How do I use strompreis-mcp?

1. Click on "Install Server". 2. Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state. 3. In the chat, type @ followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@strompreis-mcp When is the cheapest time to run my laundry today?" That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed. Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.

⚡ Strompreis MCP — Electricity Price Forecast for AI Agents

Python ≥3.11 License: MIT Smithery

MCP server that gives AI agents real-time German electricity price forecasts.
Tells your smart home agent when to run the dishwasher, charge the car, or schedule power-hungry tasks.

Built for the Model Context Protocol — works with Claude Desktop, Cline, and any MCP-compatible client.

Architecture

                    ┌────────────────────────────┐
                    │    SMARD (Bundesnetzagentur) │
                    │    Live-Strompreise 15min    │
                    └──────────┬─────────────────┘
                               │ API
                    ┌──────────▼─────────────────┐
                    │   strompreis-collector       │
                    │   (Cron: every 15 min)       │
                    └──────────┬─────────────────┘
                               │ writes
                    ┌──────────▼─────────────────┐
                    │   SQLite Database             │
                    │   ~/.strompreis/strompreis.db │
                    │   ├── price_data (historical) │
                    │   ├── api_keys (auth)         │
                    │   └── usage_log (rate limit)  │
                    └──────────┬─────────────────┘
                               │ reads
              ┌────────────────┼────────────────┐
              │                │                 │
    ┌─────────▼──────┐  ┌─────▼──────┐  ┌──────▼─────────┐
    │  MCP Server     │  │  B2C Site   │  │  CLI Tools     │
    │  (stdio/SSE)    │  │  (FastAPI)  │  │  status/vacuum │
    │  price_forecast │  │  savings    │  │                 │
    │  best_hours     │  │  checker    │  │                 │
    │  db_status      │  │  affiliate  │  │                 │
    └─────────────────┘  └────────────┘  └─────────────────┘

Related MCP server: germany-mcp-server

Quick Start

1. Install

pip install strompreis-mcp

Or from source:

git clone https://github.com/DasClown/strompreis-mcp.git
cd strompreis-mcp
pip install -e .

2. Initialize database + first data collection

# Automatic setup
bash scripts/setup.sh

# Or manual:
strompreis-collector collect
strompreis-collector status

3. Add to Claude Desktop

Edit ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "strompreis": {
      "command": "strompreis-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Or with Cline / any MCP client:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "strompreis": {
      "command": "strompreis-mcp",
      "args": []
    }
  }
}

Tools

Tool	Parameters	Returns
`price_forecast`	`hours` (1-72, default 24)	JSON array: `[{timestamp, price_ct, confidence, is_peak}]`
`best_hours`	`count` (default 3)	Human-readable cheapest hours recommendation
`db_status`	none	Database health: rows, latest timestamp, usage stats

Example Prompts

"When is the cheapest time to run my laundry today?"
→ Agent calls best_hours(count=3) → "Tonight 00:00-02:00 at ~28 ct/kWh"

"What's the electricity price forecast for tomorrow?"
→ Agent calls price_forecast(hours=48) → hourly prices in ct/kWh

"Should I charge my EV now or wait?"
→ Agent calls price_forecast(hours=24), finds cheapest window

Database Persistence

The database lives at ~/.strompreis/strompreis.db. It persists:

Table	Purpose	Retention
`price_data`	Historical SMARD prices + generation data	Unlimited (for ML training)
`api_keys`	Monetization: tier-based API access	Manual expiration
`usage_log`	Rate limiting + analytics	Accumulates

Cron Setup (recommended)

# Fetch data every 15 minutes
*/15 * * * * cd /path/to/strompreis-mcp && strompreis-collector collect

# Weekly database maintenance (Sunday 03:00)
0 3 * * 0 cd /path/to/strompreis-mcp && strompreis-collector vacuum

Or use the provided crontab:

crontab deploy/crontab

CLI Commands

# Fetch + store latest SMARD data
strompreis-collector collect

# Show database health
strompreis-collector status
# → 📊 Strompreis DB Status
#     Total rows:     1,248
#     Latest data:    2026-06-30T21:00:00+00:00
#     DB file size:   180 KB

# Weekly maintenance
strompreis-collector vacuum

Deployment

systemd (production)

# Edit deploy/strompreis-mcp.service paths for your system, then:
sudo cp deploy/strompreis-mcp.service /etc/systemd/system/
sudo systemctl enable --now strompreis-mcp

# Monitor
journalctl -u strompreis-mcp -f

B2C Website (side-stream)

# Install dependencies
pip install strompreis-mcp[b2c]

# Run
python3 -m uvicorn b2c.server:app --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8080

Then open http://localhost:8080 — users enter their annual kWh consumption and get:

✅ Savings calculation (fixed vs dynamic tariff)
✅ Tibber/Awattar affiliate comparison
✅ 24h price forecast snippet

Smithery

One-click install for Claude Desktop via Smithery.

API Key Mode (for production)

By default the server runs in keyless mode (100 req/day global limit).
For production use, set an API key:

# Generate a key
python3 -c "
from strompreis_mcp.database import create_api_key
print(create_api_key('my-app', tier='pro', daily_limit=10000))
"

# Set it
export STROMPREIS_API_KEY=sp_your_key_here
strompreis-mcp

In keyed mode:

All requests validated against api_keys table
Per-key daily rate limiting
Usage logged to usage_log table

Data Sources

Source	Provider	API	Data
Day-ahead auction prices	SMARD (BNetzA)	Open REST	Live, 15-min resolution
Solar generation	SMARD	Chart API	Live, hourly
Wind generation	SMARD	Chart API	Live, hourly
Grid load	SMARD	Chart API	Live, hourly

Planned for v0.3:

ENTSO-E Transparency (cross-border exchange, network constraints)
DWD BrightSky (weather: solar radiation, wind speed, temperature)
ML model (Random Forest on accumulated DB data)

License

MIT

Built by @DasClown — German electricity prices for AI agents.

strompreis-mcp