Hello,
We have purchased a semi-detached house from a developer, so we cannot make many changes.
We are now at the electrical planning stage. What should be considered during electrical planning to ensure future-proofing and avoid mistakes?
Here are a few points that come to mind.
SAT cable: A satellite dish will be installed on the roof, with four cables running to the technical room, and from there everything will be distributed to all rooms via a multiswitch.
Ethernet will be distributed from the technical room to all rooms (Cat7).
How should we prepare for a video doorbell? Regular doorbell wiring plus Ethernet?
Wallbox in the garage: should it be pre-installed or installed immediately? Our first electric car will arrive within 2-4 years.
Photovoltaic preparation (not offered by the developer): is a conduit from the roof to the technical room sufficient? If so, what diameter is recommended?
We want to retrofit “smart home” features ourselves later: we plan to automate electric shutters, underfloor heating, and window sensors once the new Matter system is available and after we have saved some money. We cannot afford a Busch free@home system offered by the electrician; we want to upgrade gradually.
What else should we keep in mind?
We have purchased a semi-detached house from a developer, so we cannot make many changes.
We are now at the electrical planning stage. What should be considered during electrical planning to ensure future-proofing and avoid mistakes?
Here are a few points that come to mind.
SAT cable: A satellite dish will be installed on the roof, with four cables running to the technical room, and from there everything will be distributed to all rooms via a multiswitch.
Ethernet will be distributed from the technical room to all rooms (Cat7).
How should we prepare for a video doorbell? Regular doorbell wiring plus Ethernet?
Wallbox in the garage: should it be pre-installed or installed immediately? Our first electric car will arrive within 2-4 years.
Photovoltaic preparation (not offered by the developer): is a conduit from the roof to the technical room sufficient? If so, what diameter is recommended?
We want to retrofit “smart home” features ourselves later: we plan to automate electric shutters, underfloor heating, and window sensors once the new Matter system is available and after we have saved some money. We cannot afford a Busch free@home system offered by the electrician; we want to upgrade gradually.
What else should we keep in mind?
Forums exist to shed light on unclear issues. There is no doubt that Matter will eventually become a viable solution, primarily in the consumer sector. In other words, the devices need to sell well and frequently.
When it comes to home electrical systems, however, I would recommend a sustainable approach—installed once and functioning reliably for decades.
The main problem with all retrofit systems is that the devices still require continuous power.
Another issue is that anything with “IP” in its name tends, by nature, to become outdated faster than desired and requires ongoing maintenance and care. Matter will not be an exception in this regard.
When it comes to home electrical systems, however, I would recommend a sustainable approach—installed once and functioning reliably for decades.
The main problem with all retrofit systems is that the devices still require continuous power.
Another issue is that anything with “IP” in its name tends, by nature, to become outdated faster than desired and requires ongoing maintenance and care. Matter will not be an exception in this regard.
You’re right about the electricity—that can be a tricky issue.
With flush-mounted systems, it’s usually not a problem since power is already available. But for example, window sensors often run on batteries.
We don’t have very high demands either; for instance, I don’t necessarily need presence detectors everywhere.
Just small automations for shading, like raising and lowering blinds, or if a window is open, don’t lower the blind. Or in the bedroom, if the window is open, open the ventilation slats in the blind. Or switching light switches, or turning on Ambilight when the TV is on.
There are surely many more small automations I can’t think of right now.
But we don’t want full automation where we never have to press anything anymore—we just want a little help and a bit of comfort.
What would your sustainable option look like? What should we suggest to our electrician, hoping they can implement it cost-effectively (without a developer markup)?
With flush-mounted systems, it’s usually not a problem since power is already available. But for example, window sensors often run on batteries.
We don’t have very high demands either; for instance, I don’t necessarily need presence detectors everywhere.
Just small automations for shading, like raising and lowering blinds, or if a window is open, don’t lower the blind. Or in the bedroom, if the window is open, open the ventilation slats in the blind. Or switching light switches, or turning on Ambilight when the TV is on.
There are surely many more small automations I can’t think of right now.
But we don’t want full automation where we never have to press anything anymore—we just want a little help and a bit of comfort.
What would your sustainable option look like? What should we suggest to our electrician, hoping they can implement it cost-effectively (without a developer markup)?
I had also looked into Opus and EnOcean. I thought Matter would be more future-proof since all the major players are involved (my assessment).
What would you recommend as a basic installation? One that can be expanded later, as you mentioned at the beginning.
What should we discuss with the electrician?
What would you recommend as a basic installation? One that can be expanded later, as you mentioned at the beginning.
What should we discuss with the electrician?
The fact that all the major players in the IT industry are involved with Matter doesn’t say much on its own. Certainly, it’s a good idea to bring everyone together and streamline things.
However, IT specialists have tried this multiple times before, but they always overlook a core issue. Residential electrical systems only have a limited overlap with IT, and the intersections are usually minimal.
Also, the people who install and maintain all of this are usually not IT professionals but electricians, and both typically have quite different training and education backgrounds.
That’s why the big players in the IT industry are actually the smaller ones in the building automation sector.
A basic installation would include:
- Lighting
- Power outlets
- Blinds/shutters
- Window/door sensors
- HVAC (initially minimally integrated)
- LAN/Wi-Fi
Structured cabling rather than conventional wiring.
However, IT specialists have tried this multiple times before, but they always overlook a core issue. Residential electrical systems only have a limited overlap with IT, and the intersections are usually minimal.
Also, the people who install and maintain all of this are usually not IT professionals but electricians, and both typically have quite different training and education backgrounds.
That’s why the big players in the IT industry are actually the smaller ones in the building automation sector.
A basic installation would include:
- Lighting
- Power outlets
- Blinds/shutters
- Window/door sensors
- HVAC (initially minimally integrated)
- LAN/Wi-Fi
Structured cabling rather than conventional wiring.
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