Home Automation and Smart Home Devices

Home Automation and Smart Home Devices are the next level of convenience, security and energy savings for homeowners. It is the ability to control a wide range of devices like lights, heating and cooling systems, motorised blinds and curtains, and even garage doors via an App or through voice assistants such as Alexa or Google Assistant. It allows for a much more efficient use of power by turning devices on and off or putting them onto schedules as required, as well as providing an early warning of potential issues such as flooding, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

Smart home automation systems are typically made up of a central controller (also known as a hub, bridge or gateway) and a set of connected devices that can be controlled over the Internet using an App or a voice assistant such as Alexa. The control system is able to communicate with the smart devices using recognised wireless technologies such as Z-Wave, Zigbee and WiFi. This means that as more devices are added to the system the controller can automatically update software and configuration to ensure all new devices are compatible with the existing ones.

The control system can also be programmed to respond to a variety of triggers, such as motion sensors, timers, temperature or weather changes, and even schedules. The devices can then be set to react to Home Automation and Smart Home Devices these triggers in various ways, for example by switching on the dehumidifier and ceiling fan when humidity reaches 70%, or by lighting up your kitchen window at dusk as you arrive home, or by sending a text to your phone when the alarm goes off.

With the introduction of Solar PV, Battery Storage and Electric Vehicles a Smart Home can also be integrated with these systems to balance your self-generated energy. It can also track prices for fuel and groceries to help with budgeting and automate reminders for things such as replacing batteries in your smoke and CO alarms or food expiry.

When choosing a smart home system it is important to decide what areas of your household you would like to control and what features are most important to you. It is also important to consider the initial costs and ongoing monthly fees, if any, for your system as well as data security and privacy concerns. It is a good idea to start small and gradually expand your smart home as you become comfortable with it, especially as many systems are quite easy to set up and can be repurposed for other uses as your needs change.

It is also important to look at how your system will work with other products and systems in your home, as it can be a big pain to have to swap out all of your equipment for newer versions when it no longer works. For this reason we recommend you look for a system that uses standardised wireless technologies and "Ecosystems" such as Amazon Alexa, Apple Homekit and Google Assistant or at least support these technologies so you can add more products to your smart home system over time.