This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/homeassistant by /u/Reikan-Ysora on 2026-08-14 18:14:52+00:00.
Hey everyone!
Well, what more can I say than: these past few months have been… pretty full :)
Here we are in mid-August, and it's with the greatest joy that I come to announce the latest Helios update, 2026.9.0 "Your real sky."
Some of you might tell me: "For god's sake, you're driving us nuts with your card!!!" And I'd answer just one thing: "Sorry, but this monthly message stays my own little pleasure. Sharing all of this with you is the best antidepressant in the world! And I wouldn't give it up for anything."
A bit of context if this is the first time you hear about my card: I created Helios more than 6 months ago, with a single goal , to make our energy and our consumption tangible and easy to grasp, so we can get a better feel for them. All of that with no API key, using only reliable open-source data, putting everyone on an equal footing when it comes to the data available. One card, identical, fast and free, for everyone.
Helios is a Lovelace card that recreates the scene of your home automatically in 2.5D, with the sun's path across the sky and everything you need to follow its production, its consumption, and more broadly its energy. I wanted it completely plug & play, because life is too short to spend it reconfiguring, for the 14th time, an energy dashboard that's already well set up.
From the start, I was trying to condense the whole energy dashboard (history + live consumption) into a small space, forcing myself into UX and design choices I didn't yet know would make my brain bleed. For the first time, Helios arrives with something the classic dashboard doesn't have: weather.
To the early adopters, rest assured: every feature from 2026.8.0 is of course still here. No regressions on the menu! The new things in this update simply add themselves naturally to everything that was already there, enriching the experience without breaking anything.
For the occasion, I told myself I'd go all in: I decided to make a brand-new trailer, but this time putting into it all the love I have for this project (yes, even more than for the previous one :p).
So here I am, in front of you, with my far-too-long video, my far-too-wordy message, and an update that once again holds far too many things.
This message isn't meant to list every new feature, that's what the changelog is for. All I can tell you is that, once again, I've tried to answer your requests and integration wishes so Helios stays, above all, YOUR card. Steered by my vision and my limits, sure, but I sincerely hope I managed to build what you wanted.
Let me say it once more: even though my card is called Helios, it's not at all limited to people who have solar. The point is above all to "feel" your energy by following the rhythm of the sun, whatever way you produce or use it.
I know I say this every time, but I truly believe this version is, to me, what Helios was meant to be when I first released it. And that's in large part thanks to you: your messages, your feedback, your words of support, your coffees, your stars.
Now you might ask me: "But why does the September version come out on August 14th?" And you'd be right! And I'll answer the same as last time… because it's ready, tested, and I just couldn't hold back from sharing my work with you :) On top of that, I think this timing is the right one, because it gives me an extra 15 days to properly finalize the next version of Helios-Forecast (having the two releases staggered is, deep down, a good thing, I think).
By the way, I've also decided to start writing a blog, available right on my site helios-ha.org (in French only for now). I've got quite a bit of content and behind-the-scenes planned around the project, so for those interested, feel free to come take a look!
To finish, a more personal note (and sorry in advance for using this message for it): I still don't have a physical battery at home and, honestly, it's becoming a real headache to develop and test storage-related features. Since I can't afford to equip myself right now… maybe? If a manufacturer or a distributor happens to pass by and would like to support a passionate forty-something who spends his nights coding for the community, the "Partner" page on my site is waiting for you. I'd be endlessly grateful ;) Yes, yes, I'm daring to ask!
Anyway, I'll leave you with my trailer. I know, I lost it: wanting to make a trailer today with no AI (except for the soundtrack), by hand, with synthwave music… but then again, I'm old, so I'm allowed :p And above all, don't forget to turn the volume up!
The update is already available, at the same time as this message.
As always, if you run into a problem, don't hesitate to reach out: GitHub (issue / discussion), Reddit, DM, email, whatever you like, I answer every message.
In the meantime, thank you again for your support, your stars, your coffees and your feedback (even the negative kind).
Helios is where it is thanks to you, and I'm extremely proud tonight to be the one at the helm :)
And I'll see you next month for version 2026.10.0.
Cheers ;)
ReikanYsora / Jérôme
