What makes a home smart?
The term “smart home” or “connected home” has been used for many years to represent many different ideas. We are currently in the third wave of smart home technology, the automated home.
The first and second waves
The first wave of smart home technologies was all about being able to monitor your environment. This included energy monitoring and basic environmental sensing like room temperature. This provided a wealth of new information about the home but made little impact on most users.
The second wave of technologies brought along that can control your environment. Now it became possible to both monitor devices and turn them on and off. This period ushered in the concept of the smart home but still didn’t deliver on what users really wanted. Without these initial two waves, however, the modern idea of a smart home would not exist.
The third wave
The third wave of development in the smart home is the first step towards the home of the future promised for decades. Building on the monitoring and control of the first and second waves, the third wave is defined by the ability to automate your environment. Now it is possible to not only control the home from our own devices but also to have the home automatically perform actions based on input (such as temperature level) or to a schedule. This wave is where the smart home currently is and the possibilities to build comprehensive systems are only as limited as your imagination.
First Wave
Receive data from devices
Second Wave
Control devices remotely
Third Wave
Automate device actions
Why would you want a smart home?
We’ve been through three waves of the smart home so far, why would you want to deploy smart home technology?
- Convenience – smart homes can help you out, from as simple as turning on lights when you arrive home after sunset all the way up to automating complex tasks around your home.
- Security – using sensors and internet connectivity, your home can be constantly monitored from anywhere, even notifying you when something out of the ordinary happens.
- Comfort – climate and lighting systems can be automatically adjusted according to the time of day, the temperature inside or outside, or your individual mood.
- Efficiency – smart homes can control when things turn on and off, and keep track of exactly where and how much energy is used in your home.
What does a Nero smart home look like?
A home made smart with Nero doesn’t look any different to a normal home. The difference is the discrete technology embedded in the home that is able to bring it to life. Using the range of in-wall devices; appliances, lights, and windows coverings can be made smart easily. Adding the range of sensors adds even more power to your smart home.
What makes a good smart home?
The best smart home improves the lives of its occupants behind the scenes. A good installation automatically reacts to its environment in ways that aid the owner. For example, controllable blinds coupled with a room sensor that automatically close when no one is home and the temperature rises above a given level help reduce energy use while also ensuring a home is more comfortable when residents do arrive home.