Home Assistant & Local Automation

I built my home automation setup around one core rule: local control. No cloud subscriptions, no external accounts, and no reliance on internet access. If the internet goes down, every switch, sensor, and automation loop keeps running on the local network without missing a beat.

Home Assistant runs as a VM on my Proxmox server. Wi-Fi devices are flashed to local-only firmware, while a dense Zigbee network handles low-power sensors and switches across every room.

Power monitoring is the backbone of the setup. CT clamps on the main breaker panel measure whole-home electricity draw and grid export in real time. At the same time, OpenDTU intercepts sub-1GHz radio data straight off the roof microinverters to track solar generation.

Having continuous power telemetry lets the system balance high-draw equipment automatically based on generation and overall house load.

Heating and ventilation run on automated background logic rather than simple static timers. Temperature and humidity sensors in every room feed into climate schedules that adjust heat pumps dynamically. Ventilation is managed by an HRV automation loop that monitors indoor air quality, humidity differentials, and duct temperatures to cycle relays automatically.

• Smart Lighting: Motion and presence sensors combined with Zigbee wall switches and local outlets manage lighting automatically. Lights adjust brightness based on time of day and room occupancy without sending data outside the house.
• EV & Equipment Charging: Charging cycles for vehicles and power equipment are tied directly into energy monitoring. High-draw charging triggers during off-peak windows or when solar output is high, preventing unexpected spikes on the main panel.