ServiceBuilding technology
A smart home by Kara Elektrotechnik, your electrician in Neuss, connects lighting, blinds, heating and other equipment into one system that you control by switch, app or schedule. We plan and install wired bus systems and wireless solutions in new builds and existing buildings, for homes and businesses, and set the system up so that it stays secure and expandable.
A smart home connects the electrical loads in a building so that they can be controlled centrally, automatically and in coordination with each other. Typical examples are lighting with scenes and dimming, blinds and shutters that move by time of day, position of the sun or wind, and heating control for each individual room. Door communication, motion and presence detectors, window and door contacts and a consumption display for electricity and heat are added to this.
The benefit lies in how these work together. The BSI gives the example of heating that switches off automatically when a window is opened. In the same way, all lights can go off with one press when you leave the house, and during a holiday the blinds move on a schedule as if someone were at home. With a solar PV system, appliances can also be switched on preferably when your own solar power is available.
Whether a wired bus system or a wireless solution fits better depends mainly on whether new cables are being laid anyway. The table shows the main differences:
| Criterion | Wired bus system | Wireless system |
|---|---|---|
| Typical use | New builds and full renovations | Retrofitting an occupied building |
| Cabling | Separate bus cable to switches and actuators | Usually no new cables, devices in existing boxes |
| Reliability | Independent of radio range and interference | Depends on range, walls and radio environment |
| Expansion | Can be planned for decades, spare space in the board | Easy in small steps |
| Manufacturer lock-in | Low with open standards | Varies by system |
One example of an open, wired standard is KNX. According to the KNX Association, the standard is not owned by a single brand, devices from different manufacturers work together, and core functions run locally without depending on a permanent internet connection. With wireless solutions we make sure the basic functions keep working without a cloud.
A smart home is easiest in a new build, because it can be included in the electrical installation from the start. Bus cables, conduits and enough space in the sub-distribution board take little effort at the shell stage and keep every option open, even if only lighting and blinds are connected at first.
In occupied existing buildings, many people start with individual rooms or functions, such as heating control or the blinds. Wireless components are then fitted into existing switch boxes or behind lights. If a renovation is planned anyway, it is worth laying bus cables at the same time. Which route makes sense is something we clarify during a site visit, based on the existing cables and distribution board.
A smart home is only as secure as its setup: passwords, updates and the network decide whether outsiders can gain access. The BSI recommends checking before purchase that the manufacturer provides security updates over the typical period of use, replacing preset passwords with your own during the first setup, and replacing devices that no longer receive updates.
The BSI also advises connecting the smart home to the internet only if remote access is really needed, and running the devices in a separate Wi-Fi network kept apart from the rest of the home network. We take these points into account during commissioning: your own login details, local control where possible, and documentation so that you know which devices are on the network.
In commercial buildings the focus is less on comfort and more on energy and operations. For large non-residential buildings, building automation is even mandatory: under § 71a of the German Building Energy Act (GEG), non-residential buildings with heating or air-conditioning systems with a rated output of more than 290 kW had to be equipped with a building automation system by the end of 2024, as the German Energy Agency explains in its dossier. Under the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, the threshold is to fall to 70 kW from the end of 2029; this requirement still has to be transposed into German law.
For offices, practices, shops and workshops below these thresholds, presence detectors for lighting, time-controlled heating and a consumption display are particularly worthwhile. We coordinate the work with day-to-day operations.
It starts with a conversation about what the system should do in everyday life. This leads to a plan of which rooms and functions are connected, which system fits and what spare capacity remains for later expansion. After installation we set up scenes and schedules, show you how to use the system and document the installation. These questions help with preparation:
As an electrician in Neuss we set up smart home systems in new builds and existing buildings, whether in Holzheim, Norf, Reuschenberg, Weckhoven or Uedesheim. We also plan, install and extend systems in Kaarst, Meerbusch, Dormagen, Grevenbroich and Korschenbroich as well as in Düsseldorf, Duisburg and Cologne.
For a first assessment, the type of building, the functions you want and whether you are building, renovating or retrofitting are enough.
You can find every place we work in on our service area page.
Yes, if the system works locally. Wired bus systems and many wireless systems control lighting, blinds and heating in the house without an internet connection; only remote access from outside needs it.
Partly. Wireless components that can be fitted and removed again without altering the building are suitable. Work on the fixed electrical installation should be agreed with the landlord beforehand.
Yes. During planning we leave spare capacity in the distribution board and cable routes so that more rooms and functions can be added later.
No. Wall switches usually remain the main control; the app, schedules and voice control are added on top.
That depends on the system. As far as the system allows, we plan it so that lighting and blinds can still be operated by the switches if the central unit fails.
It depends on the number of rooms, the functions and the system chosen. After planning you receive a quote.
Kara Elektrotechnik
Tell us briefly about your building, the functions you want and whether you are building, renovating or retrofitting. We will get back to you to arrange a conversation.
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