Multiunit Zigbee

Configuration Zigbee
1

I am new to Home Assistant and to automation with Zigbee protocols.

I have a multi-unit apartment (288 units) in which I would like to install automation to interlock the heating and cooling equipment in the apartment. If the heating equipment is running I want to prevent the cooling equipment from running. I also want to prevent the air conditioning from working if the outside temperature is too low.

I was thinking of installing sinope TH1123ZB thermostats (808 thermostats) for the baseboard heating in the bedrooms and a centralite pearl thermostat for the heat pump unit (288 thermostats).

Is home assistant powerful enough to support this much Zigbee equipment?

What type of coordinator would you recommend?

I am not sure how to design a reliable system.

2

Zigbee isn’t powerful enough to handle that much zigbee equipment.

I could imagine multiple zigbee2mqtt instances might make it theoretically possible with a well planned HA frontend, but doubt it would ever approach anything I would consider reliable.

If you want tenants to renew their leases, look for a more professional solution.

1 Like
3

Hi, welcome to the forum.
I don’t think you will hit the max of zigbee devices but how did you think of covering such a big area.

4

+1 on all those points jerrm made.

While technically possible a Zigbee home automation-based solution would not be recommended as it is the use case for Zigbee and those devices mentioned are really meant for a single household/home.

Also, understand that Zigbee radios are very weak with poor material signal penetration, so each separate Zigbee network instance would need loads of mains-powered “Zigbee Router” devices as always-on Zigbee repeaters, (as battery powered devices are “Zigbee End Devices” that do not route/repeat messages). Read → https://community.home-assistant.io/t/guide-for-zigbee-interference-avoidance-and-network-range-coverage-optimization/515752

Do not know in which country you live but perhaps check out professional climate solutions designed for residential heating use from example https://www.uponor.com and/or https://www.danfoss.com

A compromise semi-professional could maybe be to instead get a separate system setup/installation of from https://www.tado.com for each apartment and then integrate all of those into Home Assistant.

Tip to look for if want a reliable solution is to go with something that at least is wired (without batteries).