Experiences with the Rainforest Eagle

A key feature of this device is its ability to communicate with the electricity meter, which in this case is the iCredit 500. The Rainforest provides a "gateway" to some of the various readings the meter is capable of.

Link to manufacturer's web site:

https://rainforestautomation.com/rfa-z114-eagle-200/

Link to power distribution company web site:

https://energyeasy.ue.com.au/

Connecting the Rainforest to the meter is done via the electricity distribution company's web site. Essentially the process involves getting an account on the web site. Then you go to the appropriate page on the site and enter the identity of the meter (the so called NMI). Finally you tell the site the identity of the device you would like to authorize to chit chat with the meter. After that you click GO.

If all goes well, and the god of electricity looks favourably upon your request, and despite being told there has been a failure, your device shall be connected and a small green light shall illuminate indicating the god's overall happinness and that access has been granted. Compared to the many stories of pain I've heard about other Victorian electricity distributors I must say that UE's relationship with the god of electricity is clearly in good shape. It's possibly going tad to far to say I actually like my distributor, that would be similar saying you like your bank, however it couldn't have been easier, except maybe for the incorrect error status thing.

Installation tricks:

  • Ignore instructions to type in the password as found on the bottom of the unit: *all* characters must be upper case (or lower case, I can't remember now. If you're stuck try this).
     
  • The timezone stuff is wrong. It uses an outdated Linux and the TZ stuff has not been recompiled to update it. In Australia the unit will have the wrong time for about two weeks twice a year. I've emailed and provided instructions on how to fix this (which were duely ignored - but passed on to the devs)

Direct communications with the Rainforest is possible. It was installed here and essentially configured not to divulge information to 3rd party websites. The intention is to directly extract information and use it to create a data source for other things, in time, like monitoring displays and controls.