Jeroen’s energy dashboard and e-ink calendar display
Mar 18, 2025
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Jeroen Leonards, a software developer from The Netherlands, passionately discusses energy efficiency and smart home automation. He shares insights on his innovative energy dashboard and a unique e-ink calendar display. Listeners will learn about enhancing air conditioning with automation, smart temperature control, and the benefits of integrating solar energy with electric vehicle charging. Jeroen emphasizes the importance of community support and practical safety measures in energy management, making smart living both efficient and engaging.
Jeroen's innovative energy dashboard exemplifies how smart home technology can optimize energy consumption and manage solar energy effectively.
The challenges of smart home adoption highlight the importance of balancing automation with family dynamics and ensuring user-friendly experiences.
Jeroen's e-ink calendar display project showcases the personalization of smart home solutions, enhancing family organization through automated updates and aesthetic design.
Deep dives
Culver's Fish Fry Tradition
Culver's in Claremont, Florida, celebrates its long-standing tradition of serving classic Wisconsin fish fry favorites. The establishment emphasizes the authentic taste and quality in its dishes, such as the hand-battered North Atlantic Cod, which is praised for its perfect seasoning and flaky texture. The lightly breaded butterfly jumbo shrimp is another popular choice known for its satisfying crunch. The Culver family’s deep-rooted history in this culinary tradition adds a personal touch, ensuring all meals are prepared with love and care to make every guest feel welcome.
Jeroen's Home Assistant Journey
Jeroen, a software developer from the Netherlands, shares his journey with Home Assistant, highlighting his goal to monitor energy usage effectively within his home. Initially exploring dashboards and gradually integrating various smart devices, he often found himself automating tasks with Zigbee devices. His experience has led to significant customization of his home setup, including controlling an air conditioning unit and monitoring solar energy usage. This transformation reflects his desire for functionality and efficiency, showcasing the progressive nature of personal smart home technology.
Challenges of Smart Home Adoption
Jeroen discusses the common challenges faced in smart home adoption, particularly regarding family acceptance and the learning curve associated with home automation technology. He recounts instances where automated systems disrupted household routines, leading to a strict guideline of avoiding automation in certain areas like the bedroom. This experience underscores the importance of ensuring that technology enhances convenience without complicating family dynamics. The need for a balance between tech sophistication and user-friendliness is essential for smoother integration within family life.
Dynamic Energy Management
Through Home Assistant, Jeroen has crafted complex automations to optimize energy consumption, particularly with solar energy and electric vehicle (EV) charging. He details a system that monitors energy flow both into and out of his home, allowing the charging of his EV based on surplus solar energy. This innovative approach not only maximizes his use of renewable energy but also involves continuous adjustments to his home energy management strategy. By leveraging dynamic electricity rates, he is able to make informed decisions that enhance efficiency and reduce overall energy costs.
Creative Home Automation Projects
Jeroen elaborates on a unique project involving an e-ink display used as a family planner, which integrates seamlessly with Home Assistant. This display updates automatically by pulling data from his Apple iCloud calendar, allowing his family to stay informed about upcoming events in an aesthetically pleasing format. The project highlights the versatility of smart home technology, enabling personalization that caters to specific household needs. Additionally, Jeroen shares his commitment to documenting and sharing his projects online, encouraging others to explore similar creative solutions in home automation.
Jeroen is a software developer from The Netherlands with a passion for saving money by saving energy. In this episode Jeroen shares his energy dashboard and e-ink calendar display.
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