🏠 Home Assistant on a Raspberry Pi

Are you ready to take control of your home and keep your data private? Look no further than setting up a Raspberry Pi to run the open source home automation software, Home Assistant.

I recently set up my own Raspberry Pi with the goal of having more control over my home and being able to access home automation functionality regardless of internet connection. Plus, running Home Assistant locally helps keep those data points away from pesky advertisers. I used an 8GB Raspberry Pi 4 Model B which I was lucky enough to get my hands on when they first came out a couple of years ago (good luck finding one today).

The installation process was a breeze. I used Docker to deploy a Home Assistant image (see here. I'm running a couple containers in parallel: an RTSP server container for my security cameras, as well as an Eclipse Mosquito MQTT server which integrated various sensors throughout my house.

With my Dockerized Raspberry Pi running Home Assistant, I am now able to trigger various events to happen around the house using temperature, time, and movement. For example, I can turn on and off my lights, adjust the thermostat, and even have my coffee maker start brewing as soon as I wake up in the morning. Once installed, I 3D printed a nice enclosure for an old tablet. I mounted the tablet to the wall and now have a nice little display for my home automation setup.

One of the coolest things about this setup is that it's completely customizable. Whether you want to set up automations based on the weather or your daily schedule, the possibilities are endless. Here are a few examples of automations that I have, or am considering, setting up using my Raspberry Pi:

Smart Lighting: I have connected my lights to Home Assistant and can now control them using my voice or through the Home Assistant app on my phone. I can set up automations so that my lights turn on and off at certain times of the day, or even based on my location. For example, if I'm on my way home from work and my phone is within a certain distance of my house, my lights will turn on automatically.
Security: I have integrated my security cameras with Home Assistant and can view live footage on my phone or tablet. I can also set up automations so that if motion is detected in certain areas of my house, I will receive a notification on my phone. This has been a great way for me to keep an eye on my house while I'm away.
Energy savings: I have connected my thermostat to Home Assistant, which allows me to set the temperature in my house remotely. I have set up automations so that if I'm away from home for an extended period of time, the temperature will be lowered to save energy. I can also set it to turn on the AC or heater just before I return home.
Entertainment: I have integrated my TV and sound system with Home Assistant and can now control them using my voice or through the app. I can set up automations so that my TV turns on and off at certain times of the day, or even based on my location.
Health and wellness: I'm considering connecting my fitness tracker to Home Assistant to track my daily steps and sleep patterns. I may set up automations so that if I haven't reached my daily step goal by a certain time, my lights will flash as a reminder to get moving.

These are just a few examples of the endless possibilities with Home Assistant. With the ability to connect to a wide variety of smart devices and services, the automations you can set up are limited only by your imagination. So, whether you're looking to save energy, improve your home security, or just make your life a little more convenient, give Home Assistant a try on your Raspberry Pi.