Home Automation in Switzerland

Tech, TV, Mobile, Internet and Geek Corner
41
After getting a google home, I started revamping my home automation setup.

This is what I currently have :

Raspberry pi 3 running home-assistant.io Google Home Philips Hue all over the place (except corridor) + 1 Dimmer Harmony Hub + Harmony Ultimate One Netatmo weather WeMo Switches Lametric time (great for overview and light switch)

This allows me to control almost all of the lighting/TV/Audio via voice (google home)buttons (harmony remote or hue dimmer), or web interface.

I also have some automations like turning on the TV for RTS news if I'm home, turning on the lights X time after sunset. Dimming the lights at bed time, and an "all-off" routing when we go to bed. Turning on humidifer/fan according to temperature/humidity (among other small little things).

But I'm still missing a few things.. A way to trigger the corridor light's relay Door sensors to trigger coming home going away events A way to control the blinds

Regarding the corridor light's relay, I have a central Hager EPN 510, and was thinking about partnering it with something like a Z-Wave relay (or switch).

For the door sensors, I'm thinking about Aeontec's Door/Window sensor 6, as it can be installed without any modification to the apartment.

For the blinds...I'm completely at loss as what could be done.. I have two kinds of blinds (see http://imgur.com/5TA3bXn ). I don't really care about the Somfy ones (and these actually seem like they could be automated by simply replacing the switch), and then 6 others (3 in the photo) that don't seem to have any central connection (they are spread out across 3 rooms). Are there any solutions other than wireless relays for each individual blind?

All in all... I think that for my next steps (relays for corridor and blinds) I need some professional help - at the minimum an electrician that would be willing to install some relays and take a look at the "blind situation". Anyone has a recommendation for an electrician that speaks english, is into automation and would be willing to come to Aarau ?

42
I build my system (not here, back home in Serbia) using Zipato company products. Basically there is a tablet-like main central unit ( ZIPATILE) on wich you connect all sensors, cameras, thermostats... Everything is pretty easy to install and you dont need to mess with your wires and installations because everything is wifi (z-wave or ZigBee)

e.g. light dimmer is mounted inside/behind light switch

My sysytem:

1. Thermostats on each radiator in every room

1a. Nest thermostat in main hallway

2. Light dimmers for hallways, living room and dinning room

3. Video intercom on front gate (outside)

4. Couple outdoor cameras

5. Glass/window motion sensors

6 Siren (outside)

Optionally I can put smoke, humidity or flood sensors.

I can control everything from that tablet Zipatile while I'm home, or over PC, phone over internet while I'm away.

For more i fo visit: www.zipato.com

Cheers and happy holidays

43
Why wouldn't you want wireless control? Without, you would have to run more wires in conduit.

Something like the following module would be wired behind the existing wall switches with the existing which would allow the existing switches to be used as well as control by Z-Wave.

These things need calibrating though for each blind.

Here

44
I just want to avoid individual relays

As for that solution.. Could probably work... I would still need a qualified installer for the electrical installation...

45
I will keep asking

where to order Google Home ?

46
There are several companies that allow you to order things from the US. I used a VPN to make the order and ordered it to a US address.

47
For those using OpenHab, are you using version 1 or 2?

I migrated to 2 this week so I could use HabPanel and have difference panels for my desktop and for smart phones (and tablets).

This way I can have maintenance screens giving remote sensor battery conditions etc on the desktop version and keep the phone one really simple so I don't need to wear glasses to do something simple.

Here's a screen shot of one phone screen last I knocked up last night:

48
Garage Door is... What is it? Closed? Open? Schrodinger's door? Don't leave us hanging like this.

49
It's not connected at the moment. It does work though - there are reed switches to detect the door in open and closed position.

The garage is not that temperature either. The sensor is in another room.

Lots to do - can't do it all at once!

50
I bought some Sonoff relay controllers for 6 USD a piece which use the ESP8266. I re-flashed them so I can switch them using MQTT and connect them to OpenHab, rather than use their own App.

Not all their devices have CE approval and those that do have probably been self-certified without independent data so I may just use them for tinkering at the moment.

Works well!

51
Excuse my ignorance here regarding the Sonoff stuff.

The only part of my apartment not "automated" or controllable remotely is currently the blinds. They are on a normal switch, click down to put them all the way down or up, or hold a little longer to control how far down/up they go.

Could a sonoff product be inserted into there to enable that functionality from afar? It looks like Sonoff is compatible with IFTTT, so in theory could I then set up to say "OK Google, lower the blinds"?

52
Are you sure it's compatible out of the box? A lot of people have been reprogramming the MCU on these so they work with other systems. That's what I did.

So, if you did that then yes, in theory it should work but there are probably approved relay units that would also do the job.

53
I'm pretty new to this whole concept of replacing electronics...what do you mean by approved relays?

54
The relay is the 'switch' that turns on the big stuff from the small stuff.

When you buy electronics stuff - it has usually been tested to be electrically safe so you don't get a shock in both normal usage and if there is a malfunction , and safe as far as RF emissions are concerned too so it doesn't intentionally or otherwise interfere with other equipment (or with you).

It would appear that Sonoff stuff doesn't have these approvals (which doesn't mean they are unsafe) but could just mean that they never went through a formal approval process which is quite expensive).

Stuff that you don't connect to the mains is usually okay but other stuff could cause problems (non-Apple iPhone chargers going up in smoke, for example).

Some Sonoff stuff has a CE label which either means nothing, or it means the manufacturer has tested and self-certified the product, or it has been tested by an independent agency and hence the product has been self-certified.

Independent agencies include TUV and UL and you'll see those logos on products if you look.

The Sonoff stuff with the CE labels appears to be built correctly (fused, air gaps between mains PCB traces and non-mains ones, cable clamps etc).

I don't have the equipment at home to do any real testing (including an anechoic chamber for the RF stuff!) but the RF side should be okay as the MCU is used in lots of other products.

But, use this stuff your peril along with other stuff bought directly from China rather than through a proper importer.

What I will probably go for for shutter controls etc is Homematic stuff. Their IP stuff can be controlled via IFTTT but if you went down that route, you'd end up having to buy another bridge so you your IFTTT commands could talk to the Homematic stuff.

Here's one of their shutter switches:

This doesn't work directly with IFTTT though. Their IP stuff does via their bridge. I'm going via openHab so I can basically do what I want with anything.

I'm sure other manufacturers make such stuff but Homematic is very Germany/Switzerland centric which I like.

Here's an article which tells you how to connect it to the IFTTT cloud.

That's me though and there are other solutions which may be more suitable for you.

And here's the CE mark on the rear:

55
@StrirB,

I looked into this a bit more just now and it appears that some of their products have been formally tested:

Bottom of this page

These products: Sonoff TH10/TH16, Sonoff Pow, Sonoff Dual:

So, it's pretty cool to get a switch for around 8 USD.

The only concern I have is using wi-fi for signalling as mine doesn't appear to be 100% stable 100% of the time.

56
Also interested in automating the blinds in my house. Did you decide on a solution for your project?

57
Unfortunately still didn't get any positive reply to any of the enquiries I made - still looking for a qualified electrician that could help me out.

58
I added another 'feature' to my house automation.

Our entrance hall is heated with an IR mirror.

This was always a pain as it was either on the whole time because we forgot to turn it off or was never on when we wanted it on.

So, I wired it up and now it's controlled by OpenHab (and Alexa of course), with features such as auto-off after three hours, a timer so it switches on and off at predetermined times in the day and a general on/off.

The 'state' indication is more of a temporary label so I can see what happens after a reboot or power cut, for example.

There was an existing on/off switch and thermostat (made by Eberle) and I had hoped to wire this up in parallel so I could switch the heater on and off manually but this does not have the necessary pins. I checked the schematic and the latest version of this thermostat does have the extra pin required so I guess I'll replace that at some time with just a switch.

59
I finally caved and went with 2 fibaro modules : https://www.fibaro.com/en/products/roller-shutter/ and https://www.fibaro.com/en/products/switches-2/ .

They were simple enough to install and didn't involve any major rewiring (even though I ended up only wiring up one of the shades.

I've added some details here .

60
Making a start on the automation myself. Where did you buy the Fibaro modules?