The smart home: how it works and why choose it

All the pros of the house of the future
Increasingly often, people talk about a smart home, so today we want to clarify the subject a bit. A smart home is an automated house capable of managing in an automated way what happens inside it. This automation primarily leads to energy savings and, secondly, to enhanced overall security for its occupants.

The Automatic Domus
The term derives from the contraction of the Latin word “domus” (house) and the adjective “automatic” and refers to all technologies designed to improve the quality of life within the home. The union of electronics and IT makes the smart home “intelligent” and able to manage with a single terminal functions performed by various devices such as switches, chronothermostats, video intercoms, etc.

The control panel
The heart of the system is the control panel that manages all the electronic and mechanical appliances of the house. The same software also performs system monitoring and diagnostics. Through the convenient and practical touch screen, it is possible to perform all the different operations, from lowering the blinds, turning on the lights, to closing the front door.

The touch screen
All functions can be activated from a tablet or smartphone through a practical and intuitive menu. In case of blackout, the building is equipped with an emergency device that activates automatically, guaranteeing maximum performance in every situation.

The functions
Clearly, the smart home system can have different levels of complexity and therefore can manage different devices depending on needs and, above all, the available budget. Below is a small list of functions manageable via home automation:

• Gate and garage door
• Irrigation system, heating, and pool water recirculation
• Alarm
• Video intercom and video surveillance
• Sun awnings
• Shutters and blinds
• Entrance doors
• Internal and external lighting control points
• Audio-video systems such as stereo, screens, TVs, decoders, recorders
• Air conditioning and/or heating system
• Home appliances

As you can see, the functions are numerous and adaptable to every budget. Each function can be activated both from inside the building and from outside via smartphone. A very simple example of how home automation simplifies everyday life is represented by the latest generation appliances: from the refrigerator that sends messages about product expirations inside it to the oven that can be turned on via App, there can be many improvements.

The advantages
If all these functions can be intimidating at first, the great ease of management and use of command Apps allows you to easily utilize every application. All systems are incorporated into one system and controlled from a single station to eliminate the many remotes controlling various functions.

Speaking of life facilitation, differently-abled people can find a great ally in home automation. The system is extremely flexible and modifiable over time according to various needs. Such modifications can be made without intervening on wiring, thus saving masonry.

It is even possible to customize different presets from room to room concerning air conditioning, lighting, and even music. This therefore leads to the great final advantage, namely energy saving through scenario setting.

Scenarios are preset programs that combine a series of functions that activate simultaneously with a single command. For example, at the moment of the morning alarm, it is possible to set the raising of the shutters, the favorite music, and heating in the bathroom. Among the most useful scenarios, the ones to definitely set are “Night” and “Vacation.” Besides energy saving, home automation allows you to leave for vacation without the usual anxious question “Did I turn off the gas?” Among other particularly appreciated functions is the possibility to preset the TV to turn off at a certain time to avoid waking up on the sofa in the middle of the night due to a scream from the protagonist of a B-Movie Horror at 4 am. Other functions for the “Night” scenario can be turning off the lights in the living area, adjusting heating, activating the alarm, and closing exterior doors.

To conclude, we illustrate the 3 levels of home automation in order of budget:

1. BASIC LEVEL

Individual devices that regulate one or more functions not integrated into a single system.

2. INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

Small systems of devices connected to each other and managed by a single system.

3. ADVANCED LEVEL

The house is fully automated: systems are integrated with each other and management is entrusted to a single control and supervision system.

As you may have noticed, the house of the future is within everyone’s reach, you just need to find the right home interior design studio and even with a limited budget, many small improvements can be made.