Shelly Pro Series vs. Homematic IP wired vs. bus wiring experience

I faced a similar question and mainly for cost reasons decided on the Smart Home Light version as well:

# Roller shutters and venetian blinds via Shellies. When selecting the motors, pay attention to compatibility (no radio system)
# Then it is also very easy to realize a central roller shutter switch via a Shelly i4
# I will also make a few sockets switchable via Shellies; here, the deep installation boxes also offer the possibility to change this flexibly later.
# Some effect lighting to be realized with LED strips will also be controlled via Shelly RGBW.
# Since I already own Homematic IP & Philips Hue from the old house, I will continue to use them. Door sensors and possibly heating control, e.g. via HMIP. Some lamps via Hue. Whether I would start with them additionally today is rather doubtful. Other manufacturers like Aqara also make good and rather inexpensive components.
# However, I will replace part of Hue with Shelly. What annoys me about Hue is that you can no longer properly use the switches. When the light switch is off, the Hue lamp can no longer be switched on smartly. That is better with Shelly; both options work.
# Where I use Shelly, I go for push-buttons in the wall (light, roller shutters), so the switch position no longer matters.
# Shellies in two-way switches require certain wiring; you should possibly discuss this with your electrician. The same applies if you want to automate motion detectors together with Shellies.
# Many more possibilities arise if you install an overlying automation system, e.g. Home Assistant. But you can do that later as well.

Due to initial skepticism about the Shellies, I had already purchased and put some components into operation for testing in the old house, and they work flawlessly.

- Since good & stable WLAN is necessary for Shellies, invest some of the saved money in decent WLAN components. (e.g. Unify or TP-Link Omada or something similar)
- Install a good WLAN access point per floor at a suitable ceiling location to achieve good coverage. Plan these locations already when laying the network cables. If no POE is planned, also think about the power connection at the same time.
- It’s best to separate the WLAN networks by creating a separate network for smart home technology (the better access points can do this)
- Assign fixed IP addresses for all WLAN smart home components, so you keep track when the number of components grows and the router has to restart.

- It is important to have deep installation boxes installed everywhere if the installation situation allows it. This already provides many possibilities.

I faced a similar question and mainly for cost reasons I also decided on the Smart Home Light version

Thank you for your detailed answer. It will probably be similar for me.

# Roller shutters and Venetian blinds via Shellies. When choosing the motors, pay attention to compatibility (no radio system)

I have a total of 19 roller shutters/Venetian blinds. I would have preferred a "wired version" here. That's why I've always kept an eye on the "Shelly Pro's," since they have a LAN connection and can be clipped onto the DIN rail in the distribution box. However, the prices currently asked for these are still quite steep. Also, the entire power supply for all roller shutters/Venetian blinds would have to be drawn into the sub-distribution. I don't know if the electrician is ready for that.

# I will also make a few sockets switchable via Shellies; the deep installation boxes also give the option to change this flexibly later.

...I will implement that as well. Some sockets, especially those at the "pubescent offspring"

# I will replace part of Hue with Shelly. What annoys me about Hue is that you can no longer use the switches properly. When the light switch is off, the Hue lamp cannot be turned on smartly anymore. With Shelly it’s better; both options work.

Interesting! How can that be implemented? I haven’t found anything about this on the net yet... At the moment I’m also using the HUE motion sensors. What bothers me is that unfortunately they are not suitable for flush mounting, just like the Shelly motion sensors.

# Shellies in two-way switching circuits require a certain wiring; you should possibly discuss this with your electrician.

Do you possibly mean the neutral conductor here?

The same applies if you want to automate motion detectors together with Shellies.

Am I correct in assuming that you can operate any conventional flush-mounted motion detector with a Shelly? Unfortunately, I have no information about this yet.

- Since good & stable WLAN is necessary for the Shellies, invest some of the saved money in proper WLAN components. (e.g. Unify or TP-Link Omada or similar)
- Install a good WLAN access point per floor at a suitable spot on the ceiling to get good coverage. Plan these locations during the laying of the network cables. If no POE is planned, also consider the power supply right away.
- It’s best to separate the WLAN networks by setting up a separate network for the smart home technology (the better access points can do that)
- Assign fixed IP addresses for all WLAN smarthome* components, so you keep track when the number of components increases and the router needs to be restarted.

That will definitely be the case. On each floor (basement, ground floor, upper floor, as well as garage & garden) a Ubiquiti POE Access Point Wifi 6 long-range will be mounted on the ceiling. This should ensure a strong WLAN range. A separate network for the "smart technology" as well as assignment of fixed IP addresses is also a given. I’m well versed in this respect.

- It is important to have deep installation boxes installed everywhere whenever the installation situation allows it. That already gives you lots of options.

Only deep flush-mounted boxes will be installed.

For me, there are a total of 19 roller shutters/blinds. I would have preferred a "wired version" here. That's why I have always been eyeing the "Shelly Pros," as they have a LAN port and can be clipped onto the mounting rail in the sub-distribution box. However, the prices currently called for are still quite high. Also, the entire power supply for all roller shutters/blinds would have to be routed in the sub-distribution. I don’t know if the electrician is willing to do that.

It should be noted here that many users are still not quite happy with controlling a blind via a Shelly. The reason for this is a small but variable latency in the Wi-Fi between pressing the button and motor control. This leads to the slat position not being controlled very precisely. There is a long thread about this in the Shelly support forum where an improvement from the manufacturer has been promised for a long time but has not been implemented satisfactorily to this day. Just something to know before getting disappointed.

Interesting! How is this possible? I haven’t found anything on this on the internet so far... I currently also use the HUE motion sensors. What bothers me is that unfortunately they are not flush-mounted capable, just like the Shelly motion sensors.

Basically through the normal function of the Shelly. The light switch only goes to one button input of the Shelly; turning on/off is always done by the Shelly itself, so you can turn off via the light switch and still turn on again via the app. There is such a module from Homematic as well, but it’s super expensive and battery-operated.

Do you possibly mean the neutral conductor here?

Definitely have that installed in every box. I can’t remember exactly off the top of my head, but with some two-way or intermediate switches, a Shelly must be wired differently. From what I remember, some users had too few wires and the electrician rightly refused to misuse the protective earth conductor.

Am I correct in assuming that any conventional flush-mounted motion sensor can be controlled with a Shelly? Unfortunately, I have no information on this either.

Yes and no. There are apparently flush-mounted motion sensors that require a minimum load to switch properly. But since you are connecting to a high-impedance switching input on the Shelly and not directly switching a light bulb, you don’t have that. There is a list of compatible motion sensors that definitely work in the said forum. If necessary, you can also use a relay in between, but that requires extra space and costs extra.

I wish you much success!

The electrician commissioned by the builder offered me a complete KNX automation for a "small additional cost surcharge" of about €15,000.
This included the Gira X1 system with server, buttons, switch wiring, documentation, etc....

It's a pity, you might have found someone who really knows his stuff and would build everything according to your wishes (and more things you haven't even thought of yet) and you let the opportunity slip by. Others in the forum are constantly looking for something like this. Just some thoughts...

Please also keep in mind during planning that the house might possibly be sold or at least inhabited by other people in the future. Therefore, when building new, I would always opt for something standardized, where you can be fairly certain to find someone who can help you even in 10 years. For me, that basically only comes down to KNX. Possibly also Loxone. But with that, you become dependent on a single manufacturer again.

A wireless solution feels wrong to me for new construction.

That's true, but not entirely; as an end customer you have access to the software and can modify it according to your preferences.

With KNX, you need a programmer who charges by the hour, especially when it comes to special requests.
And depending on the scope, Loxone can actually be cheaper.

I don't want to persuade anyone to do anything; everyone can do as they please. But what you are writing here is simply not true.
I am an end customer who is not from IT. Last year we got KNX installed in our new build. I bought the ETS Home for €250 and then started with KNX. And that was only in the real house (for various reasons, I didn’t manage to build a test board beforehand, as is often recommended). Until moving in, everything worked that also works conventionally and was important for operation by the family. The automations and logics, which then really make it fun, have been coming step by step since then. I just read and watched a lot beforehand. But I want to be able to do it myself and not have to pay the electrician for every little request.
As for the server: the good thing is that you don’t need one for the basic functions – all that is in the sensors and actuators. I only got a Raspberry Pi with Node-Red a few months ago for the advanced stuff. But if it fails, the essential things still work over the weekend.