ᐅ Simple Smart Home System – HomeKit: Bosch, Opus, or Others?
Created on: 7 Feb 2021 14:25
I
IcEcRuShEr
Hello everyone,
after reading quite a bit about different smart home systems and trying to get an overview of the very extensive market, I am now extremely undecided and confused about which direction to take.
We are planning to build a single-family house with 182 sqm (1956 sq ft) and a double garage in the middle of the year. We would like to include some automation to make life easier.
To better assess this, I have tried to list the most important factors and requirements:
Additional requirements:
Use cases/examples:
Budget:
About the planned house:
Systems I have already looked into:
Current preference would be:
I would gradually acquire and integrate the rest, such as HomePod, Denon receiver, Hörmann garage door control, etc.
Questions:
Final note:
Please, no fundamental discussions about the term smart home. I know KNX is top of the line. The independence, security, and bus system are very appealing. However, based on my online research, prices starting at 25,000€ are simply too high for the automations I am planning.
after reading quite a bit about different smart home systems and trying to get an overview of the very extensive market, I am now extremely undecided and confused about which direction to take.
We are planning to build a single-family house with 182 sqm (1956 sq ft) and a double garage in the middle of the year. We would like to include some automation to make life easier.
To better assess this, I have tried to list the most important factors and requirements:
- Must
- Control roller shutters
- Control lighting
- Should
- Control front door
- Partially control power outlets
- Could
- Control music
- Control garage door
- Integrate smoke detectors
- Won’t (not needed)
- Integrate robotic lawnmower
- Integrate alarm system
- Control heating
- Control photovoltaic system
Additional requirements:
- Voice control via Apple Watch and HomePod/Smart Speaker
- Touch control via iPhone and iPad
- Ability to easily create custom automations without programming
- As few battery-powered devices/switches as possible
- Lights should still be controllable via physical switches
Use cases/examples:
- I come home in the evening, the outdoor lighting turns on, and I open the door without a key. As soon as I enter the hallway, the hallway light turns on automatically and is slightly dimmed according to the time of day.
- I get up in the morning, and if it’s a weekday between 6 and 8 a.m., and I walk through the downstairs hallway, the roller shutters should go up. Additionally, the light in our dining area including the kitchen turns on.
Budget:
- Max. 8,000€
About the planned house:
- Living area: 182 sqm (1956 sq ft)
- Rooms:
- Open living/dining room with kitchen
- Office/guest room
- Bedroom with dressing room
- Guest bathroom
- Bathroom
- Children’s room 1
- Children’s room 2
- Fitness room
- Utility room
- Approximately 15 controllable lighting units
- 3 external venetian blinds (also called “brise soleil” or sun protection screens)
- 11 roller shutters
Systems I have already looked into:
- KNX
- Loxone
- free@home
- HomeMatic
- Bosch
- Opus
Current preference would be:
- 2x iPads including wall mounts
- 1x Opus greenNet central unit
- 14x Opus roller shutter controllers (flush-mounted)
- 18x Opus light switches (flush-mounted)
- 3x Opus presence/motion detectors
I would gradually acquire and integrate the rest, such as HomePod, Denon receiver, Hörmann garage door control, etc.
Questions:
- Do you know of other systems I should look into more closely?
- Is a simple KNX/Loxone solution feasible within a budget of 8,000€? If yes, are there options to simplify the automation interface or even integrate it with Apple HomeKit?
- Does anyone have experience with Opus or Bosch?
- Has anyone made their house/new build smart with HomeKit?
Final note:
Please, no fundamental discussions about the term smart home. I know KNX is top of the line. The independence, security, and bus system are very appealing. However, based on my online research, prices starting at 25,000€ are simply too high for the automations I am planning.
I
IcEcRuShEr7 Feb 2021 23:05untergasse43 schrieb:
In general, I’m naturally in favor of KNX, but given the requirements and budget, that probably won’t work. Opus works flawlessly. However, multimedia only works with HomeKit or by integrating Control4. The “central unit” isn’t really one; it’s “just” a HomeKit or LAN gateway. The system itself runs without a central controller. You would have to create automations in HomeKit or Control4, although Control4 is not really designed as a do-it-yourself system. In general, the question is whether you want to do everything yourself or will need professional help, which costs money.
/Edit: I just noticed that Opus now also has a Mediola integration. That opens up some possibilities. untergasse43, thank you very much for your input! I hadn’t heard of Control4 and Mediola before and had to spend a couple of hours getting familiar with them.
In any case, I’ll need to study this more deeply.
From what I understand, both options offer very flexible solutions.
As I gathered, both provide software (Control4 OS3 and Mediola AIO Creator NEO) that allows you to create custom automations and control buttons quite easily. Additionally, there are gateways you can purchase which serve as interfaces to various manufacturers.
I liked Mediola a bit better here. The only downside seems to be the plugins, for example Opus costs €149. That would be acceptable as a one-time investment, but it appears updates are only provided for 12 months, so this could be an ongoing annual cost. I haven’t yet figured out whether the Mediola AIO Gateway replaces all other gateways, like Opus greenNet for example, or if it communicates with these gateways.
I
IcEcRuShEr7 Feb 2021 23:16hanse987 schrieb:
Just a basic question: Are you free to choose the electrician, or are you tied to a specific one? If you’re tied to someone, what experience do they have? Electricians, I assume?
We will most likely work with a local general contractor, which means we’ll be somewhat more flexible than with a design-and-build company. Accordingly, I would clearly specify the desired system to the electrician in advance. 😉 If someone resists here, then we’ll simply have to find another service provider or take the trade out and handle it ourselves.
Schimi1791 schrieb:
We have Somfy installed. With that, I can manage the "must" requirements. Some "could" items (garage door, smoke detector) are also possible. I'm not sure about the "should" ones...Are you dependent on the Tahoma box, or do you perhaps use Somfy integration with Home Assistant?
Schimi17912 May 2021 17:41micric3 schrieb:
Are you dependent on the Tahoma Box, or do you possibly use Somfy integration with Home Assistant?At the moment, I am only using the Tahoma Box for roller shutters. This allows them to be controlled via an app. Lighting might also be planned.M
Markus25414 May 2021 19:25Maybe considered a bit of a "DIY solution," but I really like using the Shelly devices for outlets, garage doors, blinds, and dimmers, and I am very satisfied with them. They connect via HomeBridge to HomeKit. If you have a HomePod or iPad, these can serve as the control center, allowing you to set up automations directly from your iPhone or iPad and control everything remotely. Of course, voice control is also available (Siri, open the garage :P).
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