Adam2

I figured it may be best to have a separate thread for some of the things I'm planning - following from the long list of automation bits on the earlier thread (which had some great info): So this one is to dig a bit more into experience with Z-Wave and lighting. Our initial requirement is to automate scenes for a large open plan kitchen/diner/seating area. I'm expecting this to have: Kitchen - under unit lights, group of LED downlights, low level LED strip under island (extractor light think can leave to manual operation) Dining - Pendant light, group of LED downlights, side lights from wall sockets Seating - LED downlights, side lights from in-floor sockets All lights (possibly exception of LED strip) should be dimmable. We'd like physical wall switches that have the ability to over-ride the smart system - thinking in event of control centre failure you still need lights! Question - Is this dual control aspect feasible? Remote controls, I assume, need the control centre so they can function - are there any Z-Wave wall switches that have dimming capability to allow this dual control? Or do I need to get over the thought of system failure ? and just go with something that I think oooks OK olike: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aeotec-WallMote-Z-Wave-wireless-control/dp/B017DV4C34/ref=sr_1_21?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1548183712&sr=1-21&keywords=aeotec I'm also trying to get my head around the options for how this could best be wired up - I'm not planning necessarily to do this myself but want to ensure the design will be right. In the earlier thread there was suggestion to wire lighting circuits and switch points back to central locations to help with any future upgrades etc - does anyone have a logical diagram they wouldn't mind sharing? Thanks Adam

There are probably some best practice things like appropriate signage also that you might want to consider especially if you have any liability exposure risks for the site.

Hi, I know you didn't ask about the general design but I was interested in this. The exterior looks great and the double height interior very nice too (though a bit stark for me) If you don't go with external sun shading looks like you will be in a green house. It's not as effective but you could consider to incorporate in glazing blinds to help. 3G will also help reduce solar gain; more so with appropriate coatings. Good luck

Simplicity wins then ? Any benefit to having insulation over the inside edge of the concrete overlapping the inner layer of EPS?

Yes agree - they really need to develop a more appropriate policy as many may well not think to challenge so may ultimately be led down the path of a less effective fabric/overall design

Thanks if you could that would be appreciated ?

Well you beat me (8) inc built to plans and pretty std ones re obscure glazing and tree care. Though my council (Poole) has various policy docs, only one of these (relating to renewables - see recent post on that) is specifically mentioned in the conditions. So need to see if the other policies actually apply or not as they are not mentioned. If they do apply, I was wondering why call out a specific one as a condition, could be due to being a pre-commencement condition...will see what I can find out from others in the area currently self-building

Thanks - yes that was my initial thought. PV is not good due to mono-pitch roof going wrong way and some shading on flat area. Then I was thinking if you get RHI for ASHP then maybe all is OK ? We're doing a bit of a redesign so will being on to that in 2-3 weeks Thanks also @ADLIan and @Stones - reassuring. Will check with planning as there is nothing I can find on their policy docs providing more detail. If the SAP specifies X as a heating and DHW requirement and the ASHP use reduces this by >10% that should be a simple doc to submit and have approved. And less cost to achieve than I just saw as a quote from a firm my architect went out to get a quote for a report on this ! Spending other people's money is easy for them - I like them just not aligned to my cost management ideas ?

Hi, as part of my planning approval there is a condition: 8 Prior to the commencement of the development hereby permitted, details of the use of on-site renewable energy sources to meet a minimum of 10% of predicted energy use of the residential development, shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority and subsequently implemented, retained and maintained. Reason: In the interests of delivering a sustainable scheme and reducing reliance on centralised energy supply and in accordance with Policies PCS31, PCS32 and PCS35 of the Poole Core Strategy adopted 2009 and guidance contained within Section 10 - Meeting the challenge of climate change, flooding and coastal change of the National Planning Policy Framework (March 2012) We're expecting to use an ASHP for UFH and DHW as well an MVHR + will have a reasonable degree of solar gain. Would appreciate thoughts on how this applies to the above as we're not wanting PV or solar thermal - these would seem to be more obviously "on-site renewable energy sources". Using ASHP, MVHR should contribute towards a greater than 10% reduction in predicted energy use. Appreciate your experiences with any similar conditions and how you documented meeting them (without PV, solar thermal, other more obvious on-site renewable energy sources). Thanks Adam

With home automation expanding in terms of capabilities and suppliers that there is bound to be some consolidation and, I would expect, more flexibility in the products/services from the "traditional" suppliers in this space else the will likely be seeing market share drop. So I agree, finding something that is reliable and replaceable is important - my belief is that products that use the standards like ZWave will help with the supplier independence. Cabling for future proofing by taking all back to a hub location is actually what I really wanted to avoid wireless comms issues which also simplifies future replacement of the central control system - though seems a shame to pay presumably a reasonable amount for the wireless comms part and not really benefit from it....still I guess I have a few months before needing to finalise the details so for now will carry on working out the wiring plans. Tempted to buy some kit and install in the current house to see how we like it and then either take with us or sell it on if we don't think it will be suitable.

Sounds interesting. So I get this right : - you wired each separately controlled lighting circuit back to a central location (presumably near the home centre) - each circuit connected into the appropriate Fibaro comms unit - each circuit though goes via a wall switch in case you needed to move away from Fibaro + also gives physical control if app not functioning - plug-in dimmers - nothing special to do after the initial setup, as in no wiring just a regular 13A socket correct? For rooms where a motion-sensor is wanted for complete control of the light switched (not dimmable) is there any benefit in not just using a regular sensor (non-Fibaro/ZWave)? So many choices ?

Could blown in EPS beads be a useful and low impact (to overall design) measure to improve foundation/B&B insulation? I believe I saw this mentioned as a possibility on some other thread a while back but have no info on conformance to building regs or costs

Cheers @AliG very helpful. Hadn't considered completely removing switches but will mull that over as will be nice not having them - only thing that comes to mind is bulb replacement but with LEDs that is pretty rare nowadays. Had a look at Fibaro - could be good. Do you find there is no latency from the wall switch (or minimal from an app)? And is reliability 100%? I'd be OK with wiring all required circuits back to a central control unit instead of using a wireless solution but I haven't found a consumer oriented install/config option yet - though like the Philips Dynalite style of wall controllers... My Sonos (3 floors with play 1/3/5/Sub/Soundbar/Connect (how expensive was that part!) for my turntable and the small magic box forget it's name but the thing I believe allows the Sonos mesh network but maybe I got that wrong. I hoped the Sonos mesh network would resolve having Wifi issues but the Sonos network at times seems to be working as it is streaming music/radio but the app (same issues on Android and iOS) will not connect - resolution is usually switching off some Sonos speakers. Probably will just reset the whole thing and start from scratch - couple of years ago was fine but Sonos has so many updates.... Adam

Just had a quick look at Dynalite - very nice. Seems to offer what we are looking for and with nice looking wall interfaces. Do you know if there are options for self install and/or self programming post install?

@Ed Davies thanks - re blinds that would be nice in the bedroom for sure - though we need to see what we can sort for suitable blinds, we may have light coming in anyway ? It's hard with roller blinds to get really good light block at the edges I've found previously. @ProDave yes - agreed, last place I had (bungalow so easy) 5.1 with in-wall and in-ceiling speakers. IIRC Monitor rectangular ones with directable speaker units - sounded v nice. Will have screen recessed into a false wall with all boxes similar to yourself in an AV cupboard under the stairs - only 3-4m away so should be easy enough though need to sort out the remote control part of this as well. Also used a few 90 degree connectors on the screen to get better cable connections. If poss I'll have ducting going from screen back to AV cupboard to make it a bit easier for any future cabling/fixes.

Hi all, am working through what I really want from automation and have come down to this list below (so far). I'm wary of automation for automation's sake and looking at what is actually beneficial (hard to tell until done I guess with some things). Really not interested in remote controlled locks, arriving home to have garage door open, lights come on, radio on etc as an integrated setup. Also not a fan of Alexa/similar where you are reliant on an external connection for functionality. Main thing at this stage I think is developing a plan for wiring needs so this can be included in my next phase of design - well that and of course an update to the budget! I'd really appreciate feedback on if I'm missing some things, if based on these requirements I should be looking at particular home automation solutions and there are some questions below where I'd really benefit from product suggestions. A concern about a top -level automation solution is the complexity of pulling all the parts together and programming it - don't get me wrong, I'm a computer scientist so no stranger to programming but the maintenance/upgrades/potential reliance on external support etc I'd like to avoid as much as possible. I've followed a few groups discussing Zigbee and Z-wave and it feels like these aren't really bullet-proof systems, I want to be able to fit and forget as far as practicable - appreciate always some maintenance needs but don't want products that are too early in their evolution. The post got longer the more I though about it, maybe I should separate out into different posts - mods please advise if this is the case. 1) Interior motion activated lights in dressing room/bathrooms/utility/some other areas Thinking this is self contained (as in each circuit will have a sensor and a wall switch [left on]) so no need to integrate with a whole house setup - but am I missing something? 2) Exterior motion activated lights for entrance area/front of garage Again pretty standard I think, just need to find reliable products for triggering - possibly with option to use multiple sensors for same lights if that is possible. 3) Exterior house/garden lighting In my last house these were controlled by a manual timer and a daylight sensor - cheap, easy to understand and reliable. Appreciate could be slicker with some of the new HA kit but not sure of any real benefit. 4) Interior Lighting, open kitchen/dining/lounge area - Wall switches with basic scenes (x3 one per functional area) - providing off, mid brightness, full brightness (with "mid" being configurable to a degree). - Likely to be a mix of LED downlights, LED linear strips, some incidental/table lights - Do you still need low amp outlets or can this be done just as easily/better in other ways? - Not thinking a remote control is necessary for adjusting lights but if there is a good system maybe that could be an option 5) Lighting bedrooms/hallways - Just a regular dimmer I think - Considered incidental lighting controlled from wall switch on entrance but when going to sleep would naturally turn off on the bedside light units so would be a problem then. Some really nice to have options - All lights off switch by the front door - Again by front door - All lights on at a pre-set level in main living areas and hallways 6) Roller Blinds in living areas and master bedroom - Probably manual switch with preset positions and variable control - Remote control would be a nice feature - Appreciate could automate based on outside light levels/time of day etc but not sure if this would be useful and may end up over-riding it or on bright days manually controlling 7) Audio Bedrooms: Ideally in-ceiling speakers with Bluetooth - possibly something like: https://www.ceiling-speakers.co.uk/collections/ceiling-speakers/products/lithe-audio-bluetooth-speaker-each With a 2nd speaker wired into the one with the bluetooth receiver. Or could be Sonos which I have at the moment but prefer in ceiling Feels like this is an area that is fast developing so maybe I'm over-looking some options? Thinking it's going to be OK to have the audio just bluetoothed from a phone/tablet as this should be simpler for visitors etc to use than having to run an audio app Not seeing benefit in integrating bedroom audio with anything outside the bedroom + we don't have TVs etc in bedrooms so need need for sophisticated AV distribution Living areas dining/kitchen/sitting: Expect more in-ceiling speakers but not sure how to run them - ideally these will be controlled by an app but unsure what good options are aside from Sonos which I currently have across all main rooms and find a bit flakey so would appreciate suggestions. Functionality looking for is: group different areas if required for same output, play internet sourced radio and spotify. Outside: Similar to bedroom setup I think - just a couple of speakers mounted in overhang above sliding doors to terrace 8- AV for TV area (treating as separate to other audio) Screen recessed in wall with own sound bar for ad-hoc TV viewing Sound - via amp with wired connections to speakers for movies etc Usual other inputs into amp or TV depending on capabilities 9- Security Planning on an alarm with various door/window sensors/exterior movement sensors (maybe with a speaker to alert any intruder) nice to have outbound alerting- messaging/opening an audio connection over skype etc. Appreciate recommendations for products I should shortlist here. CCTV - On an earlier house I installed a 4 camera co-ax wired setup with hard drive - worked quite well but probably better ways to do this now so again appreciate product suggestions. Looking for multi-camera, ideally able to record full-time for 30 days and identify movement as highlights triggered via PIR (not image based movement detection) - ability to connect recorder into home LAN and view on TV screen or via laptop Smoke alarms etc - I think these could be integrated into alarm system with outbound alerting 10 Wifi Have seen the posts here about wiring Ubiquity or similar into a main switch - all sounds good so will go that route but have all devices where feasible wired in so Wifi is just for computers/phones etc 11) MVHR and ASHP for heating/cooling Not sure of advantages in integrating these with each other/with any other aspects vs configuring each of these separately. Expecting house to be very well insulated (ICF + triple glazed) so targetting a generally whole house consistent temp (give or take the solar gain/other factors). Temp control for ASHP needs more thinking about for room control vs floor control (4 floors) but for now I'll work on the basis of room controls.

Cheers Neil, good to read your reassuring comments which fit with my expectations. I have an SE with significant ICF experience so feel quite positive about the way forward. Would be interested to see any example SE drawings for your ICF. Logix is local to me and one of the shortlisted firms. Thanks for the detailed response. Adam

Very nice! On a similar note I pleaded with HMRC over a penalty for late payment of VAT (I was already on the naughty step) and they relented and agreed to refund the huge penalty they had imposed (5% of VAT due). Maybe it is the Christmas spirit coming from VERY unexpected places :-)

Doing the usual bore holes and trial pits. Will see if I can motivate them ?

Hi yes planning approved Appreciate it, probably should have asked here first for recs. Though they are underway :-) so i thought I'd look into this in parallel

Thanks @JSHarris but this is a bit confusing as an example in 3.3.6 is Services in sub-paragraph 3.3.4 are standard-rated where, for example: site investigation or demolition work is carried out before planning permission for the construction of a building that qualifies for the zero rate has been granted If site investigations are always standard rated why would it be used in an example like this? Seems odd Link to VAT 708

Hi, I have a firm doing the investigation that is convinced that they must charge VAT - they claim to have spoken to HMRC at length about it. It's a new build with planning permission and in the VAT doc it says something along the lines that ground investigations AREN'T zero rated if planning is not yet approved as not demonstrably in close connection to the new build - hence implication that post planning approval this service should be zero rated. I'd like to talk direct to HMRC to confirm this and then put this company in touch with them. Trouble is I can't find where to call aside from general enquiry numbers re VAT where they want VAt numbers etc from you - any contacts you are aware of please advise Thanks

Wow @Pete that's incredible. I've been getting quotes for a lot of glazing recently (including one from an Internorm distributor) and hadn't crossed my mind before that this could go so badly wrong - something to add to the risk list! Really hope you get a decent resolution but feels a way off.

Hi @Sue B we're along the coast (Lower Parkstone) and have planning but doing that again as we enjoyed it ? Expecting to use ICF, there are a few builds around the area - local firm within couple of miles from you ICF Homes. They have a few sites may be worth looking at their work if interested. Also local firm in Poole is distributor for Logix ICF and an insulated slab product - name slips my mind.

Much appreciation @JSHarris and @PeterW for files - really helpful in adding to my initial cost breakdown