heliotrope · n. — a plant that turns to face the sun
Heavy loads, run when
power is cleanest.
Named for the flower that leans toward the sun, Heliotrope leans your loads the same way: it plans each one on a 15-minute grid, favouring the hours when the electricity is cleaner, and never past the time you need it by.
Connecting to the solver…
Connecting to the solver…
Example loads (not yours) with Max power at once set to 15 kW. Every “needed by” time is a hard limit; the solver only minimises carbon inside it. Sign in to plan your own.
Set it.
Forget it.
No new habits. No cold showers. You state the need, Heliotrope handles the when.
- 01
You say what's needed
“Car charged by 7am. Hot water by 6. Laundry tonight.” Plus the power rating on each appliance's label.
- 02
It finds the clean window
The grid's carbon intensity rises and falls through the day. Heliotrope slides each load into a cleaner stretch that still meets your time.
- 03
It's ready, with the reasons
Every plan shows why: what moved and how much CO₂ it saves against running everything now. If a needed-by time can't be met, it says so instead of hiding it.
Made for the loads that matter
Each kind of appliance has its own physics. Heliotrope models the constraint, not just a start time.
EV charging
Can pause and resumeNeeds a total amount of energy by a deadline. It can stop and start, so it fills the cleaner hours first.
you give: power (kW), energy (kWh), needed-by time
Water heating
Keeps a temperatureHeat is stored. The solver heats ahead of time and keeps the water inside a comfort band. The band and the heat-loss numbers are typical estimates, not measurements.
you give: power (kW), needed-by time
Laundry
Runs in one goOnce a cycle starts it must finish. The solver picks the cleanest single start that meets your time.
you give: power (kW), cycle length, needed-by time
Pumps and motors
Can pause and resumeFills a tank in pieces. It runs in the cleaner hours and can stop in between.
you give: power (kW), energy (kWh), needed-by time
Several loads sharing one supply are scheduled together under one “Max power at once” limit, so they never add up past it. Loads that must stay on, like a fridge, are marked “Always on”: they are counted but never moved.
Where it stands
A working prototype, honestly labelled.
Works today
- Describe a load in plain words; H1 (an AI model) or built-in rules classify it, and each answer says which.
- An exact solver (OR-Tools CP-SAT) places it with hard deadlines.
- A grid-carbon curve for the next 24 hours; the demo above shows which kind of signal this deployment uses.
- Track, replan and compare against running everything now.
Not yet
- Smart-meter or device control: today you confirm when a load actually runs.
- Metered grid data: unless a metered source is configured, the signal is an estimate from weather, and says so.
- Field results: there is no pilot data yet, so no savings claim beyond the live solver above.
Put your building on the clean part of the day.
Start with one hostel, one floor, or one home. Every needed-by time is a hard limit, and if one can't be met you are told.