Automating the home

Creating the smart home

Automations are the secret sauce that take your remote controllable home and turn it into a smart home. Without automations you aren’t getting the most from your Nero system.

What is an automation?

Automations can be as simple as a schedule all the way up to having the house welcome you home. Some may happen when people are home and others may only happen when the house is empty. Combining a Nero sensor and in-wall module can ensure that the light always turns on when you enter the bathroom. Add some time rules and you can ensure the light doesn’t blind you by setting it to a lower level at night!

Think about what you are creating!

It’s easy to go overboard with automating your projects. Remember that your smart home should create comfort and convenience, not confusion and annoyance. There is no need for your automations to be complicated, a collection of simple ones can be powerful for making the home feed responsive.

Schedules in particular are a common source of confusion for users. When we are planning they often seem like an easy thing to do but after living with them for a while it becomes apparent that our schedules are not as rigid as a computer treats them. Ensure that a schedule is definitely the best way to achieve the outcome you are after.

In the web interface automations are referred to as Scenes. Both of these terms can be used interchangeable, however at Environexus we use the terms as follows:

Automations occur automatically and generally don’t require any user engagement. For example turning lights on from a sensor or geofence, closing the blinds at sunset, etc.

Scenes are generally triggered by a user on demand. For example a scene to set the living room into an entertaining mode by starting the fireplace, dimming the lights, and starting a Sonos play list.

Automation ideas

Smart sensor light

Combining a Nero sensor and Nero lighting controller you can ensure that the light always turns on when you open the pantry or enter the bathroom. Combine the sensor with time of day and you can have the light dimmer at night so you aren’t blinded at 3am.

For this scene:

  • Nero Multi or Reed sensor
  • Nero Dimmer or Relay

Arriving home

Never arrive home in the dark again. Using My Nero on a mobile device allows you to create a geofence that can then trigger your entrance and garage lights to turn on as you arrive home. You can even configure your Sonos to play your favourite music!

For this scene:

  • My Nero on device with GPS
  • Nero Dimmers or Relays

Leaving home

Forgot to turn the lights off? Using geofences you can also configure the house to turn everything off when you leave the geofence area.

For kids, you can configure it to make sure their bedroom lights are never left on when they aren’t home!

For this scene:

  • My Nero on device with GPS
  • Nero Dimmers or Relays

Simple controls

Create additional control buttons around the home that can be linked to automations, triggering a scene or turning all the lights in an area on or off or open and close a group of blinds.

For this scene:

  • Nero Relay or Dual Relay

Save energy

We often leave home with blinds open, allowing the house to heat up or cool down while no one is home. With Nero you can create automations that automatically close the blinds when the temperature goes above or below a threshold, reducing the amount of AC required when you arrive home.

For this scene:

  • Nero Multi
  • Nero Blind

Soundtrack your life

Configure your Sonos speakers to always play your favourite music when you arrive home or enter a room. Start your party playlist when entertaining friends with a single tap.

For this scene:

  • Sonos

Voice control

Gain control of your home with your voice. “Alexa, turn off the lights” or “Alexa, open the bedroom blinds” give you flexible control over the home in the most convenient way possible. Create scenes for Alexa that can combine your Nero and other devices for maximum flexibility.

For this scene:

Apple HomeKit requires additional SmartVoice hub

Good morning

Rather than waking to the sound of your alarm why not wake gently to your blinds opening, lights ramping up slowly, and your Sonos playing your favourite music. Ahhhh, that’s much more comforting.

For this scene:

  • Nero Dimmer or Relay
  • Nero Blind
  • Sonos

Good night

Say “Alexa, good night” on your way to bed and see your house respond, ramping down your lights, closing blinds, and setting your system into night arming mode. Sleep well!

For this scene: