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Re:I Ripped Out a £6k Lighting System by paleogizmo on Sunday November 15, 2020 @12:09PM (#25102684)
Smart lighting only makes sense in niche cases. I use the same Z-wave switches in my 60s-era house for a basement guest bedroom where the light switch is bizarrely in a storage closet outside the bedroom. I have another Z-wave switch to turn on an existing front porch light at dusk. This spared me needing to install a separate photocell.

The main value for smart home is in monitoring. I mostly use it for flood and door sensors without having to pay for a Ring/ADT subscription.

Re:I Ripped Out a £6k Lighting System by reportingsjr on Sunday November 15, 2020 @03:04PM (#25104287)
About 70% of my lights are smart lights at this point, and I disagree.

They are super useful for things like adding "sunrise" light in a bedroom with few windows/north facing, great for situations where you have a non ideal arrangement of light switches (one of my living room lights is on the switch circuit that my entry stairwell light is on). I also am very affected by light color temperature, so being able to easily transition lights from cool white to warm at night is very helpful for my sleep quality.