage and per circuit usage. It also easily hooks into HomeAssistant but that's a bit more advanced of a project.

I have an IotaWatt and am pretty happy with it. It was not the cheapest option; but is simple, reliable, and local only which checked all my boxes. I did install it myself; BUT this involved opening up and poking around inside my breaker panel. AFAIK this is pretty much required for any per-circuit home power monitoring. Insert "The power inside your breaker panel can kill you instantly and painfully" warning. My panel is mounted on the wall (rather than inside); and I guess I could have put the clamps on the wires where the exit the panel. But it would have been much harder to identify circuits. Also it would probably be much messier.

For individual circuit energy monitoring, I use Iotawatt. This involves installing CT clamps in the main breaker panel to monitor the circuits you want to monitor. I’m comfortable doing it myself but if you’re not, DO NOT mess around with it, hire a professional electrician instead because you can get electrocuted.

IoTaWatt https://iotawatt.com

If you really want to mail down your sources of current draw, I can’t recommend this enough: http://iotawatt.com

Since you have home automation, you may already know of IoTAWatt - it's a little cheaper than others, and works really well on its own or with HomeAssistant etc.

Sense is really good at measuring overall usage. Their neural network analysis to identify individual devices is anything but reliable. If this is important to you, I suggest you monitor individual circuits with something else (eg. iotawatt).

Another option for multiple circuits

The INA219 chips are typically used to indirectly monitor current as the byproduct of directly monitoring voltage across a shunt resistor. If you're using CT clamps, you just need a simple analog to digital voltage converter. Something based on the ATM90E32AS might be a good solution here. Paired with an ESP32 running something like ESPHome to connect to HA should give you exactly what you're looking for.

3: https://circuitsetup.us/index.php/product/expandable-6-channel-esp32-energy-meter/ connected to the dedicated 20a circuit i have.

The ATM90E32AS? It's TQFP48, so a pretty fine pitch, but not too bad. The schematics for the circuitsetup meters are on the github page.

If you want more accuracy and slightly less diy then https://circuitsetup.us/index.php/product/expandable-6-channel-esp32-energy-meter/ would be the way to go. It's a little spendy, but it works a treat and gives you more info than just CTs would (active power, reactive power, frequency, etc)

Do you run Home Assistant?? Then this is probably the best solution.

i assume you're the one i also responded to over on /r/electricians, but take a look at https://circuitsetup.us/index.php/product/expandable-6-channel-esp32-energy-meter/ as well

These were just posted: https://github.com/CircuitSetup/Expandable-6-Channel-ESP32-Energy-Meter/tree/master/Software/Grafana