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114 lines
4.3 KiB
Markdown
114 lines
4.3 KiB
Markdown
# Core Concepts
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Understanding the fundamental concepts behind the Tibber Prices integration.
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## How Data Flows
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```mermaid
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flowchart LR
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subgraph API["☁️ Tibber API"]
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raw["Raw prices<br/>(quarter-hourly)"]
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end
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subgraph Integration["⚙️ Integration"]
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direction TB
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enrich["Enrichment<br/><small>24h averages, differences</small>"]
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classify["Classification"]
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enrich --> classify
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end
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subgraph Sensors["📊 Your Sensors"]
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direction TB
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prices["Price sensors<br/><small>current, min, max, avg</small>"]
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ratings["Ratings & Levels<br/><small>LOW / NORMAL / HIGH</small>"]
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periods["Periods<br/><small>best & peak windows</small>"]
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trends["Trends & Volatility<br/><small>falling / stable / rising</small>"]
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end
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raw -->|every 15 min| enrich
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classify --> prices
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classify --> ratings
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classify --> periods
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classify --> trends
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style API fill:#e6f7ff,stroke:#00b9e7,stroke-width:2px
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style Integration fill:#fff9e6,stroke:#ffb800,stroke-width:2px
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style Sensors fill:#e6fff5,stroke:#00c853,stroke-width:2px
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```
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The integration fetches raw quarter-hourly prices from Tibber, enriches them with statistical context (averages, differences), and exposes the results as sensors you can use in automations and dashboards.
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## Price Intervals
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The integration works with **quarter-hourly intervals** (15 minutes):
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- Each interval has a start time (e.g., 14:00, 14:15, 14:30, 14:45)
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- Prices are fixed for the entire interval
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- Synchronized with Tibber's smart meter readings
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## Price Ratings
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Prices are automatically classified into **rating levels**:
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- **VERY_CHEAP** - Exceptionally low prices (great for energy-intensive tasks)
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- **CHEAP** - Below average prices (good for flexible loads)
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- **NORMAL** - Around average prices (regular consumption)
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- **EXPENSIVE** - Above average prices (reduce consumption if possible)
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- **VERY_EXPENSIVE** - Exceptionally high prices (avoid heavy loads)
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Rating is based on **statistical analysis** comparing current price to:
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- Daily average
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- Trailing 24-hour average
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- User-configured thresholds
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## Price Periods
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**Best Price Periods** and **Peak Price Periods** are automatically detected time windows:
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- **Best Price Period** - Consecutive intervals with favorable prices (for scheduling energy-heavy tasks)
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- **Peak Price Period** - Time windows with highest prices (to avoid or shift consumption)
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Periods can:
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- Span multiple hours
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- Cross midnight boundaries
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- Adapt based on your configuration (flex, min_distance, rating levels)
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See [Period Calculation](period-calculation.md) for detailed configuration.
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## Statistical Analysis
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The integration enriches every interval with context:
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- **Trailing 24h Average** - Average price over the last 24 hours
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- **Leading 24h Average** - Average price over the next 24 hours
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- **Price Difference** - How much current price deviates from average (in %)
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- **Volatility** - Price stability indicator (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH)
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This helps you understand if current prices are exceptional or typical.
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## V-Shaped and U-Shaped Price Days
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Some days show distinctive price curve shapes:
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- **V-shaped**: Prices drop sharply, hit a brief minimum, then rise sharply again (common during short midday solar surplus)
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- **U-shaped**: Prices drop to a low level and stay there for an extended period before rising (common during nighttime or extended low-demand periods)
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**Why this matters:** On these days, the Best Price Period may be short (1–2 hours, covering only the absolute minimum), but prices can remain favorable for 4–6 hours. By combining [trend sensors](sensors.md#trend-sensors) with [price levels](sensors.md#core-price-sensors) in automations, you can ride the full cheap wave instead of only using the detected period.
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See [Automation Examples → V-Shaped Days](automation-examples.md#understanding-v-shaped-price-days) for practical patterns.
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## Multi-Home Support
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You can add multiple Tibber homes to track prices for:
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- Different locations
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- Different electricity contracts
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- Comparison between regions
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Each home gets its own set of sensors with unique entity IDs.
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---
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💡 **Next Steps:**
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- [Glossary](glossary.md) - Detailed term definitions
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- [Sensors](sensors.md) - How to use sensor data
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- [Automation Examples](automation-examples.md) - Practical use cases
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