[OpenTRV-interest] Question from Steve R

[Stuart Poulton]

> 
> I agree power is an issue in any event with any RF device though some are
> worse than others. I was assuming that anything would have to be hooked up to
> the mains as I didn't think that batteries would be viable.
> 
> As far as the protocol is concerned, to be honest I haven't looked closely at
> the alternatives, but ethernet/wifi has a lot of support. Actually if it's
> connected to the mains then a ethernet over power line solution is possible. I
> use this to talk to the boiler/accumulator which is to far away from the main
> part of the house for wifi to work.

If you’ve got power close the radiator then great, you can be more creative, and even have a finer degree of control. 

However all currently available solutions are battery powered, with battery life being typically around a year. The RF power budget is actually quite small compared to the power needed to move the valve.

Hope this helps.

Stuart