I use it, pip-installed because it's distribution model, a whole OS just to deploy a web-app, it's honestly obscene... It's WebUI is slick, it design less horrific than anything else I tried, but still horrific. To arrive to something maintainable in the YAML monstrous config I've use org-mode.

And that's rant is just the tip of the iceberg:

- finding device who talk ModBUS or MQTT depending on their kind (i.e. if they need fast monitoring or not) it's HARD, most non-industrial commercial stuff are cloud-IoT crap;

- finding devices built for renewable is essentially impossible: those who claim are designed to are not, the others are equally not. It seems that most OEMs or consider that most do not have p.v. etc so it's not worth investing in that area or their very designers do not have p.v. etc and have very wrong assumptions about it.

A small example: I have one of the "most advanced" "modern" water heater, "ready for renewables" etc, a 300 liters boiler where the water can be heated:

- with a small heat-pump

- with a classic resistance

- with something else, an external source like thermal solar, a hydro stove etc

"modern" for it means:

- instead of heat directly sanitary water it heat a "storage water" and have a long metallic spiral where the sanitary water enter from a pipe and exit heated, a good thing for health and durability (the balloon is not pressurized, so cracks are far more unlikely) but that's is. Just a different design with classic decades old tools, nothing special for renewables, energy savings etc.

- it's better insulated than classic water heater, again a good thing, but it's just a thicker wall of insulated material...

- it allow hot water from external source, again nothing special, heat exchanger like that have invented decades ago.

- ...now the "new, smart, exiting part": it offer two switch, one for classic "cheap energy vs expensive energy" and another to be used as a second bit of the first to state: "do not heat, very expensive energy", "do what you want", "energy mildly cheap, start with the heat-pump only than go with the resistence)", "very cheap energy run both heat-pump and the resistence". They do not even consider adding an option to run heat-pump only than stop when it can't heat more or resistence only if you have enough for it (2.7kW) but NOT ENOUGH for it and heat-pump together. Those who design it never consider the direct self-consumption usage, the SOLE sound renewable usage. And that's "designed for renewables".

Now the best: from the lowest segment appliances featuring cloud-tied crapplications, with useless features but NOTHING usable locally, not even dry contacts to being controlled by a homeserver to the highest segment like smart wall box for EV recharge where only VERY few offer basic logic like:

- charge ONLY from renewables

- charge from renewables but watch the clock, ensure this minimum SOC for $this_time seeing actual renewable power and local grid maximum power

- charge as fast as possible

- slow charge targeting $SOC for $this_time

ONLY few months ago a new CCS standard appear dealing with bi-directional usage to enable V2H applications, of course NO ONE have implemented it so far even if EVs are there since decades, albeit marginal. Most EVs use 400V DC batteries, most solar inverters support domestic high voltage batteries who happen to be equally 400V DC, with the very same BMS and concept than cars batteries but no, you can't just plug the battery-on-wheel like the stationary one even if they are the same, nobody though at that so far apparently.

At automation level? NEARLY ALL "smart" stuff are unreliable wireless devices with various radio tech/protocols only VERY FEW are wired even if from simple ModBUS to powerline and equally complex TCP/IP stack with classic ethernet cost the very same and happen to be far more reliable. Those who want, know and can end up with HA, some raspy pico/classic, ESPHome, ... arranging fragile and crappy monsters just because no one so far have really though about "the new deal"...

Well.... Sorry for the wall of text and for such a rant, but we are really in a ridiculous state of things and IMVHO that's due to the fact we completely miss public and free (in the freedom sense) research who can advance the society for societal needs not for someone business needs against the rest of mankind.