ᐅ Supplementary Proposal for Electrical Planning – Aachen Area

Hello everyone,

I have been a silent reader until now and would like to share my experience. We are building with a local general contractor and have included a certain number of power outlets and light points in the package. We spent several hours with the electrician going through the shell construction, and the following offer was created.

I’m sharing this with you as information about current prices (Aachen area). I would also appreciate any feedback if you notice anything. Here is a summary:
- Additional power outlet €55
- Additional light point €50
- Cat 7 wiring in 6 rooms (always double outlets) €1,728
- Satellite system + wiring in 6 rooms €3,150
- LED spot 5W €50
- Stairway orientation light €96

We originally wanted to discuss photovoltaics separately. However, the electrician has already included part of it in the offer.

The spots and orientation lights seem quite expensive to me, especially since the light point is charged separately.

Best regards
Christian

CD_MD90 schrieb:

- Cat 7 cabling in 6 rooms (always double outlets) €1,728

That price made me wince. (Now I know why I don’t let anyone else near my network!)
At least your electrician is running the cable inside conduit. For testing, you should request a measurement report. Don’t forget the equipotential bonding for the patch panel. Is a surface-mounted patch panel acceptable for you, or are you planning to install a network cabinet? If a network cabinet is planned, discuss it early because you might need a different patch panel, and cable lengths have to be adjusted accordingly. I would miss network ports on the ceiling for WLAN access points. Depending on the construction method, it might already be too late for that. Don’t forget a network connection in the garage next to the wallbox. Also, consider a LAN connection at the front door for a possible door intercom.

CD_MD90 schrieb:

- Satellite system + cabling in 6 rooms €3,150

You can install a satellite system, but in my opinion, linear TV is becoming less and less relevant. I would rather invest that money into a more extensive network cabling.

I find the sockets and fixed power outlets reasonably priced to cheap (with a general contractor).
Unfortunately, network cabling is also standard; most general contractors tend to charge a lot for this.
I consider the satellite system rather expensive; in 2020, a setup with 8 connections over 3 floors cost me less than half of that.
I can’t really assess the spotlights and staircase lighting, but intuitively I don’t find them particularly expensive.

From my perspective, the supply line to the garage with 2.5mm² cable is definitely undersized. And why a CEE socket? Usually, the wallbox is permanently wired and separately fused later on. Having a CEE socket in the garage isn’t necessarily a bad idea, but then the supply line should go to a small sub-distribution board, and from there to both the CEE socket and the wallbox. Surely you’ll also want some basic lighting, power outlets, and a garage door opener.

Thanks for your replies, very helpful so far.

hanse987 schrieb:

Is a surface-mounted patch panel okay for you, or are you planning to install a network cabinet?

One network connection per room is enough for working, watching TV, PlayStation, etc. We don’t have any bigger requirements. Or is there any reason against an access point patch panel?

hanse987 schrieb:

Don’t forget a network connection in the garage next to the wallbox.

Good point, noted!

hanse987 schrieb:

You can install a satellite system, but in my opinion, linear TV is becoming less relevant.

We are torn on this. It’s quite an investment. On the other hand, it provides independence from the internet and streaming services. And it also adds value to the house.

Fuchur schrieb:

In my view, the supply cable to the garage with 2.5mm² is definitely undersized. And why a CEE connector? Usually, the wallbox is hardwired later and individually fused. A CEE socket in the garage is certainly not a bad idea, but rather as a feed to a small sub-distribution board, from where both the CEE socket and the wallbox are connected. I assume you also want some lighting, sockets, and a garage door opener?

I will ask again about the supply cable. Regarding the CEE connector, the idea was that it could be used for street parties and the wallbox could be unplugged. I think that’s fine, but I don’t know if I will ever actually need a CEE.
Standard lighting, garage door openers, and sockets will be enough for us.

CD_MD90 schrieb:

Regarding the CEE, he meant that you could use it, for example, during a street festival and just unplug the wallbox.

Try to find a wallbox with a CEE connection that is designed to be unplugged. Basically, you only find so-called “charging bricks” for that purpose. A proper wallbox is permanently wired.

Also, consider whether features like surplus charging might be important for you later on. In that case, a data cable between the wallbox and the meter cabinet could be helpful. This “data cable” can be, for example, an Ethernet cable used for that purpose. Whether it is actually used as an Ethernet cable or some other data cable (like Modbus or similar) depends on the wallbox. For example, I relied on my wallbox having an Ethernet port, but unfortunately, I only realized after installation that it cannot be controlled via Ethernet, only through Modbus.

In my general experience, wherever you imagine having a device or something permanently plugged in or connected, you should plan for at least one additional power outlet.

I would also recommend installing a LAN connection on the terrace, alongside one or two power outlets that can ideally be switched off from inside and perhaps have their own circuit breaker. This way, you can also set it on a timer and similar functions.