Every time we hear more about home automation or smart homes and all the advantages that these technological advances offer us. In today’s article we want to talk about this new term and what it has to offer us to make life easier.
What is home automation
The term home automation comes from Latin and comes to say something like a term related to systems that automate installations in homes and homes. We can then define home automation as the set of sciences that deal with technologies capable of increasing the quality of life at home and in other environments in which we live. And all this is produced thanks to automation.
In addition, the term “smart home” refers to a domestic environment that is equipped and designed in the most appropriate way to facilitate the activities that take place within the living space.
The smart home idea is applicable to many aspects of home life. Therefore, thanks to home automation we can control, among other things, the following:
- heating and air conditioning in the rooms
- illuminated rooms as we want
- the opening of doors and windows
- the operation of the burglar alarm system
- turn off appliances at certain times of the day
In addition, the good design of a home automation system, and its correct operation, entail significant energy savings at the same time, eliminating hidden energy consumption that we normally do not know about.
All household appliances (just think of the television) have indicator lights that remain on day and night with a continuous and useless consumption of energy. Or how many times do we leave the lights on in rooms where there is no need because no one is inside.
It is about understanding the importance of having a smart house (smart house or smart home in English) both in terms of living comfort and in terms of an increase in the efficiency of the house, with a reduction in waste and a significant saving on heating and electricity bills, which will be noticeable in your pocket at the end of the month.
Where is domotics applied?
Although the word home automation suggests a single use of the domestic environment, in today’s reality it applies to many other areas outside the private home.
Home automation is very versatile and can be well adapted to the needs of many different end users. Its potential is so wide that it is worth listing some examples such as the ones listed below:
- in private homes to improve the quality of life of those who inhabit them and reduce energy consumption.
- in hotels, to keep global management under control.
- in hospitals and clinics, to improve the efficiency of the management and the environment of care and hospitalization.
- on passenger ships and private yachts, to control different environments in real time, even from a distance.
- for the disabled, it enables them to easily do things that they otherwise could not do without the help of others, and with difficulty.
- in industrial environments, in order to reduce costs.
Advantages of home automation management
To know all the advantages that home automation has to offer, let’s first see what happens if we do not have this technology at home, in which each system is on its own (electricity, heating, alarm, blinds) and that usually suffers from the following problems
- Management complexity: The user must use numerous independent control units, remote controls and control panels.
- Low functionality: The user cannot make joint use of the functions of the different systems to optimize the overall operation of the house.
- Rigidity of the systems: It is often impossible to modify the operation of a traditional system, or as expensive as redoing it completely.
- Uncontrolled consumption: A traditional system does not have load and utility management and consumption is out of control.
- Little comfort: The management of the house through separate interfaces often means that the potential is not realized.
By cons, home automation greatly improves things like these:
Technological resources are shared
You can easily manage all the systems in the house (heating, electricity, lights, alarm, television and stereo)
The system becomes flexible
Thanks to home automation, all functions can be modified without having to lay new power lines
The system is simplified
Home automation can have the effect of reducing the length of electrical wiring and the need for related masonry work.
There is more security
Today there are presence and video surveillance sensors that allow the implementation of highly advanced alarm systems. And modern technologies monitor sensors against gas leaks, count fire starts, and detect flood starts, all with low-voltage power lines.
You have more comfort
Home automation allows the entire “home system” to be controlled centrally. You can control the temperature inside the rooms, the activation of the perimeter or volumetric alarm, the broadcast of background music and many other functions directly from a touch panel or with your smartphone.
Take advantage of the comfort of the stages
A home automation system allows you to easily memorize sequences of functions, even very complex ones, that simplify your daily life (“wake up” scenario, “be on vacation” scenario, “go out at night” scenario, “weekend” scenario, etc. ).
Energy saving
Numerous independent studies show that home automation really helps save energy. An advanced home automation system can also control energy production systems from renewable sources (such as solar panels) and always reduces the waste of electricity and gas.
Control your home remotely
Thanks to home automation, your home can be controlled even if you are far away, from any computer connected to the internet or with your smartphone.
If you want to have home automation at home, at Reformas del Sol we can help you, contact us now and request a quote without any commitment.