Home automation is the residential extension of building automation.
It is automation of the home, housework or household activity.
Home automation may include centralized control of lighting, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), appliances, security locks of gates and doors and other systems, to provide improved convenience, comfort, energy efficiency and security.
Warning: Working with electricity can result in injury, property damage, or even death if it is not done properly. Please keep this in mind while assisting others. If you are not sure about what you are doing, hire a licensed professional.
Your only option are those higher-cost proprietary systems like Caseta, a wifi system like Treatlife uses requires a neutral.
Your other options is a control is at the fixture where a neutral is present rather than the switch and getting battery remotes, or running a neutral wire.
+1 use a zwave or zigbee relay in the fixture junction box where a neutral has to exist. Use the existing switch as the local control for that relay, and that should work. I use the same setup in a couple spots in my house where pulling a new run with a neutral would be a pain.
The only advice I offer is to hire a licensed electrician before you electrocute yourself and/or set your home on fire.
Do a little research on Shelly switches. The Shelly, one does not require a neutral. I have several installed in my house without neutral and they work great.
Black= current carrying conductor, white= grounded conductor (neutral) bare= grounded conductor which is bonded to the white in the service panel.
Old school dimmers don’t need a neutral or pull a neutral to the switch box from the easiest most accessible plug or j box. If there are two sets of Romex in the switch box one of the whites is likely a neutral. Quick check with a multimeter..
12-2 is common.... and has neutral. If your house did not have neutral, then either you are on a 240v circuit, where both legs are considered "HOT", or otherwise, nothing would work.
What you MEAN to say, is you don't have neutral at your light-boxes.
This, is because, way back when, the way to wire light fixtures- your main wire goes into the light-fixture. Then, you run a seperate 12/2 or 14/2 from the light-fixture, down to the switch, and this switches the "hot" leg.
There are a few ways to address this.
You can pull new 12/3 or 14/3 from your light fixture, down to the switch. I did this in a few key locations, when I put in z-wave switches. Generally doesn't take that long.
You can use a shelly hidden inside of the electrical box, above the light fixture. You would connect hot/neutral to it, and then, connect the 12/2 heading to the switch to the shelly as well. After this- you have an automated switch, which you can remotely control, as well as, you still have a physical wall switch. I did this in a few areas as well.