Hello community,
I will start the shell construction of my semi-detached house in about two months. I want to make my house a bit smarter in terms of control and monitoring. Whether the system is wired or wireless is not very important to me at this point.
Since there are so many systems available, I’m not sure which one would be the right fit for me. For example, I’ve heard about Wibutler, which seems good in theory. Here in the forum, KNX is often recommended.
I hope you can help me and point me in the right direction.
What I want:
Light control, dimming, and motion detectors for hallways, storage rooms, and stairs.
Time- and brightness-controlled operation of selected lights.
For example:
Light control based on the brightness sensor—if it’s too dark in the room and motion is detected, the light turns on; manual activation should also be possible. This also applies outdoors on the property.
Dimmed lighting in selected rooms from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Light control via smartphone
Heating control (underfloor heating with heat pump) if possible
Shutter/blind control via smartphone
Garage door control via smartphone
Camera surveillance via smartphone or web server
Opening the entrance door to the property via smartphone
Smart plugs controllable via smartphone
That’s roughly it.
There are a maximum of 20 lights inside and about 5 outside.
20 switchable power outlets
Up to 10 brightness sensors and up to 10 motion detectors inside (hallways, stairs, storage room)
3 brightness sensors and about 5 motion detectors outside
About 10 windows with electric shutters/blinds
3–5 cameras
Is such a control system sensible?
What system would you recommend?
For a wired system, I’m not sure if the conduit pipes are thick enough.
What approximate costs would I have to expect?
I’m very thankful for your help.
I will start the shell construction of my semi-detached house in about two months. I want to make my house a bit smarter in terms of control and monitoring. Whether the system is wired or wireless is not very important to me at this point.
Since there are so many systems available, I’m not sure which one would be the right fit for me. For example, I’ve heard about Wibutler, which seems good in theory. Here in the forum, KNX is often recommended.
I hope you can help me and point me in the right direction.
What I want:
Light control, dimming, and motion detectors for hallways, storage rooms, and stairs.
Time- and brightness-controlled operation of selected lights.
For example:
Light control based on the brightness sensor—if it’s too dark in the room and motion is detected, the light turns on; manual activation should also be possible. This also applies outdoors on the property.
Dimmed lighting in selected rooms from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Light control via smartphone
Heating control (underfloor heating with heat pump) if possible
Shutter/blind control via smartphone
Garage door control via smartphone
Camera surveillance via smartphone or web server
Opening the entrance door to the property via smartphone
Smart plugs controllable via smartphone
That’s roughly it.
There are a maximum of 20 lights inside and about 5 outside.
20 switchable power outlets
Up to 10 brightness sensors and up to 10 motion detectors inside (hallways, stairs, storage room)
3 brightness sensors and about 5 motion detectors outside
About 10 windows with electric shutters/blinds
3–5 cameras
Is such a control system sensible?
What system would you recommend?
For a wired system, I’m not sure if the conduit pipes are thick enough.
What approximate costs would I have to expect?
I’m very thankful for your help.
C
Carlos Tresas1 Jan 2018 21:04So, my name is just a nickname.
My construction project has already been approved by the building company, so unfortunately, I can’t make many changes now.
I simply didn’t have the budget to include smart home control from the start.
Our builder would have offered only the Wibutler system anyway.
I have now looked into Z-Wave and EnOcean. In my opinion, they are two very similar wireless standards. I’m not sure about the differences, the details, or the pros and cons.
Z-Wave is said to be more widespread.
EnOcean actuators allegedly don’t need batteries at all, which would be an advantage.
Now I’m stuck again without any guidance.
Which central control unit would you recommend?
My construction project has already been approved by the building company, so unfortunately, I can’t make many changes now.
I simply didn’t have the budget to include smart home control from the start.
Our builder would have offered only the Wibutler system anyway.
I have now looked into Z-Wave and EnOcean. In my opinion, they are two very similar wireless standards. I’m not sure about the differences, the details, or the pros and cons.
Z-Wave is said to be more widespread.
EnOcean actuators allegedly don’t need batteries at all, which would be an advantage.
Now I’m stuck again without any guidance.
Which central control unit would you recommend?
toxicmolotow schrieb:
Complete roller shutter control via Alexa. So basically no switches anymore.Hmm, I wouldn’t recommend that, at least not without extensive testing beforehand. In my opinion, voice controls are overrated. It gets boring quickly.
Carlos Tresas schrieb:
Well, my name is just a nickname.I meant your real name.
Carlos Tresas schrieb:
My construction project has already been approved by the building company, so unfortunately I can't change much anymore.You just have to want it, but I’m not trying to impose anything on you.
Carlos Tresas schrieb:
I have now looked into Z-Wave and EnOcean. In my opinion, they are two identical wireless standards.Hmm, no, they only belong to the same category. They are two completely different approaches. Apart from both being wireless standards for home automation, they don’t have much in common.
As you may have noticed, EnOcean devices don’t require external power. The necessary impulse is generated simply by the kinetic energy when pressing the switches, etc. However, this also has drawbacks, because bidirectional communication is only partially available. This means that transmitters and receivers don’t communicate perfectly reliably, which can result in the need to press switches multiple times to get a response.
Also, you are limited to a few manufacturers, which doesn’t exactly lead to huge leaps in functionality or product design.
Z-Wave, on the other hand, is an open wireless standard. Here, you can assemble your system from a huge pool of products and manufacturers (similar to KNX).
Both, however, require central control units that handle the processing and coordination of signals and commands. Without a central “box,” only rudimentary functions remain. In other words, even if the system fails, you won’t be left completely powerless. Neither system is truly invisible in terms of installation, meaning some devices will always have to be mounted on windows, doors, ceilings, or walls surface-mounted.
T
toxicmolotof1 Jan 2018 22:11Mycraft schrieb:
Hmm, I wouldn’t recommend that, at least not without extensive testing first. In my humble opinion, voice controls are overrated. They quickly get boring.It doesn’t have to be that exciting. It’s enough for me to say one evening, “Alexa, secure the house,” and have all the roller shutters go down. End of story.
Mycraft schrieb:
That doesn’t work with Alexa, which is why I recommend testing it first...the promotional videos are always fun to watch, but in reality, things often work differently.With ifttt.com, you can certainly orchestrate a complete scenario for blinds, lighting, and alarm systems through Alexa, but is that really what you want? Amazon, IFTTT, various other web services... and if one of them fails, the system won’t work. Typically, the man is not at home and the woman ends up stuck!
S
Steffen802 Jan 2018 09:59Mycraft schrieb:
That doesn’t work with Alexa, which is why I first recommend testing it... the promotional videos are always nice to watch, but in reality, things often work differently.
ohohohoh... now I have to disagree with you for the first time
We do it the same way, and Alexa works very well with KNX (via smarthomeNG). And I find it a huge added value. After almost 4 weeks in the new house, Alexa can already control blinds, lights, and Denon + TV (via VTi). Even my wife uses it a lot. Examples: “Alexa, turn on dimmed lights,” “Alexa, turn on RTL,” “Alexa, close all blinds on the ground floor,” “Alexa, turn off the kids’ room light,” etc.
For us, it’s a real benefit. I had previously tested Enertex SyncOhr and was very disappointed. The voice recognition is simply very poor, and the room needs to be relatively quiet. Alexa works even with loud background noise. That’s really impressive (especially if you have some technical background and know how complex voice recognition is).
The only things I don’t connect Alexa to are: garage door, front door, and alarm system.
Regards, Steffen
PS: What I’m currently working on and what still doesn’t work... two Alexas for different rooms, but operating independently. Purpose: avoiding having to mention the room. When I say “Alexa, turn on the light” in the bathroom, the bathroom light should turn on too...