I’m seeking to use OpenHab to control multiple (planned) EcoBee Smart SI thermostats at my church, which uses Google Calendar to identify when various rooms/zones are being used. What I have come up with so far is;
OH1.8.3 is current working version, though OH2 is a possibility, and is the mid term target, so hence I am wondering if that is where I should start
the GCal binding is no longer supported due to a change in Google Calendar
the CalDAV binding appears to be the recommended solution for Google Calendar now.
the Ecobee binding appears to be working well with a number of different EcoBee thermostats, and can handle multiple thermostats
the Ecobee binding appears to be OH2 compliant, with perhaps some current bugs handling repeating events
Questions:
Is the CalDAV binding OH2-compliant? I have seen one thread that did not appear to come to a definite conclusion
Is CalDAV the best way to pull in Google Calendar events? What are the other ways, if any?
Is OH2 ready for reliable unattended, off-site use with the bindings mentioned above, or should I start with 1.8.3 first? For that matter, with 1.8.3, and the CalDAV, ecobee bindings, is that configuration reliable enough for unattended, offsite use?
What would be the best means to reach in and monitor the system;
Hey Will,
that’s an interesting use case. I would recommend using openHAB 2 with a file only configuration. This way you will have all the benefits of openHAB 2 with the same principles as with openHAB 1.8. openHAB 2 will reach it’s final version soon (end of the year) and it’s probably easier to start with it right away. Be sure to check out this tutorial: Migration from OH 1.x to OH 2 Tutorial
I am currently not using calDAV myself. I get that this addon is quite important for you. There are a few open and closed issues regarding the binding. The impression I’m getting is it should work but please give it a try.
It would be great to have it integrated directly. Let’s talk alternatives only if the binding is not working at all.
reliable and unattended is no problem with OH2 itself. You should think about a reliable and reachable system and the right devices. I have no experience with Ecobee.
really depends on your system, your internet connection and your needs. A secure port forwarding on your own domain is of course more flexible to your needs. my.openhab will just do the trick. “some other approach” may be needed if you have special requirements!?
As you can see CalDAV is a big ? here and you should give it a test run as soon as possible. I would actually be interested in your findings as I pretty much like the idea to control heating in my apartment by the help of a calender.
I don’t know what you are referring to, but please open new issues if you see any problems with the Ecobee binding.
According to this and this, the CalDAV binding does not work under openHAB 2. A refresh of calendaring support under openHAB 2 would be a nice thing to have.
In the meantime, you could use IFTTT and my.openhab.org as the bridge between Google Calendar and commanding your Ecobees to new climate holds at different times (+/= 15 minutes I think is the IFTTT resolution for Google Calendar). Or you could possibly give the whole job to IFTTT (but that’s less fun).
watou, I found this statement at the end of the second CalDAV link you provided, which appears to provide a workaround;
Apr 5: “So as a workaround for OH2 you can specify the full config qualifier in caldavio.cfg.”
Based on your other notes about my.openhab/IFTTT as a plausible fallback, I’m going to migrate now while there is nothing of substance (yet) to change.
Thom, I had the 1.8.3 demo up and running, but you’ve convince me to take the leap to 2.0. I’ve downloaded OH2 and have proceeded with the steps outlined in the migration procedure, not yet able to bring up the 2.0 Portal, but I’ll bring that up on the migration thread.
