New build - which SmartHome system?

Hello everyone,

I am finally planning our own house with my family. I do not want to do without an intelligent system and have already done some research.

Loxone as a system is basically out for me, as it mainly relies on its proprietary system and products.

Of course, I kept coming back to KNX (as also here in this forum). However, I am not completely happy with it either, because I don’t want to have to call a programmer every time I want to make changes; I also don’t really want to buy the ETS license. Additionally, I want to integrate and network fingerprint scanners, Sonos, or a heat pump, but I didn’t quite understand that with KNX.

Basically, the house has 2 floors with an open-plan kitchen/living area, hallway, utility room, bathrooms, children’s rooms, bedroom, garden...

The following systems should be connected:
- Lights (some dimmable as well)
- Blinds + weather station
- Underfloor heating
- Heat pump
- Music (Sonos)
- Access via fingerprint
- Video intercom
- Some switched sockets
- Photovoltaic system

Since I am not completely inexperienced technically, I also want to be able to manage, adjust, and optimize my system myself in the end.

Does anyone have any good input here? Or has experience with Loxone/KNX or others?

Thanks and best regards
Stefan

If all of that is important to you, as you list it, only KNX comes into question. If you just want to make life a little easier, individual systems for a fraction of the cost will do.

I am more the latter type and solved it like this:

Your list:
The following systems should be connected:
- Lights (some dimmed as well) - a few where that plays a role with Hue lights - about 10 pieces in the house
- Venetian blinds + weather station - solved with Homematic IP
- Underfloor heating - If you have to control anything there, the heating is messed up
- Heat pump - What is there to control?
- Music (Sonos) - there are countless solutions, I have a few Spotify compatible devices and Echos
- Access by fingerprint - you might as well leave your door open
- Video intercom - I see it maybe necessary from 500 m² living space
- Some switched sockets - I also do this with Homematic
- Photovoltaic system - runs with SolarEdge for me, and I don’t know what would be missing there.

We implement everything from your list except the photovoltaic system (we don't have one) with free@Home. The only thing that doesn't work with this, and that I miss, is the controlled residential ventilation. There's just the system/app from the manufacturer.

Hello,

thanks already for the quick answers.

as you describe it, they are all somehow separate systems and cannot be connected across the board. For example, I would like to use the fingerprint to turn on music and lights (hallway, etc.) or control the photovoltaic system with the heat pump/heating as an "energy manager." In the end, I don't want to have 10 apps or 10 displays, and all doing their own thing.
Please correct me if I have gotten the wrong information.

thanks for the info. free@Home already looks very interesting. I hadn't had that on my radar yet. To what extent can I intervene myself here? Since I saw it is KNX based, do I need the ETS?

Best regards
Stefan

I'm not completely happy here either, because I don't feel like calling a programmer every time I want to change something;

Well, you don't have to, for small changes the ETS demo is enough and it's free. Later after commissioning, you can use it to change the little things that aren't right. Or you buy a device with ETS-Inside on board and then you can basically adjust everything from the tablet.

I don't necessarily want to buy the ETS license either.

As mentioned, you don't have to unless you want to completely rebuild a system.

furthermore I want to integrate and network fingerprint scanners, Sonos, or also a heat pump, but I didn't quite understand KNX there.

It's not always trivial because it's about connecting systems that were neither designed nor originally intended for that. But KNX as a medium usually makes it possible.

Since I'm not completely clueless technically, I also want to be able to manage, adjust, and optimize my system myself in the end.

With KNX you have everything on board for that and can then more or less deeply intervene in the function of the devices (if they have a KNX gateway) and not just switch lights on/off or dim or operate shutters.

To what extent can I also intervene myself here? Since it's KNX-based as I have seen, do I need the ETS?

No, that works via the app itself but is quite limited and restricted in possibilities. Because it is a system for simple household use and only scratches the surface of what is possible with full-fledged KNX.

For example, I want to switch on music and light (hallway etc.) with the fingerprint.

Why would you do that? I mean, where do you see the use case? When entering the house?

or control the photovoltaic system with the heat pump/heating as an "energy manager."

That often works relatively easily with KNX, although there is little to regulate once everything is set up. Mostly it's rather monitoring and error notification, for example, if a pump fails or something like that.

In the end, I don't want to have 10 apps or 10 displays and each doing their own thing.

Yes, that is one of KNX's strengths overall. Everything at once (independent of manufacturer) on one screen. Or from one application. And you are not platform-bound; basically any control device will do. It only needs to have IP or KNX as an interface.

For example, I want to use the fingerprint to turn on music and lights (hallway, etc.) or have the photovoltaic system controlled with the heat pump/heating as an "energy manager."

Don't get me wrong, but that sounds like "seen it in an ad once, looked cool."
You can simply have the lights turn on when it gets dark, why when you come to the door? And music turning on when you come home might be cool as a single person in an apartment.
The heat pump already does its job properly when set correctly; having something control it here is counterproductive.

But anyway, KNX can do all that, I wouldn't use any other system. You just have to be aware of the costs and effort.