Smart garden lighting

Smart garden lighting is probably not a high priority for most people at the beginning of their smart home adventure. But when the most important functions are created for the first time, then you get to the smart garden lighting very quickly. On the one hand, it is very nice to have the light turn on automatically at dusk and enjoy the beautiful atmosphere, but on the other hand, it is a safety factor that should not be underestimated.

What were my requirements for smart garden lighting?

I was lucky and was able to completely redesign the smart garden lighting. That is, the garden already existed, but still without lighting elements. Thus, I had to have a solution for the lines and the illuminants. During my search, these requirements were central to me:

• Design of the illuminants must be right. A beautiful and well-kept garden also includes appropriate lighting fixtures.
• Safety: our garden has a certain size and a proper laying of 20V cables would have been quite costly, so I preferred a low current solution. No danger for me, but also not for children or animals.
• Integration into the existing smart home: I use the Home Assistant solution for all automations, so it should also be possible to integrate the smart garden lighting.
• Laying and configuring as independently as possible

My search

An initial Google search returned many different results. From vendors offering single waterproof bulbs to vendors with a complete system. With the restriction to low current, Philips Hue light sources are then out of the running for the first time. fallen

Thus, a favorite emerged relatively quickly. I will tell you this one in the next section

My recommendation

My favorite is the Plug & Shine garden lighting system from Paulmann. This combines the specifications I wanted: Easy installation, beautiful bulbs, control by Zigbee and with 24 volts also safe for all in the garden. I will be posting some articles on installation and the various products in the near future. You will find the links here.

Installation

Except for the electrical connection outside, I was able to do everything myself. I am not an electrician and have of course complied with all the laws. The solution with 24 volts gives a lot of advantages. Thus, the installation costs were also very low with 2h electrician. However, the laying and installation of the entire lighting system was very time-consuming, which is not so much due to the system, but simply to the matter in general.

Conclusion

I can absolutely recommend the Plug & Shine garden lighting system from Paulmann. Although the prices for the bulbs and especially for the cables are not very cheap, you get absolute quality. I have about 100m of cable in use, several transformers and over 10 different light sources. After more than 8 months, I can now say that the stability is extremely good. I have not had any failure or other problems yet. Thanks to purchase at Hornbach are also 5 years warranty.