Reducing transformer peaks through local coordination — respecting each household's individual pricing model.
An experimental open-source project exploring how residential loads — EV chargers, batteries, heat pumps, PV surplus — can be coordinated locally to reduce stress on low-voltage distribution grids. No energy trading between households, no cloud dependency, no billing. Each household keeps full control over its own devices and pricing.
Each household:
Tasmota ──MQTT──► HA automation ──MQTT──► Heltec V3 (stock Meshtastic, mqtt ch+downlink)
│
▼ LoRa 868 MHz
all neighbors
Every node runs stock Meshtastic firmware with the mqtt channel enabled. Each Home Assistant publishes its own meter data into the LoRa mesh, and receives data from all neighbors. No custom firmware, no shared infrastructure, no single point of failure.
| Component | Purpose | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|
| Heltec V3 (ESP32-S3 + SX1262 868 MHz) | LoRa mesh node with MQTT downlink | ~€25 |
| Tasmota IR reader | Smart meter IR interface | ~€20 |
| Home Assistant + MQTT broker | Sends and receives mesh data | — |
| USB-C power supply | Powers the node | €0 |
-
Configure your Heltec V3 →
mesh-setup.mdFlash stock Meshtastic, set up MQTT, create themqttchannel, find your node number. -
Set up Home Assistant →
ha-setup.mdImport the sender blueprint, configure auto-discovery, install combined sensors, link the Energy Dashboard.
That's it. Each neighbor that does the same becomes visible automatically — no central server, no registration.
| File | Purpose | Group |
|---|---|---|
mesh-setup.md |
Hardware, flashing, Heltec V3 config | Setup guides |
ha-setup.md |
Full HA integration guide | Setup guides |
sender-blueprint.yaml |
HA blueprint to send your data into the mesh | Import into HA |
custom_components/lotse_forecast/ |
Per-node sensors, combined aggregation, Energy Dashboard | Integration (replaces all YAML files) |
Requirements.md |
Requirements, household types | Reference |
AGENTS.md |
Project invariants for AI agents | Reference |
| Directory | Contents |
|---|---|
tests/ |
Jinja template + Python sensor tests, schema checks, forecast validation |
sender-blueprint.yaml |
Sender automation blueprint (import into HA) |
custom_components/lotse_forecast/ |
HA integration (MQTT sub, per-node + combined sensors, dashboard, forecast) |
config-hub/ |
ESP-IDF project (Tasmota SML → MQTT → Meshtastic envelope) |
archive/ |
Legacy design docs, superseded specs, AI firmware reviews |
- Phase 1 — Share meter data with neighbors ✅ working, start here
- Phase 2 — Coordinated load shedding and flex offers ⏸️ deferred, no timeline
Feedback from: low-voltage infrastructure, embedded systems, MQTT/LoRa, energy management, operational safety.
See LICENSE.
Experimental research project. Not for production-critical infrastructure without proper validation.