ᐅ Choosing a Smart Home System for Roller Shutters, Awnings, and More
Created on: 23 Jul 2023 22:02
S
Stefan08154711
Hello,
We are currently facing the exciting and challenging question of which home automation system is best suited for our needs.
Below, I have tried to explain the existing requirements, wishes, and thoughts on this topic, and we look forward to further input.
Thank you very much in advance!
Which system?
Somfy was frequently recommended to us.
However, in some aspects, I have increasingly noticed recommendations against it, mainly concerning heating thermostats and switchable power outlets.
I was also puzzled by the overall situation regarding Somfy’s central components. Originally, there was the predecessor of the Tahoma Switch, the Connectivity System, and a DIN rail system. A successor is supposedly planned for the last-mentioned system, but its release is unclear. Altogether, this results in a rather uncertain roadmap. Naturally, the plan is to use a future-proof system that will not be discontinued within the next few months.
Additionally, there seems to be no planning certainty here because current generation changes not only add improvements but also eliminate many protocols.
Finally, I tried to ask Somfy support some questions in advance. Unfortunately, this was completely unsuccessful, which does not bode well for potential support cases.
Current situation
The planned project involves a retrofit in an existing building. Retrofitting in-wall cables should therefore be avoided.
A LAN network wiring is present throughout the house, allowing additional range extenders (repeaters, receivers, or the respective manufacturer’s term) to be distributed around the house.
Advantages and disadvantages
We are completely open to knowing which systems besides Somfy should be considered. Due to this lack of knowledge, the pros and cons of the different systems are also unclear.
Ultimately, the goal is to find the system best suited for the scenario described here.
Existing components
Currently, there are only a few systems in use, limited to heating scenarios and switchable power outlets.
So far, the Fritz!Box has been quite versatile for us, but this is changing increasingly. Reasons include switching to higher-quality manufacturers (Wi-Fi with multi-SSID with separate networks for “all devices communicating with the cloud”), VLAN, technology changes, or problems and limitations in the AVM world (e.g., DECT across multiple floors, DECT range extenders/repeaters for home automation).
Planned components
Why is the question of the right system currently important to us? We are planning to purchase awnings for the terrace as well as roof windows. Even if these are currently the priority products, we do not want to limit ourselves only to them.
Desired aspects
The following points have been identified as important or desirable for us:
Surely something was forgotten, but hopefully, this gives a first impression of the underlying idea.
We are currently facing the exciting and challenging question of which home automation system is best suited for our needs.
Below, I have tried to explain the existing requirements, wishes, and thoughts on this topic, and we look forward to further input.
Thank you very much in advance!
Which system?
Somfy was frequently recommended to us.
However, in some aspects, I have increasingly noticed recommendations against it, mainly concerning heating thermostats and switchable power outlets.
I was also puzzled by the overall situation regarding Somfy’s central components. Originally, there was the predecessor of the Tahoma Switch, the Connectivity System, and a DIN rail system. A successor is supposedly planned for the last-mentioned system, but its release is unclear. Altogether, this results in a rather uncertain roadmap. Naturally, the plan is to use a future-proof system that will not be discontinued within the next few months.
Additionally, there seems to be no planning certainty here because current generation changes not only add improvements but also eliminate many protocols.
Finally, I tried to ask Somfy support some questions in advance. Unfortunately, this was completely unsuccessful, which does not bode well for potential support cases.
Current situation
The planned project involves a retrofit in an existing building. Retrofitting in-wall cables should therefore be avoided.
A LAN network wiring is present throughout the house, allowing additional range extenders (repeaters, receivers, or the respective manufacturer’s term) to be distributed around the house.
Advantages and disadvantages
We are completely open to knowing which systems besides Somfy should be considered. Due to this lack of knowledge, the pros and cons of the different systems are also unclear.
Ultimately, the goal is to find the system best suited for the scenario described here.
Existing components
Currently, there are only a few systems in use, limited to heating scenarios and switchable power outlets.
- Heating thermostats (AVM)
- Switchable power outlets (AVM)
So far, the Fritz!Box has been quite versatile for us, but this is changing increasingly. Reasons include switching to higher-quality manufacturers (Wi-Fi with multi-SSID with separate networks for “all devices communicating with the cloud”), VLAN, technology changes, or problems and limitations in the AVM world (e.g., DECT across multiple floors, DECT range extenders/repeaters for home automation).
Planned components
Why is the question of the right system currently important to us? We are planning to purchase awnings for the terrace as well as roof windows. Even if these are currently the priority products, we do not want to limit ourselves only to them.
- Roller shutters (Somfy was recommended)
- Markilux awning (Somfy motor was recommended)
- Vertical awning Roma (Somfy motor was recommended)
- Terrace lighting (24V system with distributor, dimmer, transformer [Hera LED 24 / 75W F and Hera LED 24 Receiver 24V DC 1]), ideally, the entire dimmer-transformer combination could be replaced
- Roof windows from Roto
- Outdoor socket for seasonal outdoor lighting (Christmas, winter)
- Switchable socket with energy consumption measurement (ideally also reversed to measure energy fed in)
Desired aspects
The following points have been identified as important or desirable for us:
- Central component (preferably DIN rail system or similar)
- LAN, not just Wi-Fi (the system should be in a separate VLAN)
- Repeaters/range extenders should be available, preferably with the option to connect via LAN
- Use of a manufacturer’s cloud should be optional only
Surely something was forgotten, but hopefully, this gives a first impression of the underlying idea.
Stefan08154711 schrieb:
However, I would say that heating thermostats are missing here.Then consider a solution like Home Assistant and make sure all components are compatible. That should allow you to resolve everything.Where does smart home start? I believe everyone has to decide that for themselves. For example, if you previously had manual roller shutters with a strap winder and now have electric ones that go up and down on a timer, that might already be considered quite smart :-). For me, smart would mean that the shutters operate automatically based on time, sun position, weather, presence (preferably room by room), etc., going up, down, or shading slightly without any manual intervention.
In your case, I would also recommend starting with the Shelly 2.5 and later, if you get interested and want to automate more things, you could consider iobroker or something similar. The advantage of iobroker, HomeAssistant, and the like is that you are not tied to any particular manufacturer’s devices, and you can gradually expand the system as you wish. Plus, you can test everything at a very low cost.
In your case, I would also recommend starting with the Shelly 2.5 and later, if you get interested and want to automate more things, you could consider iobroker or something similar. The advantage of iobroker, HomeAssistant, and the like is that you are not tied to any particular manufacturer’s devices, and you can gradually expand the system as you wish. Plus, you can test everything at a very low cost.
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