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smart-home

20 articles

Building Automation vs Smart Home: BEMS, BACnet, KNX and When Commercial-Grade Systems Are Worth Specifying

Building automation vs smart home: BEMS/BACnet for commercial, KNX for medium-large residential (10+ rooms, longevity requirement), Loxone for mid-range, consumer platforms (Z-Wave/ZigBee) for small projects, KNX certification routes, BACnet-to-KNX gateway integration
CEDIA Membership for Smart Home Installers: Grades, Training Pathways and Why Clients Look for CEDIA Members

CEDIA membership for smart home installers: Installer Level 1/2 training, Certified Technician and Designer grades, why architects and specifiers require CEDIA, insurance verification, CEDIA partner directory, relationship with Part P electrical qualification
Home Cinema Room Design: Acoustic Treatment, Projector vs TV, Screen Size Calculation and Equipment Rack

Home cinema room design: SMPTE 36° viewing angle (2.52m screen at 4m viewing), room-in-room acoustic construction, RT60 target 0.3–0.4s, bass trap placement, absorption vs diffusion, projector throw ratio, laser vs lamp, Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 layout, remote equipment rack for fan noise elimination
Home Networking for AV and Smart Home: CAT6 vs CAT6a, Patch Panels, Managed Switches and Wi-Fi Access Point Placement

Home networking for AV and smart home: CAT6 vs CAT6a specification, structured wiring cabinet design (patch panel, managed switch, UPS), VLAN segmentation for IoT/AV/general traffic, PoE power budget calculation, Wi-Fi AP placement with wired backhaul, Wi-Fi 6 for IoT devices
IoT Device Cybersecurity: PSTI Act 2024, Default Password Rules and Advice Installers Should Give Clients

IoT device cybersecurity: PSTI Act 2024 (no universal default passwords, vulnerability disclosure, stated update period), commissioning security checklist, VLAN segmentation for IoT, GDPR for cameras, WPA3, disabling UPnP, PSTI-compliant product verification
KNX Home Automation Overview: Bus Topology, ETS Programming Basics, Commissioning and UK Installer Training

KNX home automation: YSTP 2×0.8mm bus cable, 64 devices per segment, ETS programming (group addresses, device addresses, topology), KNX partner registration, commissioning sequence, UK training centres, integration with Crestron/Control4 via gateway
Motorised Blinds and Smart Curtains: Track Types, Motor Wiring, Hub Integration and Scene Automation

Motorised blinds and smart curtains: tubular motor tube diameter selection (35–50mm), torque specification by fabric weight, Somfy RTS vs io-homecontrol protocols, TaHoma and RFXtrx433E hub integration, Home Assistant automation examples, Part P scope for 240V motors
Multiroom Audio Installation: Sonos Port vs Amp, Speaker Impedance, In-Wall Speakers and Wiring Topology

Multiroom audio installation: Sonos Amp (125W, 4Ω min) vs Port, speaker impedance and parallel/series wiring, home-run cable topology, in-ceiling vs in-wall positioning, zone planning, Sonos Control4/Crestron integration, UPS for equipment rack
Part P Implications for Smart Home Installations: What Counts as Notifiable Electrical Work and Competent Persons Schemes

Part P implications for smart home: notifiable work categories (new circuits, consumer unit changes, special locations), like-for-like switch replacements not notifiable, neutral wire cable runs, competent persons schemes (NICEIC/NAPIT), Scotland and Northern Ireland equivalents, PoE data cabling exemption
Powerline Adapters vs Structured Cabling: When to Use Each, Performance Limits and Future-Proofing Advice

Powerline adapters vs structured cabling: real-world throughput limits (100–400 Mbps), wiring conditions that degrade powerline performance, Cat6A specification for new builds, PoE support, lifecycle cost comparison, when each approach is appropriate
Smart Doorbell and Lock Installation: Existing Wiring Assessment, Low-Voltage Transformers, Z-Wave Locks and Integration

Smart doorbell and lock installation: doorbell transformer assessment (16–24 VAC at 30 VA minimum), Z-Wave lock mechanical compatibility (backset, case size, handedness), UK 868 MHz Z-Wave frequency, electric strike fail-safe/fail-secure selection, Part P scope, GDPR for doorbell cameras
Smart Heating Controls: Multi-Zone Tado, Nest and Honeywell T6 — Wiring, OpenTherm and Boiler Compatibility

Smart heating controls: Tado, Nest, Hive, Honeywell T6 wiring for combi and S/Y-plan systems, OpenTherm modulation (up to 15% efficiency gain), boiler compatibility, multi-zone TRV control, Boiler Plus regulation compliance, common wiring faults
Smart Home and Consumer Unit Considerations: Dedicated Circuits for AV Equipment, EV and Battery Storage

Smart home consumer unit considerations: RCBO per circuit for AV/EV, Type A RCD for EV chargers (minimum BS 7671 Amendment 2), PME earthing and earth electrode for EV, G98/G99 for battery storage (BESS), dedicated circuits for equipment rack, UPS provision, SPD assessment
Smart Home Battery Storage Integration: SolarEdge, GivEnergy and Tesla Powerwall — App Control and Tariff Shifting

Battery storage integration: G98/G99 registration thresholds, GivEnergy/Powerwall/SolarEdge comparison, GivTCP local API for Home Assistant, tariff-shifting with Octopus Agile API, Tesla VPP enrolment, whole-home backup islanding, MCS certification for SEG eligibility
Smart Home Commissioning and Handover: Programming Documentation, User Training and Ongoing Support Plans

Smart home commissioning and handover: CEDIA Best Practice documentation (device schedule, as-built drawings, programming documentation, group address list), structured 4-section handover session, support plan tiers (10–15% of installation cost/year), remote access configuration, KNX ETS project file archiving
Smart Home System Specification: Single-Vendor vs Multi-Protocol, Scalability and How to Quote for Ongoing Maintenance

Smart home system specification: proprietary (Control4, Crestron) vs open (KNX, Home Assistant, Matter) platform decision framework, requirements capture methodology, scope of works structure, phased project approach, maintenance pricing (10–15% of install cost/year), project proposal structure
Smart Lighting Installation: Wiring for Smart Switches, Neutral Wire Requirements, Dimmer Compatibility and Protocols

Smart lighting installation: loop-at-switch wiring diagnosis, no-neutral smart switch options (Shelly 1L), running 3-core for neutral, dimmer compatibility with LED loads, minimum load requirements, trailing-edge dimming, Part P notification for special locations
Smart Security Camera Installation: PoE vs Wi-Fi, NVR Integration, GDPR Considerations and Cabling

Smart security camera installation: PoE vs Wi-Fi (PoE preferred), CAT6 to 100m, ONVIF for multi-brand NVR integration, H.265 storage calculation (10–15GB/day at 4MP), UK GDPR domestic exemption vs public-area cameras, ICO signage requirement, NVR remote viewing via manufacturer cloud relay
Voice Control Integration: Alexa, Google Home and Apple HomeKit — Protocol Compatibility and Privacy Considerations

Voice control integration: Alexa/Google Home cloud processing vs Apple HomeKit local automation (Home Hub), Matter multi-admin for cross-platform device sharing, Thread Border Router requirements, privacy differences between platforms, Siri local execution, device naming best practices for reliable voice control
Z-Wave vs Zigbee for Smart Home: Frequency, Mesh Network Behaviour, Hub Compatibility and Interference

Z-Wave vs Zigbee: Z-Wave 868.42 MHz (EU, no Wi-Fi interference, 232 max devices), Zigbee 2.4 GHz (65,000+ devices, channel selection critical), mesh routing, PSTI compliance, Matter/Thread as the converging standard, hub options for each protocol