ᐅ Which smart home system is best for our new build?

Yes, the issue isn’t specifically with KNX, but rather with the motion detectors (which are mainly used with KNX).

Do any of you have dogs and KNX?
Would you say using KNX makes sense with dogs, especially for lighting control? I imagine it could be annoying if the dog constantly triggers the lights.

But it’s hard for me to judge since I haven’t lived in a KNX house with a dog yet.

And as @Tolentino already said, dogs don’t need lights at night—they manage well in the dark.

Now you’re already using KNX synonymously with automated control. As mentioned, it can be done differently. Take a day off from it; it’s starting to become an obsession for you.
My advice: Drop it and don’t waste any more thought on it. KNX has been around (in principle) for over 30 years. There’s a reason why it hasn’t become part of any standard building specification for single-family homes yet. People usually manage perfectly fine without it.
Some people even manage better without it, at least during the planning and construction phases... 😉

squier23 schrieb:

You should spend some time learning about ioBroker, openHab, or HomeAssistant.

That’s putting the cart before the horse. All of the tools you mentioned are software solutions for managing an existing infrastructure. But that infrastructure still needs to be installed first.

xMisterDx schrieb:

I don’t even want to know how much those 45 bus cables to my outlets alone would have cost...

In the basic setup that everyone usually wants, exactly zero dollars.

xMisterDx schrieb:

And where would I even put them in the utility room... I probably don’t have space for a cabinet like that with only 6.5m² (70ft²) of utility room.

There’s always enough space for bus cables in the distribution board. They don’t really take up much room. In a basic setup, there are only one or two cables for the whole building and the outdoor area.

xMisterDx schrieb:

Regarding wireless failures... you’re not running industrial production, are you? If the TV suddenly turns off or a light switches on/off unexpectedly… you can live with that. We’re not talking about a paper machine or glass factory where you’d have to scrap a day’s production if the system suddenly goes down.

I would actually find that annoying. Consumer automation systems have a bad reputation because they are often poorly programmed or installed, so they don’t always work exactly as the user wants. And let’s be honest, why settle for half-baked solutions—especially in your own new home? I, for one, cannot accept that.

Pacc666 schrieb:

KNX relies on presence detectors to control everything, right?

No, you have a completely wrong idea. Lighting control is only one part of it. KNX is about connecting systems that would otherwise be incompatible and work alongside or against each other.

Pacc666 schrieb:

Is it even practical to implement KNX if you have a large dog, 40-50 kg (90-110 lbs), and the dog is allowed everywhere in the house? The dog would always trigger the presence detectors, right?

I actually find that very practical. We have two cats, which are much smaller, but I deliberately chose not to use pet immunity on the presence detectors so they trigger them.

What concerns do you have about the lighting? Let it trigger the lights. It’s not a conventional switch on the wall that you have to operate manually. The lights turn off by themselves. For different scenarios (e.g., night or sleeping), there are plenty of options to prevent unwanted triggering.

Tolentino schrieb:

Now you’re using KNX as a synonym for automated control. As I said, it can be done differently. Do something else for a day—this is starting to look like an obsession for you.

Exactly. Reducing KNX solely to lighting and automation is a bit harsh.

@Mycraft thanks for your detailed response

What would a budget KNX installation look like?

What definitely needs to be done:
-All switches are definitely required (we like the MDT glass switches)
-All lighting points should be wired star-shaped to the basement and connected to the actuators
-All presence detectors must be installed
-The weather station needs to be installed
-The underfloor heating system probably also needs to be done (so the KNX switches can replace the existing controllers)

What can be left out and added later:
-Window sensors might be solved later with EnOcean (probably too late for us since the windows are already ordered) (the electrician appointment was unfortunately heavily delayed for us)
-Sockets can be added later with flush-mounted KNX RF or other wireless sockets (we likely don’t need many) (we want to install some non-standard sockets ourselves anyway)

Have I forgotten anything?
I want to ask the electrician again what the budget option would cost

Araknis schrieb:

So you don’t understand KNX. You don’t run a bus cable to power outlets.

I understand your concept, but it doesn’t give me the option to control each outlet individually as I want. Even with 5x1.5 mm² (5x15 AWG), I can only control 3 groups per circuit.

I realize you think this isn’t necessary. But I want it 😉

I’ve never been able to dissuade a customer from something they insisted on... and some have actually ended up using it, even though everyone said beforehand, “That’s nonsense, you’ll never need that”…

Mycraft schrieb:

I would find that quite frustrating. In fact, consumer automation systems have a bad reputation because they are often poorly programmed or assembled and therefore don’t always work the way the user wants. And let’s be honest, why settle for half-baked solutions (especially in your own new build)? I, for one, can’t live with that.

The drywall contractor just told me again, "You only build once"...

But since I have to finance my house, at least 70%, eventually the money runs out 😉

Lauterbach once said in a talk show many years ago (roughly quoted, back when it was about Attila Hildmann, who was still somewhat sane then):

If I had the money, I’d drive a Porsche instead of the small Flinkster I rent. I sit in the same traffic jam, but maybe I’d enjoy it more.

And that’s how it is. If I used premium products throughout the house, my mortgage wouldn’t start with a 5 but an 8. And that’s something I won’t be able to pay off in my lifetime. The best part, in the end, is what you’ve crafted yourself... at least for me...