Which control system? Control heating/ventilation/air conditioning with an app

So slowly you have reached my level... meaning you have recognized what KNX actually is... meaning not some "fancy apparatus" but simply just a tool or means to an end...

I am not quite sure at the moment whether you would need an automation bus like KNX for that. DALI or DMX (also bus systems) do not initially require KNX or the like, as far as I know.

For everything you need control options and if you additionally install DALI or DMX for lighting control in the household (which is not so far-fetched) you still have to somehow be able to switch the lights. Using apps is cumbersome, nobody wants to set up a lighting control panel either...

But everything can be connected to KNX via gateways and then operated with the normal switches or other existing control elements.

So yes, you don’t need KNX for DALI or DMX or anything else... but if you want to operate everything interdisciplinarily without major problems, KNX is one of the easiest solutions for that.

In my experience, the biggest hurdle on the way to a home automation system: finding a capable planner/electrician who does not want to rip you off, but rather shows you a solution that fits your needs.

Replace "home automation system" more generally with "home control system," then I agree. Unfortunately, there is a large "gray area" of electricians who on the one hand want to dabble in this business field, but on the other hand are not willing to invest time in training for it and/or do not intellectually grasp it. For them, the Earth is a flat disk because their electrical wholesaler prefers a certain system and they are too lazy to get an overview to form their own opinion.

Most people just sell what they have been getting their switches from for 20 years. Gira, Busch Jäger. And because it's luxury, the price has to be multiplied multiple times. That's the problem.

Replace "Bussystem" more generally with "Haussteuerung", then I see it that way too.

That's right, the more general term is Haussteuerung, that's what was meant [emoji1303]

Most people just sell what they have been getting their switches from for 20 years. Gira, Busch Jäger.

Without referring to specific brands: unfortunately, it is often the case that the market leaders are the last to catch on to technological trends and, to put it mildly, are not leading in that area – even if they adjust their established (and with grandfathered technology possibly "deserved") price level accordingly.

True, the more general term is home automation,

I just wanted to emphasize again that one should not commit to a wiring system with just one solution approach. In my opinion, those who save on the number of wires today will certainly have to chase grooves tomorrow.

And because it is luxury, the price has to be multiple times higher. That is the problem.

The price is not determined by luxury or not, but simply arises from manufacturing and certification costs. By the time a device is market-ready, tens of thousands of euros are gone... even if it is a simple button.

Without referring this to specific brands: unfortunately, it is often the case that leading companies are the last to catch technological trends and are, to say the least, not leading there - even if they reflect their established (and with grandfather technology possibly "earned") price level in it.

The leading companies have long since stopped being leaders even with KNX... but there are over 400 other manufacturers who use the standard and offer devices.