Understand Smart Home Energy Skills
You can use the Alexa APIs to report energy usage and manage automation of devices that consume energy. The smart home energy interfaces are intended to help users manage their energy usage with the Alexa energy dashboard. You create smart home energy skills the same way you create any other smart home skill. For details, see Understand Smart Home Skills and Steps to Build a Smart Home Skill.
Utterances
The smart home energy interfaces are different than other Alexa interfaces. Your skill doesn't support voice user interactions with Alexa. Instead, your skill communicates with Alexa about energy usage and device automation. These interfaces don't define user utterances.
Alexa interfaces for smart home energy skills
Implement the following Smart Home APIs in your Alexa skill to enable users to control your smart home energy devices.
- Alexa.AutomationManagement — For devices that support automation, such as thermostats.
- Alexa.DeviceUsage.Estimation — For devices that don't measure energy use directly, such as light bulbs and televisions.
- Alexa.DeviceUsage.Meter — For devices that measure energy use directly, such as electricity and natural gas meters.
- Alexa.ThermostatController.HVAC.Components — For a thermostat device or a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
Alexa.DeviceUsage.Estimation interface doesn't display on the energy dashboard.Related topics
- Enable Your Customers to Track and Manage their Devices' Energy Usage with the Alexa Energy Dashboard
- Smart Home Skill Device Templates
- Smart Home Skill Concepts
- Smart Home Skill APIs
- Smart Home Security Skills
- Alexa.EndpointHealth
Last updated: Mar 28, 2023