SolarClock.md

Solar clock

This provides a programmable timer for HomeKit, based on the solar period of a location. It is based on the Alarm Clock timer.

Appearance

The solar clock provides an on/off toggle switch, and a contact sensor to indicate the event.

(Screenshot: Elgato Eve)

Configuration

{
  "bridge": {
      ...
  },
  "platforms": [
    {
      "platform": "AutomationSwitches",
      "switches": [
        {
          "type": "solarclock",
          "name": "HomeKit Solar Clock",
          "location": { "latitude": 39.833333, "longitude": -98.585522 },
          "period": "sunrise",
          "offset": -10,
          "enabled": true
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

The above example creates an solar clock, which by default closes the contact sensor every day at ten minutes before sunrise for the geographic center of the United States.

Options

Field	Required	Description
type	Yes	Set this to solarclock to make this entry a solar clock.
name	Yes	Set this to the name of the solar clock as you want it to appear in HomeKit apps.
stored	No	Set this to true if you want the switch to retain its settings across restarts. The default is false.
location	Yes	Set this to the location for making solar calculations.
period	Yes	Set this to the solar period to trigger the solar clock. One of:"night", "morning twilight", "sunrise", "daytime", "sunset", or "evening twilight".
offset	No	Set this to the offset in minutes from the start of the period. The default is 0.
enabled	Yes	The default enabled state of the solar clock.

The defaults are only used if the stored state is unavailable.

Beware of clocks, timezones and drift

The solar clock depends on proper geographic configuration for the desired solar period.

In addition, the same time-related considerations for the Alarm Clock timer apply.

Usage

The contact sensor of the above solar clock is closed every day at ten minutes before sunrise. Attach a HomeKit rule to the contact sensor to execute any actions as you wish and apply conditions to the rule if needed.