ᐅ Smart Lighting Design in the Garden – Experiences

Hello everyone,

I am looking for ideas and suggestions regarding garden lighting in terms of electrical engineering and the possibilities that (smart) devices now offer.

Here is the situation:
According to the schematic shown in the image, we have a switch inside the house that controls a cable running outside to the garden. We already have some standard outdoor lighting in the form of several lamps around the house – however, this switch with the “flexible” cable is not yet in use and is specifically intended to provide additional lighting for the garden and/or the terrace. In this context, some empty conduits have been laid in the garden to bring power to various points (as shown in the image). Behind this cable, there are now (for example) 4 lighting groups. The type of lamps (LED strips, fairy lights, etc.) is still variable and should be considered only as examples.

In the simplest case, a cable is run through the empty conduit and the end devices are connected directly – consequently, the entire garden lights up at once when the switch is turned on.

Since it might be desired to switch only lighting group 3 at time A, and lighting group 2 (or corresponding combinations of 1, 2, 3, and 4) at time B, I am looking for ways to implement this accordingly. Control via smartphone and/or a separate remote control would be acceptable.

I would greatly appreciate your help! Of course, I am happy to answer any questions you may have.

DerGärtner schrieb:

The type of lights (LED strips, string lights, etc.) is still flexible and should be considered as just examples.
In the simplest case, a cable is pulled through the conduit, and the end devices are connected directly to each other – as a result, the entire garden lights up at once when the switch is turned on.
However, since at time A only lighting group 3 and at time B only lighting group 2 (or corresponding combinations of 1, 2, 3, and 4) should be switched on, I am looking for ways to implement this accordingly.
Control via smartphone and/or separate remote control would be acceptable.

Hello,
I have installed several Shelly actuators in my setup.
As long as you have Wi-Fi coverage at the relevant points in the garden, you can make your garden smart for about €10 (around $11) per switch.
Control is via an app (even without a cloud connection) or via Alexa (“Alexa, turn on the outdoor Christmas tree”). It works absolutely smoothly.
But beware: this is a gateway drug—you always want more afterwards ;-)

Regards, Ralf

You install an actuator for each lighting group, which is then connected to the power cable and can be switched on and off. The easiest way is to use one of the many wireless protocols available, such as Zigbee, Z-Wave, or Wi-Fi. Choose whichever suits you best.

Hello everyone,

Many thanks in advance for the quick responses and the related help!

• Wi-Fi coverage is unfortunately not available everywhere – we might need to adjust this later with repeaters.
• Possibly a very basic question: I assume a standard underground cable for wiring would be sufficient (3x2.5mm² (3x0.01 inch²) or similar) – no special requirements for thicker or proprietary cables, right?
• Do the actuators operate independently of the devices connected behind them? For example, would it be possible to control an old string of lights from 1990 with them, or are there specific requirements for the devices behind? I’ve read a lot about Philips Hue/Paulmann in this context, but it seems to me that might not be necessary.
• I assume that when I press the switch inside the house, current flows through the entire circuit, and depending on the on/off state of each actuator, the corresponding lighting group is turned on or off. I revised the diagram accordingly – I hope my understanding is correct.
• Is there any overview available of these actuators including their advantages and disadvantages (especially for outdoor use)?

Thanks a lot!

DerGärtner schrieb:

Wi-Fi coverage is unfortunately not available everywhere – we might need to adjust it later using repeaters.

Please do not use a repeater, but rather an outdoor access point.

DerGärtner schrieb:

Wi-Fi coverage is unfortunately not available everywhere – we might need to adjust it again later using repeaters.

You could also connect all your Wi-Fi actuators at the sub-distribution panel. Is there Wi-Fi coverage there?

DerGärtner schrieb:

Possibly a very obvious question: I assume a standard underground cable would be sufficient for wiring (3x2.5mm² (3x0.0039 inch²) or similar) – no special requirements for thicker or proprietary cables exist.

Or go directly for 5x2.5mm² (5x0.0039 inch²). That way you can even control your three spotlights individually with Wi-Fi technology in the distribution box.

DerGärtner schrieb:

I assume that I press the switch in the house, so that electricity flows through the entire line accordingly depending on the on/off state of each

That could work. Alternatively, you could install a bypass so that the garden has power permanently. Then place a Shelly device under the switch. Depending on how you program it, you can create a main switch that turns everything off, while still being able to turn everything back on via your smartphone.

DerGärtner schrieb:

Is there any overview of these actuators including advantages/disadvantages (especially for outdoor use)?

First, define exactly what you want, what you are capable of, and what infrastructure you already have, such as Homematic, Alexa, etc. Even a FritzBox router offers various smart home features that are sufficient for this purpose. Then people can help you. Very general questions are difficult to answer.