Use electricity price and CO2 in Node-RED without unnecessary clicking

Core logic explained early

The price logic is not “forecast only”. It deliberately combines real market data with forecast values so a flow does not react unnecessarily to pure estimates.

Recommended entry point: summary

Node-RED has its own summary path with current values, best windows and meta fields for limits and API key state. That is the most sensible starting point for first automations.

Alternative for your own price logic: node-red/prices

For more advanced flows there is also a second Node-RED path that returns only the price series. It is intended for your own window calculations, charts, thresholds, or combinations with PV, battery and house status.

What the API actually returns

The summary endpoint returns a compact automation view. That is useful for Node-RED because you can use it immediately for simple flows while still keeping enough structure for later extensions.

If you need a real price series for your own calculations instead of the compact summary, use /api/v1/node-red/prices. The summary intentionally stays compact. The price series is intended for advanced custom flow logic.

Price series for your own flows: node-red/prices

The extra price-series path intentionally returns prices only, without CO2 fields and without precomputed window logic. That is exactly the point: in Node-RED you can decide for yourself how to evaluate or combine the slots with other signals.

https://api.energypriceforecast.eu/api/v1/node-red/prices?country=de&hours=48&mode=mixed&resolution=15m

https://api.energypriceforecast.eu/api/v1/node-red/prices?country=de&hours=48&mode=mixed&resolution=15m&price_mode=retail&plz=10115

Important: in 15m mode, forecast values are not smoothed between hours. The API does not invent intermediate prices. Instead, it clearly marks that those quarter-hour slots come from one hourly forecast block.

Base price or total retail price?

The Node-RED summary path still deliberately returns base or market prices. The prices path also returns base prices by default, but can optionally output assumption-based retail totals.

Time horizon and resolution

The examples use hours=48 and, for the summary, window_hours=4. That is a sensible starting point, but not the full product limit.

source.day_ahead_entries and source.forecast_entries count slots, not hours. That is why values such as 97 day-ahead and 0 forecast can still be perfectly plausible.

Where to put the API key

In the example flow, the API key is set in the Function node. If the string stays empty, the request runs without a key and therefore with the free horizon. With a key you can, for example, test hours=120.

const API_KEY = "";
const API_URL = "https://api.energypriceforecast.eu/api/v1/node-red/summary?country=de&hours=120&window_hours=4";

In the end, the authoritative value is not the number you ask for in the URL, but what the server actually allows in meta.allowed_horizon_hours.

Quick start: import the summary flow

1. Click Import in the top right corner of Node-RED.
2. Paste the complete JSON block below.
3. Import it and then click Deploy.
4. Open the debug sidebar and trigger the Inject node once manually.

Import flow for the summary

Copy the full block and import it into Node-RED. The flow also catches HTTP and parsing errors through a catch path.

[
  {
    "id": "epf_summary_tab",
    "type": "tab",
    "label": "EPF Summary",
    "disabled": false,
    "info": ""
  },
  {
    "id": "epf_summary_inject",
    "type": "inject",
    "z": "epf_summary_tab",
    "name": "Load summary",
    "props": [],
    "repeat": "900",
    "once": true,
    "onceDelay": "1",
    "topic": "",
    "x": 130,
    "y": 120,
    "wires": [["epf_summary_prepare"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "epf_summary_prepare",
    "type": "function",
    "z": "epf_summary_tab",
    "name": "Set API key and URL",
    "func": "const API_KEY = \"\";\\nmsg.url = \"https://api.energypriceforecast.eu/api/v1/node-red/summary?country=de&hours=48&window_hours=4\";\\nmsg.headers = {};\\nif (API_KEY.trim()) {\\n    msg.headers.Authorization = \"Bearer \" + API_KEY.trim();\\n}\\nreturn msg;",
    "outputs": 1,
    "noerr": 0,
    "initialize": "",
    "finalize": "",
    "libs": [],
    "x": 390,
    "y": 120,
    "wires": [["epf_summary_http"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "epf_summary_http",
    "type": "http request",
    "z": "epf_summary_tab",
    "name": "Fetch summary",
    "method": "GET",
    "ret": "obj",
    "paytoqs": "ignore",
    "url": "",
    "persist": false,
    "x": 630,
    "y": 120,
    "wires": [["epf_summary_extract"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "epf_summary_extract",
    "type": "function",
    "z": "epf_summary_tab",
    "name": "Expose key fields",
    "func": "const data = msg.payload || {};\\nconst flat = data.flat || {};\\nconst meta = data.meta || {};\\nconst price = data.price || {};\\nconst co2 = data.co2 || {};\\nmsg.current_price = flat.current_price;\\nmsg.current_co2_g_kwh = flat.current_co2_g_kwh;\\nmsg.cheapest_window_start = flat.cheapest_window_start || null;\\nmsg.greenest_window_start = flat.greenest_window_start || null;\\nmsg.is_cheapest_window_now = flat.is_cheapest_window_now === true;\\nmsg.cheapest_window_remaining_minutes = flat.cheapest_window_remaining_minutes ?? null;\\nmsg.next_full_cheapest_window_start = price.next_full_window ? price.next_full_window.start : null;\\nmsg.next_full_greenest_window_start = co2.next_full_window ? co2.next_full_window.start : null;\\nmsg.api_key_state = meta.api_key_state || 'missing';\\nmsg.allowed_horizon_hours = meta.allowed_horizon_hours;\\nmsg.used_horizon_hours = meta.used_horizon_hours;\\nmsg.rate_limit_daily = meta.rate_limit_daily;\\nmsg.used_calls_today = meta.used_calls_today;\\nmsg.error = null;\\nreturn msg;",
    "outputs": 1,
    "noerr": 0,
    "initialize": "",
    "finalize": "",
    "libs": [],
    "x": 870,
    "y": 120,
    "wires": [["epf_summary_debug"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "epf_summary_debug",
    "type": "debug",
    "z": "epf_summary_tab",
    "name": "Show summary",
    "active": true,
    "tosidebar": true,
    "console": false,
    "tostatus": false,
    "complete": "true",
    "targetType": "full",
    "x": 1110,
    "y": 120,
    "wires": []
  },
  {
    "id": "epf_summary_catch",
    "type": "catch",
    "z": "epf_summary_tab",
    "name": "Catch errors",
    "scope": null,
    "uncaught": false,
    "x": 140,
    "y": 220,
    "wires": [["epf_summary_error"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "epf_summary_error",
    "type": "function",
    "z": "epf_summary_tab",
    "name": "Make error readable",
    "func": "const message = msg.error && msg.error.message ? msg.error.message : 'Unknown error';\\nmsg.payload = { error: message, source: msg.error && msg.error.source ? msg.error.source : null };\\nreturn msg;",
    "outputs": 1,
    "noerr": 0,
    "initialize": "",
    "finalize": "",
    "libs": [],
    "x": 400,
    "y": 220,
    "wires": [["epf_summary_error_debug"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "epf_summary_error_debug",
    "type": "debug",
    "z": "epf_summary_tab",
    "name": "Summary error",
    "active": true,
    "tosidebar": true,
    "console": false,
    "tostatus": true,
    "complete": "payload",
    "targetType": "msg",
    "x": 660,
    "y": 220,
    "wires": []
  }
]

After that, you can replace the Debug node with your own dashboard, notification or scheduler logic.

Advanced: import the price-series flow

If you prefer to calculate things yourself, the second flow is intended for the raw price series. It stores the full slot list in msg.price_entries.

[
  {
    "id": "epf_prices_tab",
    "type": "tab",
    "label": "EPF Prices",
    "disabled": false,
    "info": ""
  },
  {
    "id": "epf_prices_inject",
    "type": "inject",
    "z": "epf_prices_tab",
    "name": "Load price series",
    "props": [],
    "repeat": "900",
    "once": false,
    "onceDelay": "1",
    "topic": "",
    "x": 130,
    "y": 120,
    "wires": [["epf_prices_prepare"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "epf_prices_prepare",
    "type": "function",
    "z": "epf_prices_tab",
    "name": "Set parameters",
    "func": "const API_KEY = \"\";\\nconst BASE_URL = \"https://api.energypriceforecast.eu/api/v1/node-red/prices?country=de&hours=48&mode=mixed&resolution=15m\";\\nconst USE_RETAIL = false;\\nconst PLZ = \"10115\";\\nmsg.url = USE_RETAIL ? BASE_URL + \"&price_mode=retail&plz=\" + encodeURIComponent(PLZ) : BASE_URL;\\nmsg.headers = {};\\nif (API_KEY.trim()) {\\n    msg.headers.Authorization = \"Bearer \" + API_KEY.trim();\\n}\\nreturn msg;",
    "outputs": 1,
    "noerr": 0,
    "initialize": "",
    "finalize": "",
    "libs": [],
    "x": 360,
    "y": 120,
    "wires": [["epf_prices_http"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "epf_prices_http",
    "type": "http request",
    "z": "epf_prices_tab",
    "name": "Fetch price series",
    "method": "GET",
    "ret": "obj",
    "paytoqs": "ignore",
    "url": "",
    "persist": false,
    "x": 610,
    "y": 120,
    "wires": [["epf_prices_extract"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "epf_prices_extract",
    "type": "function",
    "z": "epf_prices_tab",
    "name": "Forward series",
    "func": "const data = msg.payload || {};\\nmsg.price_entries = Array.isArray(data.entries) ? data.entries : [];\\nmsg.first_price_slot = msg.price_entries.length ? msg.price_entries[0] : null;\\nmsg.price_series_source = data.source || {};\\nmsg.api_key_state = data.meta && data.meta.api_key_state ? data.meta.api_key_state : 'missing';\\nmsg.allowed_horizon_hours = data.meta ? data.meta.allowed_horizon_hours : null;\\nmsg.series_request = data.request || {};\\nmsg.series_assumptions = data.assumptions || null;\\nmsg.error = null;\\nreturn msg;",
    "outputs": 1,
    "noerr": 0,
    "initialize": "",
    "finalize": "",
    "libs": [],
    "x": 860,
    "y": 120,
    "wires": [["epf_prices_debug"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "epf_prices_debug",
    "type": "debug",
    "z": "epf_prices_tab",
    "name": "Show price series",
    "active": true,
    "tosidebar": true,
    "console": false,
    "tostatus": false,
    "complete": "true",
    "targetType": "full",
    "x": 1110,
    "y": 120,
    "wires": []
  }
]

For retail mode in Germany, set USE_RETAIL = true and enter a suitable PLZ postcode in the Function node.

For automations: separate display and execution logic

For dashboards, msg.cheapest_window_start may already be enough. For real control decisions, however, it is often more important to know whether the best window is already active. That is why the summary flow also sets msg.is_cheapest_window_now and msg.cheapest_window_remaining_minutes.

if (msg.is_cheapest_window_now) {
  // enable the consumer now
} else if (msg.next_full_cheapest_window_start) {
  // use the next full window for planning
}

return msg;

Pragmatically, a boolean for “now” is usually more valuable for automations than only a timestamp in the future.

Which message fields you will have afterwards

Important notes