🌡️ Climate Automation

🇮🇹 Italiano · 🇬🇧 English

Self-hosted smart home for Panasonic air conditioners. No vendor cloud dashboards, no subscriptions — control your ACs by temperature, humidity, season and presence, plus IKEA lights, all from one Raspberry Pi.

A self-hosted home climate automation system that automatically controls Panasonic air conditioners based on temperature, humidity, season and presence, with an iOS-style web dashboard and IKEA light control.

Designed to run 24/7 on a Raspberry Pi, with no third-party cloud beyond the manufacturers' own, and no proprietary apps.

IKEA / BME280 sensors ─┐
Panasonic AC state ────┤
Open-Meteo forecast ───┼─► Rule Engine ──► commands the ACs (Cool/Heat/Dry…)
FRITZ!Box presence ────┤      │
                       │      └─► MPC advisor (predict + recommend, advisory)
                       └──────────► Web dashboard (React)  ◄── energy / health
IKEA Dirigera lights ──────────────► on/off + dimmer
Sonoff boiler relay ───────────────► local on/off (no cloud)

⚠️ Personal project, published for educational purposes. It depends on specific hardware (see Requirements). Not a commercial product.

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📸 Screenshots

Home overview — comfort gauge, outdoor weather, the MPC's live read (Home Engine), energy, plant health, alerts and recent events.

Per-room page — thermostat with a live real-temperature gauge, environment, system health, quick actions and the day's runtime/consumption/cost.

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✨ Features

Smart climate automation

• Comfort-band model: keeps the temperature within a band around a target, switching the AC on/off with hysteresis (no rapid cycling). Thresholds calibrated on real consumption history.
• Season awareness: the season is decided by the moving average of the outdoor temperature (read from the ACs), so heating never kicks in during summer and vice versa — with a safety override for extreme conditions.
• Automatic dehumidification: switches to Dry mode when humidity rises above a threshold (low power, better comfort).
• Forced off + night window: ACs stay off during a configurable time window (e.g. 03:00–08:00), even when it's hot.

Presence (FRITZ!Box, no app on the phone)

• Empty home → everything off: detects whether smartphones are connected to WiFi (via TR-064); after a grace period with nobody home, it turns the ACs off.
• Per-person presence: a room can follow a specific phone (e.g. the bedroom follows only your iPhone).
• Fail-safe: if the FRITZ!Box doesn't respond, it assumes "home occupied" — a network error never takes comfort away.

Living with the real world

• Remote-control aware: if you turn the AC on/off via the remote or the Panasonic app, the system notices and respects your choice (it doesn't "fight" you).
• Recovery after a blackout: on restart it reads the real AC state and resumes consistently; the Pi powers back on by itself when power returns.

IKEA lights

• On/off + dimmer control of Dirigera lights, grouped by room.
• Physical fixtures: multiple bulbs forming a single light point (a mirror light, a hallway run) are controlled together as one control, configurable per room.

Energy & cost

• Whole-plant consumption from the Panasonic cloud's monthly aggregation (the figure that matches the official app), broken down per day for the current month, with estimated cost from your configured tariff (variable €/kWh + VAT).
• Per-room AC runtime, consumption and cost for the day, estimated from the periodic state snapshots.

Boiler (optional, fully local)

• A Sonoff dry-contact relay on the boiler is detected and controlled on the local network (eWeLink LAN protocol, AES-encrypted), with no cloud; its state is read passively via mDNS. Surfaced in the dashboard as its own room.

Web dashboard

A responsive React interface in glassmorphism / iOS style, served by the same backend process and reachable from the whole local network.

• Home overview — a whole-house comfort gauge; an extended outdoor weather card (temperature, feels-like, UV, wind, rain probability, hourly trend, all from Open-Meteo); a Home Engine card that surfaces the MPC's live read (house stability, comfort %, projected consumption, next decision, suggestion); climate energy (today + month, estimated cost, daily chart); plant health (Home Engine / Panasonic / Dirigera / sensors / Wi-Fi); alerts and a recent-events feed (human-readable, e.g. "Cooling to 22°").
• Per-room pages — full thermostat (mode, setpoint with a live real-temperature gauge, fan, swing, nanoe™X, Powerful/Quiet), a 24-hour temperature + humidity chart, room environment (temperature, humidity, comfort, lux), quick actions, per-room device & system health, and a footer with the day's AC runtime, consumption and cost.
• Light-only rooms (no AC) show their light controls instead (toggle + dimmer), with multiple bulbs grouped into a single physical fixture where it makes sense (e.g. a bathroom mirror light, a hallway run).
• Light / dark theme (auto by sunrise/sunset), top-bar quick stats, responsive down to mobile.

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🧠 Predictive control (MPC) — beta, in active development

A Model Predictive Control layer is being built on top of the reactive rule engine. Instead of acting once a room is already out of comfort, at each step it solves a finite-horizon optimal-control problem: predict the thermal trajectory over the next hours and select the input that maintains comfort at minimum energy cost. It currently runs open-loop (advisory) — it predicts and recommends but does not actuate the ACs — a deliberate safety choice for a 24/7 system.

Thermal model — grey-box lumped-parameter (RC)

Each room is modelled as a single thermal node with two conductive paths, toward the rest of the conditioned house and toward the outdoors:

$$ C,\frac{dT}{dt} ;=; UA_{house},(T_{house}-T) ;+; UA_{ext},(T_{out}-T) ;+; Q_{int} ;+; Q_{solar} ;+; Q_{ac} $$

with thermal capacitance $C$ [J/°C], conductances $UA$ [W/°C], internal/solar/HVAC heat flows $Q$ [W], and time constant $\tau = C/(UA_{house}+UA_{ext})$. $T_{out}$ is an Open-Meteo forecast; $T_{house}$ is taken from the other rooms' sensors. Empirically each room couples mostly to the rest of the house (five interior surfaces vs. one external wall), so $UA_{house}\approx 2\text{–}3,UA_{ext}$; this was confirmed against measured free-response (the asymptote sits near the indoor house temperature, not the outdoor one).

Parameter identification — grey-box, self-calibrating

Structural conductances $UA$ are fixed from building geometry; the uncertain effective gain $Q_{int}$ is identified from free-response ("natural") experiments — the open-loop drift recorded whenever the AC is off (night setback, empty room) — via an output-error trajectory fit:

$$ \hat{Q}_{int} ;=; \arg\min_{Q}\ \sum_{k}\big(,\hat{T}(t_k;Q)-T^{meas}(t_k),\big)^2 $$

integrating the model forward at 5-min steps over the AC-off segments. No manual tuning; the estimate is refined as data accumulates. A coupled psychrometric humidity model and an occupancy model (arrival-time estimation) feed the same optimiser.

Control formulation

Receding horizon $H = 6$ h, step $\Delta t = 15$ min, discrete candidate inputs $u \in {\text{Off, Cool, Dry, Pre-cool}}$. Each candidate is simulated forward and selection is lexicographic multi-objective: (1) keep $T$ inside the comfort band, (2) bound humidity, (3) minimise energy cost $\sum |Q_{ac}|/\mathrm{COP}\cdot\Delta t \times \text{tariff}$. In beta the optimiser emits the recommended $u^\star$ as advice; closed-loop actuation stays gated behind the existing safety rules.

Validation (real, held-out data)

• State estimate (nowcast) — predicted vs. measured current temperature: MAE 0.02–0.04 °C.
• Open-loop $k$-step prediction on AC-off windows: MAE ≈ 0.15 °C at $h=1$, ≈ 0.34 °C at $h=2$ (0.1 °C-resolution room), below the persistence baseline $\hat{T}(t{+}h)=T(t)$ at every horizon — i.e. the model carries genuine predictive information beyond "it stays the same".
• Post-calibration +6 h forecast bias = −0.28 °C (sub-degree, well-sampled room); the long-range prediction is consistent with the room's measured free-running behaviour (≈ 32 °C without AC on hot days).
• Known limitations: closed-loop operation flattens excitation (few large drifts to identify from); a first-order RC under-models the fast-air / slow-mass two-time-constant response; 1 °C sensor quantisation caps identifiability where present.

Positioning vs. conventional smart-thermostats

Conventional	This MPC
Reactive (feedback once out of band)	Predictive (finite-horizon, 2–6 h)
Black-box ML — data-hungry, opaque	Grey-box first-principles — interpretable, data-efficient
Cloud / vendor lock-in	Fully on-device (Raspberry Pi), local
Comfort or energy	Joint comfort + energy, tariff-aware
Fixed parameters	Online self-identification from natural drifts

⚠️ Beta: advisory-only and under active development; parameters are refined as data accumulates and the model does not (yet) actuate the ACs autonomously.

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🧰 Tech stack

Layer	Technology
Backend	Python 3.11+ (asyncio), FastAPI + Uvicorn
Storage	SQLite (async, aiosqlite)
Scheduling	APScheduler
Integrations	dirigera (IKEA), aio-panasonic-comfort-cloud, fritzconnection
Frontend	React 18 + Vite + Tailwind CSS v4, Material Design Icons
Deploy	systemd on Raspberry Pi OS / Debian

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🔌 Hardware requirements

• IKEA DIRIGERA hub (VINDSTYRKA environment sensors, lights) — local API
• Panasonic ACs compatible with Comfort Cloud (e.g. CS-TZ series)
• FRITZ!Box (for presence detection via TR-064) — optional
• A host running 24/7: Raspberry Pi 3 or newer (tested), or any Linux/macOS machine for development

Without all components the system still works in reduced mode (e.g. no FRITZ!Box → presence disabled, no IKEA lights → the lights card doesn't appear).

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🚀 Installation

1. Configuration

Credentials are not in the repository. Copy the template and fill in your data:

cp config/config.example.yaml config/config.yaml

Then edit config/config.yaml:

• Dirigera token — generated automatically by the mapping tool (step 2)
• Panasonic Comfort Cloud email/password
• FRITZ!Box credentials — create a dedicated user in System → Users
• Device IDs (ACs, IKEA sensors) — populated by the mapping tool

config/config.yaml is in .gitignore: secrets never end up on Git.

2. Hardware mapping

The interactive tool discovers your devices and populates the config:

python3 -m venv .venv
.venv/bin/pip install -r requirements.txt
.venv/bin/python tools/mapping_tool.py

(For the first authentication to the Dirigera hub you'll need to press its physical button.)

3. Build dashboard + run

# build the dashboard (requires Node.js)
cd dashboard && npm install && npm run build && cd ..

# run
.venv/bin/python main.py          # production
DEV=1 .venv/bin/python main.py    # verbose logs

Dashboard and API at http://localhost:8000.

4. Deploy on Raspberry Pi (24/7)

The setup.sh script creates the venv, builds the dashboard (if Node is present) and installs the systemd service:

./setup.sh

Useful commands:

sudo systemctl status climate-automation     # status
journalctl -u climate-automation -f          # live logs
sudo systemctl restart climate-automation    # restart

The service is enabled: it restarts itself on every boot, crash or blackout.

Headless Pi note: the React build can exhaust RAM on a Pi 3. It's best to build dashboard/dist/ on another machine and copy it, avoiding npm on the Pi.

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⚙️ Main configuration (config.yaml)

rooms:
  - name: "Bedroom"
    ikea_sensor_id: "<SENSOR_ID>"        # IKEA environment sensor (optional)
    panasonic_device_id: "<DEVICE_ID>"   # air conditioner
    presence_device_ip: "192.168.1.50"   # opt: this room follows this phone
    comfort:
      summer: { target_temp: 25, deadband: 1.5, setpoint: 25 }
      winter: { target_temp: 21.5, deadband: 1.0, setpoint: 21 }

schedule:
  force_off_time: "03:00"   # start of the night window
  night_off_end: "08:00"    # end of window: ACs off 03:00–08:00

presence:
  enabled: true
  fritzbox: { address, user, password }
  away_grace_minutes: 30
  devices: [ { name, ip, mac } ]

lights:
  ceiling_rooms: ["Living room", "Bedroom"]  # bulbs controlled as one fixture

The full, commented template is in config/config.example.yaml.

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🗂️ Project structure

climate-automation/
├── main.py                 # entry point: asyncio orchestration + uvicorn
├── core/
│   ├── config.py           # typed config loading
│   ├── rule_engine.py      # the reactive brain: decides and commands the ACs
│   ├── ac_controller.py    # async wrapper over Panasonic Comfort Cloud
│   ├── sensor_poller.py    # IKEA sensor reading (WebSocket + polling)
│   ├── remote_sensor_reader.py # HTTP-pull sensors (BME280/BH1750 nodes)
│   ├── season.py           # season algorithm (outdoor temp moving average)
│   ├── presence.py         # home/person presence via FRITZ!Box
│   ├── occupancy_model.py  # arrival-time / occupancy estimation
│   ├── light_controller.py # IKEA lights (+ grouped fixtures)
│   ├── boiler.py           # Sonoff boiler relay over the LAN (eWeLink)
│   ├── weather.py          # Open-Meteo current + forecast
│   ├── energy_history.py   # Panasonic monthly energy → daily series
│   ├── scheduler.py        # nightly forced off
│   ├── mpc_advisor.py      # MPC arbiter (advisory): predict + recommend
│   ├── mpc_logger.py       # periodic state snapshots for identification
│   ├── thermal_model.py    # grey-box RC room model
│   ├── thermal_calibrator.py # self-identification from natural drifts
│   ├── humidity_model.py   # psychrometric humidity model
│   └── psychro.py          # psychrometrics helpers
├── api/                    # FastAPI: routes + models
├── db/                     # async SQLite (history, logs, commands)
├── dashboard/              # React + Vite + Tailwind frontend
├── tools/mapping_tool.py   # hardware discovery + config generation
├── setup.sh                # install + systemd service
└── docs/                   # analysis and technical notes

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🌐 REST API (excerpt)

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/rooms	state of all rooms (temp, AC, energy, override)
GET	/api/rooms/{room}/detail	per-room derived data (comfort, AC runtime/cost today, next action)
GET	/api/status	connections, season, presence
GET	/api/overview	derived home data: comfort score, plant health, Wi-Fi, Home Engine read
POST	/api/rooms/{room}/ac/control	direct AC control (mode/temp/fan/swing/nanoe/eco)
GET	/api/rooms/{room}/history	sensor reading history
GET	/api/weather	outdoor weather + short forecast (Open-Meteo)
GET	/api/energy/month	per-day plant consumption + cost for the month
GET	/api/lights	lights grouped by room
POST	/api/lights/{id}	on/off + dimmer of a light/fixture
GET·POST	/api/boiler	boiler state / on-off (Sonoff LAN)
GET	/api/logs	automation decision logs

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🔐 Privacy & security

• All credentials live only in config/config.yaml, which is gitignored.
• No data leaves the local network, except the manufacturers' official APIs (Panasonic Comfort Cloud).
• The dashboard has no authentication: expose it on the LAN only, never directly on the Internet (use a VPN for remote access).

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📄 License

MIT — see LICENSE.

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_{Built with care for a home that runs itself. 🏠}