With each passing year, technology continues to improve, and—as a direct result—our world continues to improve as well. With technologies, such as smart home and automated technologies, completing basic tasks becomes significantly easier.
Currently, about 41.8 million American homes have at least one smart device or system, which represents an 18.9 percent increase from just one year ago. By the end of 2020, the yearly spending on smart tech is expected to reach an impressive $25.24 billion. Furthermore, over the course of the next five years, market penetration for smart technology is expected to grow from 32.2 percent of households to 56.9 percent (a clear majority).
Clearly, both the national interest in and use of smart tech has significantly expanded. As time goes on, smart devices will continue their transition from once being a novelty luxury to being an ordinary part of everyday life.
If this is your first time taking a close look into the market for smart home automation systems, you probably have a lot of questions. If you do, you’re certainly not alone. In this article, we will answer some of the most common questions people have about home automation—by taking the time to give the ‘smart home revolution’ a closer look, you’ll be able to decide if installing a modern, automated system is right for you.
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What is home automation?
Home automation, as the term might suggest, is the process of automatically controlling the various devices, appliances, and other technologies throughout your home. Home automation helps simplify the ways we live our lives and also makes it easier to connect multiple different devices. This network, consisting of many different devices, is known as the “internet of things” (IoT).
Decades ago, home automation was more of a novelty than a real way of adding value to a home. Products such as 1984’s “The Clapper”—a product where you could turn your lights on and off by clapping—were recognizably useful, but these products marked just the beginning of a broader revolution. Since then, countless new smart technologies have been introduced, making our lives simpler and our homes more valuable.
What home systems can be easily automated?
These days, almost any appliance and almost any in-home system can—at least to some extent—be automated by homeowners. Furthermore, once you have multiple home automation systems in place, you will be able to effectively coordinate these systems with one another and control them from a centralized location.
Some of today’s most popular methods of home automation include:
- Automated Home Lighting: Whether from your phone or from a centralized remote, controlling the lights in your home is easier than ever before. Lutron, Control4, and Savant are just a few of the leading automated lighting brands. Create preset moods for parties, dinners, and any other occasion. In addition to lights, your shades can also be easily automated to help create the perfect environment.
- Video and Entertainment: with home automation, it becomes easy to coordinate multiple televisions, manage video from your phone, and even play videos in unconventional places, such as through your refrigerator (great for cooking videos).
- Sound Systems: coordinating your sound system throughout your home is easier than ever before. Home theatre sound systems, in-home music systems, and other types of sound systems can be easily controlled to create the ultimate listening experience.
- Security: with home automation, homeowners can now quickly turn their lights on and off, control their security systems, and directly monitor their home all from their own phone. Automated security systems make it easier to have a little more peace of mind, whether you’re at home or away.
- Climate: automation can also be used to control the temperature in your house, as well as the temperature in specific rooms. In fact, according to the Department of Energy, homeowners can save ten percent a year on heating and cooling by simply restructuring how they control the climate in their homes.
These are just a few of the many systems in your home that can potentially be automated. With each passing year, this list continues to grow.
What are the benefits of home automation?
The most obvious benefit of choosing to automate the systems in your home—whether it’s the lighting systems, sound systems, or anything else—is convenience. Rather than needing to monitor or control everything in your home by hand, you can now easily present most predictable functions to perform entirely on your own. In the event that you do need to make a change, having a centralized command system in your pocket (via the apps in your cell phone) makes making simple modifications to these systems a breeze.
Furthermore, a control 4 automation home system can also help you save money. Systems that have been automated typically consume considerably less energy, which can accumulate big savings over time. Lighting, heating, and other systems consuming energy can typically be automated to only operate as they are genuinely needed. In turn, not only are you reducing your monthly expenses, but you will also be able to reduce your carbon footprint.
How can I find the home automation systems that are right for me?
Because the home automation industry has been growing at a substantial rate, there will naturally be many different providers available for you to choose from. Taking the time to conduct some preliminary research and identify your current automation will help make the process of finding the right provider much easier.
Start by determining the systems you’d like to have automated and, from there, you can then begin identifying the best brands for these systems. For example, if you are looking to get a new automated lighting system, Lutron homeworks, Control4, and Savant might all be options worth considering. Think about other parameters, such as your budget, the physical layout of your home, and how long you plan to live there. From there, you’ll be in a position to conduct some interviews with your possible providers and decide which one is best for you.
Conclusion – What is Home Automation?
The smart home revolution has had wide-reaching effects. Coordinating, automating, and synchronizing the many different systems in your home is something that is now easier than ever before. Over the next decade, you can expect the automation industry to continue its rapid expansion and continue improving the ways we live our lives at home.
