Part 2: How to Automate Your Lighting?

The conclusion of my first experiences with these bulbs is as follows:

Take bulbs compatible with your home automation controller

Use preferably actuators compatible with your home automation controller. Xiaomi is a good reference, so the information from the actuators goes directly back to your controller who decides what to do. You are no longer limited! Another interesting article on Xiaomi actuators.

I will add motion detectors to passage areas such as corridors.

I will add remotely controlled switches in the living rooms.

SMART SWITCHES

These bulbs are not necessarily suitable for all situations. We do not want to replace the lamp that does not have compatible bulbs? Take a simple example, I have in my hallway a ramp with several halogen lamps. Would it be wise to change the lamp and buy several connected bulbs? Not necessarily, but then what to do?

There are smart switches, and yes like the bulb your switch can be educated.

Here are some of them:

FIBARO Switch: Be able to add a small Z-Wave module behind your socket or switch to take control of it while keeping your switch functional. You will also have a monitoring of consumption. This solution is not the most economical (about 50 € / piece) but is of very good quality. (I have the roller shutter 2 for my shutters and I'm very happy)

Aqara Wall Switch ZigBee Version: More economical solution, I'm waiting for mine to talk about it but it looks like the basic connected switch. Attention there are two versions one with the connected neutral and one without. The one with the neutral makes it possible to raise the consumption.

SONOFF Smart Touch Switch: Even less expensive, very customizable for connoisseurs, it integrates an ESP8266. I would say it is for advanced users and do not choose it for the touch part, it is very capricious, you really have to insist.

There are others, but I have not tried, do not hesitate to share yours in a comment.

Once your choice is made, read this article on home automation store to get into the technical details of installing the switch.

CONCLUSION

That makes them combinations of products for lighting only, for the moment my combination is: Jeedom, Xiaomi Actuators, PIR Xiaomi, Broadlink compatible bulbs. It can evolve because I start, but I like it as the first solution.

Let's recap if you follow this blog you now have an automation list, a home automation controller (Jeedom), connected light bulbs and switches selected thanks to the room type and your home automation list. All without spending a fortune. If not, what are you waiting for? Tell me where you are in a comment, it interests me.

Part 1: How to Automate Your Lighting?

Lighting with connected lights is a very good starting point for any home automation installation. We will see why, and how to optimize it.

I do not intend to go into the technical details but share some principles from my first feedback. I remind you that I start and that it can evolve. In fact, I have already evolved by writing this article. You will still find links to more technical articles to perfect your lighting installation.

THE SOLUTIONS

SMART BULBS

The smart bulbs have invaded the market between Philips Hue, Xiaomi Yeelight, Ikea Trådfri ... Just look for "smart bulb" on Amazon to realize the market. These are very easy to install because they require nothing more than to change the bulb. They embark a small radio in the base, either wifi (communication with your application through the modem/router) or other protocols such as ZigBee (requires a gateway to communicate with your wifi). Like any bulb, the selection criteria are the brightness, the color temperature (variable or not) and the base.

For color bulbs it is interesting to check the number of colors, for example, those of Ikea has only 20 colors against 16 million for Hue. It will be necessary to wait for a comparison, I for the moment only Xiaomi and Broadlink (see the article how to associate your Ikea bulbs with your Hue gateway ), but I intend well to explore the yeelight and the others according to their compatibility with Jeedom. Here is an important criterion, compatibility with your home automation controller, if you do not have one yet, see the article How to choose a home automation controller. You will be much less limited with the controller than with the manufacturer's application.

When opting for bulbs, think about the actuators. Those who will turn on your light. The first step, you must condemn your current switches so that the bulb is always powered and controllable.

To replace them you have wireless switches or motion sensors provided by the same manufacturers (Philips Hue, Broadlink, Ikea Trådfri, Xiaomi). I would opt for a detector in the corridors or other rooms of passage and for a switch in the living rooms as the living room or the kitchen. Although I think it's possible to combine the two with the Jeedom scenario that's going well.

You can also automate power on / off with your home automation controller. Who will be able to take into account the luminosity of the room, the hour, your detectors of the movements, the presence ... If you want a detailed example with Jeedom, go read Sarakha's article63: Automatic extinction of lights in Jeedom Domotique

For example:

Put the lighting between sunset, until the sunrise when you detect a movement and dim the light between 00:00 and 05:00 to not dazzle.

Or, everyone leaves, turn off all the lights on.

It is also possible to use the voice with Google Home for example to manage its lighting. No need to get up because the voice goes further than your arm.