New build - Zigbee or Z-wave?

I wouldn't and don't use Sonoff for lighting. I've messed with it extensively.
I use my Philips Hue system as I find it to be the best I've seen, the quality of dimming and light is excellent. Changing lamps will remain an issue, but it's very friendly with other iot devices.

Dimming LEDs is not simple. You have to have the right dimmer, driver and loads. On off control is simpler. Philips do all this for you, at a cost.

I put it in where I need it. It suits a retrofit

I've tested Sonoff for its RF switching capabilities, it works but it's not fantastic
You can also get a wifi bridge an excellent little unit that is simple to set up and allows an alternative switching path while remaining sate aware. It is a nice app set up too.

Sonoff is the least expensive option, you've mentioned cost was an issue so i offered it.

If you are wiring from scratch you could look at 4 channel din rail mounted Sonoff units. This would be four switching channels with one set up.

You've Wifi, RF and ELV wiring options for these so you and wire simple push to make switches into them too. If starting from a blank canvas you can have all sorts of options for Sonoff including a wired solution. You just need to go beyond the standard use.

I've a simple brushed stainless switch plate made up with to switch a channel with either rf or wired terminals. It cost about 10 euro, very cheap to do but takes time, but the wired option is simple, it's just a doorbell type switch on whatever blank plate you want.

I don't imagine that an average house with a few more wifi devices would stress a good router. I've about 40 on mine, however it's a good point, mine is expensive and I bought it to handle the traffic.

Setting up all the wifi units is a task, that's my issue with it, the work. However many flash the units and put them on a home AV solution running on a mini computer.

Again this works, addition of some simple cheap components is "easy" when you know how.

I've messed with this too, like it, but it's fidley.

You'd need to master it, own it and run it in your house.

With devices with bridges you only need to to give the wifi details to the hub this is handy. Faster set up and you should be able to change wifi passwords quickly, or have a wifi channel for iot like some here recommend, don't use the guest feature on routers for this.

You could look at smart things.
There are multiple zigbee universal lighting controllers that work on it. I've tried 3 with mixed results but ultimately this will be a good solution in time as it keeps it all on the one hub. Some of these units are just 10 euro on eBay

As offered you will still need to wire this installation for switches to keep your options open. Even a multicore ELV cable to each switch drop back to a central location

The large back box reference is about using deep back boxes so you can fit bulky switches in

I'd like to point out some of my experience with integrated systems

IMO most intruder alarm system PIRs do not make great for lighting PIRs.

You end up with them where you don't need intruder alarm PIRs and you've to position them to select household movement rather than directed at entry points

Most don't have daylight feedback, I've yet to see one that has to be honest, it would be some sort of multisensor.
So you end up with the light coming on when you walk into a room at one level regardless if it's night for day . You end up with timers and Google daylight control, substituting soft elements when there is environmental feedback.

Walking into a room and a light coming on is useful in a room with no window.

(Also note this is a home not a commercial building, people have moods and want to alter their home environment)

Often these rooms don't need an intruder alarm as you've walked past a PIR to get to it.

A 5 euro led and a 15 euro PIR will do the trick. No need for elv cabling or alarm integration. The money for intruder systems would be better spent on cameras or security lighting.


Say a living room, do you want the lights to come on when you walk into the room, if so what lights ? at what level and colour ?
If you have an intruder alarm PIR in the living room best to leave it there IMO and use something like a Philips unit. It will work from voice and your phone and is a very simple set up. A tap switch is useful ( but ugly)

With all these systems it's difficult to match accessories. So if you want to have sockets and switches matching it can be difficult. Often you end up with a mix and match

So it can be handy to have switches that you can fit into a blank plate or a modular grid system. Note these cheaper switches only suit houses with white accessories, so momentary push to make type options as described above are desirable as you can add them to the finish plate you want.

Regarding using open windows to control heating. Again I had this and the dynamics of a house alter it's use imo.
Fine for a commercial building, big savings etc.

First I had it on the intruder alarm. If I had certain windows open it turned it off (only on Windows with a magnet contact though most house alarms don't have or need these on every window) again you end up putting in unneeded intruder alarm kit, with minimal intruder alarm function, this is for heating control.
What worked, well having the heating controlled at the keypads was good. Turing off when I set the alarm on full set was good.

Turning off when a window was open was not good. Sometimes you need both and sometimes you didn't I don't have multiple zones in my house one bedrooms open windows turned off the heating in another's. So it was fun in the morning when no heat came on in the upstairs bathroom because my son's bedroom window was open.


I then I ended up with control on 8 radiators (rooms) by fitting iot TRVs on the rads.

I had one linked to the back door so it turns off the radiator in the kitchen when it's open, now this only happens if the heating is on, rather than on off "control" this is automated, this is built into the heating control system I have. I don't go near the intruder or alarm system


In my bedroom I want to have the window open at night but I want the heating to come on in the morning if the room is below 19 degrees

I my son's room I want the window open a little and the heating to come on if the temp drops below 17 degrees in his room at night if he's asleep and not moving

I can do all these things now but not using the window contacts, I use a heating control system with individual units on each rad with temperatures and timers set for each room. It's working for me for a number of years.

What do I miss with intruder alarm integration, well very little bar turing off the heating when the alarm is set to full. The heating calander was good too

Other things like individual control of eachroom, or not heating the wather while the alarm was on full etc ( plumbing set up is a big issue here for many people you need the right zones and zone control valves)

That would be my thinking on it, I've promoted the systems Wexford man has many times, his exact one when intruder alarm posters claim their system is the best
But for me I like the control of the individual systems like heating and the Philips hue in living areas trumps a fully integrated systems where you have sensors where you don't really need them with feedback limited.
Multi sensors like the smarthings units are very useful, all zigbee units on one hubs would be great

I'd a sensor in my hall switching the lights and acting as a thermostat.

All that said many PIRs in my house are positioned so that they naturally fit both uses, hallway PIRs etc.
However where I needed lighting PIRs I didn't need intruder alarm ones, utility room, under the stairs, internal bathroom. You might end up with intruder alarm sensors everywhere, that might be great but if it's not needed then it's not needed. That PIR would need temp and daylight feedback onboard to complete the job for me, I'd want the room at the right temperature before I want it covered by the intruder alarm system, so I'd spend my money there.

There is a lot to think about but as advised wire the switches don't limit yourself to a system. In a couple off years we will see great options in the home security front.

Don't get caught between control and automation, if you are planning on using expensive Dali dimmable fittings you really need to have a set up that maximises their use otherwise it's over engineered.
So in a room where you want a fixed light level a Dali fitting is perfect but is needs local feedback so it works properly, not a timer or a Google dusk dawn feature.

On off control of lights is fine, but again watch for getting mixed up between control and automation, they are different things. Note in a house here are many clients, in a commercial building there is usually one. Not all commercial building automation rules work in homes.


Remember there is ifttt to integrate systems at an iot level. It's free and important to check that your system works with it and apple, Google / home Google assistant, Alexa etc they are very powerful and getting better at pulling things together.