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Other measure modes

The measure tool can also help with non-light profiles or one-off readings. All these modes are available in both the Home Assistant app and the CLI, and use the same power meter setup.

Smart speaker

Use Smart speaker for media players where power consumption changes with playback and volume level.

Select the media_player entity when creating the measurement session.

MEDIA_CONTROLLER=hass

The Home Assistant connection is configured once in your .env; see Home Assistant configuration. The wizard asks for the media_player entity.

The runner measures volume levels from 10 through 100 in steps of 10, then measures the muted or off state. By default it streams pink noise from a Powercalc-hosted URL during each volume measurement.

Some devices, such as Amazon Alexa devices, do not support direct streaming through this service call. In that case, choose the wizard option to disable automatic streaming and start a stable audio source manually.

The generated model uses a linear strategy with calibration points and a condition that enables calculation while the entity is playing.

Warning

The smart speaker mode raises the volume up to 100 percent. Keep the speaker in a safe location and protect your hearing before starting.

Fan

Use Fan for Home Assistant fan entities that support percentage control.

Select the fan entity when creating the measurement session.

FAN_CONTROLLER=hass

The wizard asks for the fan entity.

The runner measures percentage values from 5 through 100 in steps of 5. It waits after each percentage change, then takes an average measurement. It also measures standby after turning the fan off.

The generated model uses a linear strategy with percentage calibration points.

Charging device

Use Charging device for devices where charging power can be mapped to battery level. The current device types are:

  • vacuum_robot
  • lawn_mower_robot

Select the vacuum or lawn_mower entity when creating the measurement session.

CHARGING_CONTROLLER=hass

The wizard asks for the vacuum or lawn_mower entity.

Start with the device as close to empty as possible. The runner waits for charging to start, records power readings while the battery level rises, and then measures trickle charging at 100 percent.

The battery level can come from either:

  • An attribute on the main entity, usually battery_level.
  • A separate sensor entity.

The generated model uses a linear strategy with battery-level calibration points and enables calculation while the entity is docked.

Average

Use Average when you need a single average power reading for a device state.

The wizard asks for a duration in seconds. After you press enter, the tool reads the power meter for that duration and prints the average result. This mode does not create a full profile by itself, but it is useful when you manually build a fixed profile or need a reliable value for a specific state.

Examples:

  • Printer idle power.
  • Camera day mode or night mode.
  • Smart switch self-usage in on and off states.
  • Network device idle power.

Recorder

Use Recorder to capture a power pattern for the Playbook strategy. The runner writes a CSV file with elapsed time and measured power until you stop it with CTRL+C.

This is useful for:

  • Recording program-based devices such as washing machines, dishwashers, and similar appliances.
  • Capturing one full appliance cycle as a playbook CSV.
  • Comparing different programs before configuring multiple playbooks.
  • Checking whether a measurement duration is long enough.

Move the resulting CSV into the Home Assistant playbook directory and configure it as described in the Playbook strategy documentation.