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With the rapid rise in home automation solutions and their significant development over the recent years, people are incorporating smart home devices such as digital voice assistants and smart locks into their homes and everyday lives.
Home automation is also referred to as “smart home technology” and, in simple terms, is the use of technology to automate your homes and daily tasks.
It allows you to control every aspect of your home, from home security to controlling appliances and monitoring energy use, and is one of the fastest-growing markets in the UK.
Read on to find out about the different types of home automation solutions, what to consider when choosing one for your home, and much more:
Home automation allows you to automatically control devices and systems in your home and may be referred to as individual devices such as thermostats and sprinklers, but is generally used to describe homes where almost everything – lights, electrical outlets, appliances, heating and cooling systems, doors, windows, security systems – are connected over the internet.
Two of the main characteristics of home automation are automation and remote control. Automation refers to the ability to schedule and program the devices on the network, whereas remote control refers to the ability to view and control the system and its devices via any internet-connected device.
For instance, you may schedule to automatically turn the lights off when you go to sleep or have your cooling system turn the air conditioner up an hour before you get back home from work.
And of course, you can view and control all these devices remotely, such as from your office or your friend’s house, and receive notifications on any status changes.
In times when people require more control and convenience, home automation provides the perfect solution that not just makes life easier and more comfortable but also provides efficiency in terms of energy consumption.
Home automation is a network of hardware and electronic interfaces that work to integrate everyday household devices over the internet.
Each device has sensors and is connected through Wi-Fi to allow you to manage and control it from the comfort of your home as well as miles away from it.
The three main components of a home automation system are:
Home automation systems work on three levels; monitoring, control, and automation.
Monitoring refers to the user’s ability to check the status of their devices through an app on a smartphone, such as watching the live feed from a home CCTV camera.
Control refers to the user’s ability to control the home automation devices, such as turning down the thermostat.
Automation refers to the user’s ability to set up the devices to trigger one another, such as the lights automatically being turned on as you approach your house.
TYPES OF HOME AUTOMATION SOLUTIONS
Home automation solutions are made up of devices that add value by reducing housework, reducing consumption of energy, water, and other resources, making homes more comfortable and more entertaining for individuals, improving safety and security, assisting people with special needs, and performing tasks without detailed instructions.
Some of the few types of home automation solutions include:
Home automation systems have been around for quite a few years and the trend is gaining momentum, now more than ever.
While the early years of automation systems were restricted to commercial premises and only luxurious residential properties, they have now become more common and their popularity keeps on increasing among homeowners.
Their benefits fall into the categories of convenience, savings, safety, and control. Here are the top advantages that home automation solutions provide to homeowners:
Being able to manage all of your home devices connected through one interface provides convenience and ease of use like no other. This not only cuts back on the learning curve for new users but also makes it easier to access the full functionality of the system with just a few clicks.
It provides a great user experience since it takes care of most monotonous tasks automatically and sets triggers between devices to automate certain home processes.
For example, you may set the smart lighting to turn on automatically as soon as you unlock the smart locks on your front door.
The power of being able to control and monitor your home’s functions from a remote location should never be underestimated.
This great functionality not only allows you to view the status of your system from afar but also allows you to control and adjust its settings according to your requirements.
For instance, if you can’t remember whether you turned off the house lights before leaving for your vacation, you can easily check their status and turn them off from absolutely anywhere in the world, provided you have an internet connection.
You can even check to see who is at your door, turn on the air conditioner so that the house is perfectly cool when you come home from work, start your oven to preheat it from the supermarket if you’re in a hurry to get dinner started, and so much more!
Even if you’re a pro at home management, home automation solutions help you run your house in a much better and efficient way, and that is a fact.
For instance, a smart oven will help you cook your meals to perfection without having to ever worry about undercooking or overcooking them.
Similarly, a smart television will help you locate your favourite channels more easily and an automated vacuum cleaner will clean your house more efficiently and with minimum effort on your part.
Home automation solutions don’t just improve your appliance’s performance, functionality, and efficiency, but also make owning them an easier and more enjoyable experience for you.
Depending on how you use your home automation solutions, it is possible to make your home more energy-efficient and save up on energy costs.
For instance, with smart lightbulbs and a smart thermostat, you can have precise control over the lights and the heating and cooling of your home. You can easily schedule your preferences and turn the lights on or off when you enter or leave a room without having to worry about wasting energy.
These smart devices can also be programmed to learn your schedule and preferences and make the best energy-efficient suggestions throughout the day.
Many home automation devices fall under the category of home security and can be used to make your homes safer and more secure.
Incorporating safety and security features with your home automation solutions such as motion detectors, automated door locks, CCTV cameras, and other tangible devices can help you keep security risks at bay.
You can use automated lights with motion sensors to thwart would-be burglars and make use of alarm systems to be alerted every time an intruder walks up to your front door.
These systems also offer remote monitoring features that allow you to receive security alerts on your phones, laptops, and tablets, regardless of whether you are inside the house or halfway around the globe.
Home automation solutions don’t just make home management easier and more convenient but also provide valuable insights on how your home operates and your energy consumption over time.
You can monitor how much television you watch in a day, what type of meals you cook in your oven, what kind of foods you keep in your refrigerator, and how efficiently you consume energy.
In addition to that, they also provide valuable information on who entered your house and when and allows you to analyse your daily habits and behaviours and make better adjustments for you, your family, and the environment.
Home automation is one of the most popular trends in technology and home improvement that offers benefits not just in terms of convenience but also better home security, energy savings, and an increased value of your property.
By installing home automation devices, you can control all your household appliances with a single system with minimal effort on your part.
But how can you choose the best home automation solutions for you and your family? Here are the top things to consider when choosing a home automation system:
The first thing to consider is your lifestyle since that will greatly impact your needs, preferences, and habits.
You can walk through your house and make notes of the things you would like to automate. Select the devices that you feel will make your life easier once they are automated, such as lighting, home entertainment systems, garage doors, home security systems, and outdoor sprinklers.
The control options refer to the way you would like to control your home automation system. Some common options to “trigger” the devices include manual controls, timers, sound alerts, motion detection, weather sensors, phone commands, and voice control.
After you know what you’d like to be automated, and how, you must select the best type of home automation control centre that works best for you.
You may choose a control centre that is either hardware-based, software-based or a hybrid of the two.
Finding a technology that works best for you and your family is an important aspect to consider when choosing a home automation system.
The main types of control technologies include wireless (least expensive), hard-wired (reliable and fast, but expensive), powerline (easy to install but less reliable), ethernet (reliable but expensive to install), infrared (high-performing but limited range), or serial (reliable but expensive to install).
You must take great care when choosing this since it can be costly if you decide to have it changed later on.
Though home automation devices help you save costs in the long run through energy efficiency and better functionality, you need to consider their costs and how much your budget allows you to spend.
In addition to the hardware costs, there are the installation costs and the monthly service charges that can add up depending on your use.
Make sure to consider this fee and calculate all future costs while purchasing a home automation solution that allows you to save money from the get-go.
Systems such as Loxone, Lutron, Control4, and KNX allow you to take control of your home whether you’re in your house or on the other side of the world, allowing your home to work for you and integrate all your services into your smart devices.
Loxone offers a comprehensive home automation solution that includes all aspects of home management, giving you increased comfort and peace of mind.
Their intelligent home automation solutions include lighting, blind control, room climate, multiroom audio, energy management, security, access control, sauna, and pools.
Luxone home automation devices take care of most of the tasks automatically and give you more time to kick back and relax.
They are extremely easy to manage and control and ensure that you save money on your energy bills. Apart from that, their security solutions go beyond protection from break-ins and offer privacy to the homeowners and more.
Lutron offers lighting solutions for the entire house that allow you to transform any space with the touch of a button using a hand-held remote, wall-mounted keypad, tabletop control, or your phone, tablet, or laptop.
You can create the right light in your home and save energy while you do it. It’s super easy and seamless to integrate the technology into your home and enjoy the safety and security benefits of advanced automated lighting in your home.
Some standout features include pathway lighting and multi-room control that lets you customise different areas of your home to meet your needs.
Control4 home automation solutions help you stay informed and in control of everything happening in and around your home, whether you’re in your bedroom or halfway across the globe.
They work using a smart home operating system that is super intuitive and lets you enjoy control as you’ve never experienced before. It also gives you unmatched customisation capabilities that lets you control everything according to your habits and preferences.
Some of their key products include smart lighting, home security, intercom, home theatre, multi-room audio, universal remote, and voice control.
With KNX home automation solutions you can combine all sorts of smart home systems and devices to automate and simplify your daily life.
They offer an all-in-one solution that encompasses all areas of home living and management where safety, comfort, and ease are the key players.
Their extensive list of home automation products includes blinds, lighting, heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning, security, door communication, and visualisation tools.
At Calder Electrical, we can design, plan, and install a smart home system that will allow you to control the lighting, power, audio, and visuals around your home.
We work with top-rated systems and always stay updated on the latest trends in home automation technology. We understand the ins and outs of the service and can customise the system according to your needs and requirements.
We offer maintenance services for the systems and guarantee fewer maintenance costs that usually go up due to faulty installation.
Contact us here or call us on 0800 612 3001 to talk to our experienced professionals and automate your home right away!
Photo by Thomas Kolnowski on Unsplash
