Just like phones and TVs, our homes are now gradually going “Smart.” A smart home is designed to increase the functionality of your home using a range of technologies that help you live better. It can also help to add significant value to your home.
In this article, we explore the 5 main features of future smart homes. You might want to make some of these upgrades yourself for a more functional and efficient living space.
1. RENEWABLE ENERGY
As the world continues to focus on climate change, the demand for more efficient homes is on the rise. Renewable technologies have become an increasingly popular application for doing just that.
Solar PV has been the most popular addition to our homes, allowing us to harness the energy of the sun to provide electricity to our homes. This allows us to disconnect from the network and work towards becoming more self-sustained.
A solar PV application on our home can use the sun to generate its own electricity to power all your appliances throughout the day. While the initial installation costs can be expensive, the ROI is now shorter than ever.
If you installed solar PV on your home today, it would most likely payback anywhere between 7-10 years. After you will have access to free electricity for the remaining 15-17 years of your solar panels.
This not only saves you a small fortune in electricity bills, but it also makes your negative impact on the planet far less. New technologies to support the panels, including energy storage units, further help to minimize your dependency on the national grid.
2. SMART TECHNOLOGY
A smart house needs smart technology, including your smart TV, smartphones, smart thermostat, and smart heating system. Combined, this creates a network of smart technologies all working in harmony together to create a unique living experience.
You can now connect all these various appliances to one system with complete control from your smartphone. Imagine being able to open doors, windows, turn off heating, turn on the AC, and charge your car via EV charging networks all from your iPhone.
The result? A connected home that can be controlled by you, the homeowner. Imagine heading back from work in your car and being able to switch on the heating ready for your arrival.
Smart thermostats can even read and learn your behavior. It then uses this data to establish the best heating schedule for your personal needs. This allows you to keep a home that works at the perfect temperature and reduces any waste of energy.
3. HOME ENTERTAINMENT
We all enjoy being entertained, especially after a long day at work. Technology is helping to improve our entertainment experience with projectors that mimick a cinema experience, hidden speakers throughout the house playing music from anywhere, wireless devices, and a universal controller via your smartphone to control it all.
New TV boxes can integrate all your favorite viewing services into one system, so you have complete access to all your latest tv shows, movies, radio stations, and podcasts at the click of a button.
Imagine walking into any room in your house and playing music that is controlled by your phone. Each room can play a different song for different family members. Smart technology isn’t always about reducing energy; it can be used to enhance your entertainment experience too.
4. LIGHTING
Gone are the days of walking into a room and flicking a switch. Smart lighting allows lighting to automatically come on as you enter a room. No more lights being left on by the kids. Lighting can be motion or voice-controlled, allowing you to create a personalized lighting experience.
You can set lighting to different modes depending on the time of day or even your feelings. Soon, AI will be able to read your mood and set the correct lighting for you. This can be accompanied by the perfect type of music for your mood also.
Smart lighting can link with your smartphone telling you when lights have been left on or when they have detected someone in the house. You can then confirm if those lights should be on and if not, you can turn them off from your phone while sitting at work or in the park.
5. SECURITY
One huge benefit of a smart home is added security. Cameras can link to your smartphone or laptop, allowing you to see what’s happening inside your home or around your home.
Alerts can be sent to you when unusual activity takes place. If doors are opened, windows being forced or even movement inside your home. All of this gives you peace of mind when your home alone.
This security can be extended further and even connect to your car. If someone is near your car or the doors have been opened, you can receive messages informing you to check whether this is a normal activity. The possibilities are endless.
