ᐅ Smart Home Solutions for Electrical Renovations – Recommendations
Created on: 7 Jun 2020 13:18
M
MBPassion
Hello everyone,
We want to completely renovate the electrical system in our detached house. Since I am very tech-savvy, this would be the perfect opportunity to install some sensors and actuators and connect them to make the house a bit smarter. After several weeks of evening research, I have learned quite a bit, but sometimes I still find it hard to see the wood for the trees. That’s why I wanted to ask for your advice on the approach you would recommend.
What do I want?
Definitely the control and automation of 10 roller shutters in the house. Also control of lights would be great. The status of windows and the patio door would be nice as well. Possibly temperature sensors or a weather station. It would be fantastic to receive push notifications about mail arriving in the mailbox, which is located a few meters (feet) away from the front door.
Preferably an integration with Apple HomeKit.
What don’t I want?
I would like to avoid having to use a large number of different gateways and apps. I don’t want to have to replace batteries regularly.
I understand that a wired KNX solution would probably be the most robust and future-proof (since it is manufacturer-independent). Just today, I came across a KNX-HomeKit bridge from 1Home that is due to be released soon. However, I fear that a KNX solution would exceed the budget and that adjustments would be less intuitive than, for example, through HomeKit.
During my research, I came across the following products:
What do you think about these components?
Is there any reason not to use Series 64? Would it, for example, be better to install components on a DIN rail instead?
How do I integrate the EnOcean devices into HomeKit? Can I use one of the gateways from Opus or Eltako for all of them, or do they only support their own devices? Would a Homee be a better choice?
As you can see, with thousands of possibilities almost everything is possible, but understanding how everything works together is not so easy. It would be great if you could give me some tips and advice.
We want to completely renovate the electrical system in our detached house. Since I am very tech-savvy, this would be the perfect opportunity to install some sensors and actuators and connect them to make the house a bit smarter. After several weeks of evening research, I have learned quite a bit, but sometimes I still find it hard to see the wood for the trees. That’s why I wanted to ask for your advice on the approach you would recommend.
What do I want?
Definitely the control and automation of 10 roller shutters in the house. Also control of lights would be great. The status of windows and the patio door would be nice as well. Possibly temperature sensors or a weather station. It would be fantastic to receive push notifications about mail arriving in the mailbox, which is located a few meters (feet) away from the front door.
Preferably an integration with Apple HomeKit.
What don’t I want?
I would like to avoid having to use a large number of different gateways and apps. I don’t want to have to replace batteries regularly.
I understand that a wired KNX solution would probably be the most robust and future-proof (since it is manufacturer-independent). Just today, I came across a KNX-HomeKit bridge from 1Home that is due to be released soon. However, I fear that a KNX solution would exceed the budget and that adjustments would be less intuitive than, for example, through HomeKit.
During my research, I came across the following products:
- Eltako Series 64: offers flush-mounted modules for roller shutters, dimmers, and impulse relays that include EnOcean, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi, and are already HomeKit-certified. So, I could cover the roller shutters and lights with this, right?
- HOPPE EnOcean window handles: I find these interesting because they require no power, have no visible parts (e.g., contact magnets), and can even detect a tilted position. What I am unsure about is how to best integrate these into HomeKit.
- EnOcean switches: also battery-free, so they can be placed anywhere.
- Doorbird D2101V plus I/O controller A1081 and indoor station A1101 as a video intercom, since I can operate it remotely or via a Fritz!Fon, use an RFID chip, and it is said to be controllable via an API.
What do you think about these components?
Is there any reason not to use Series 64? Would it, for example, be better to install components on a DIN rail instead?
How do I integrate the EnOcean devices into HomeKit? Can I use one of the gateways from Opus or Eltako for all of them, or do they only support their own devices? Would a Homee be a better choice?
As you can see, with thousands of possibilities almost everything is possible, but understanding how everything works together is not so easy. It would be great if you could give me some tips and advice.
Mycraft schrieb:
Exactly. That’s why you have to compare apples to apples. Then you realize KNX is actually cheaper than people claim. I never claimed that. I just asked a question. If that’s the case, I’m happy to accept it.
Mycraft schrieb:
The question has been answered, and if you don’t understand the answer, you have some catching up to do. I asked, “What can’t I achieve with Homematic?” and you replied “Integration.” That isn’t an answer to my question. It’s an evasive response without any supporting arguments. In my experience, several families have integrated Homematic very well in their homes and, thanks to gateways, run it smoothly alongside other systems with full interoperability. But that’s okay—if you’re not familiar with Homematic, a simple “I can’t answer that question” would have sufficed. Maybe someone else has a plausible idea of what I can do with KNX but not with Homematic that is relevant for everyday use.
Ben-man schrieb:
I never promoted anything. I asked a question. If that’s the case, I’m happy to accept it. It’s not about what you did or didn’t do. The common opinion is simply like that. Most people don’t really understand the topic and only focus on the price of the hardware/software (because everything else is hard to grasp and simply not understood). That’s where this reputation comes from. Many electricians, who never dealt with it again after their training, add to this as well.
Ben-man schrieb:
“What can’t I achieve with Homematic?” It’s not about the “what” but the “how.”
Ben-man schrieb:
But that’s okay if you’re not familiar with Homematic; a simple “I’m sorry, I can’t answer that question” would have been enough. However, that wouldn’t reflect the actual situation.