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Smart home technology is getting smarter by the day
Smart home technology is transforming the way people interact with and understand their homes. Whether to provide better security, control over energy usage, or improvements to our health, the industry is only set to grow over the coming years. So where might our industry be in, say, a decade? Well, there are already businesses creating products that could significantly impact future building data collection.
SeeZero is a ground-breaking home energy management system developed by Geo. It serves as a smart meter display and smart thermostat that moderates how and when a home draws from the grid. It then provides guidance that helps householders find energy bill savings and reduce peak energy demand.
Energy technology and data analytics company, Hildebrand, has been working with the DCC and the University of Salford to develop and trial a means of temperature and humidity sensing that utilises the existing smart metering communications network. The company also offers its Glow platform for householders and installers to bring together smart meter and temperature data for the purposes of heat pump sizing and performance evaluation.
Smart thermostats in social housing
A technology business focusing on smart thermostats in social housing is Switchee. Their devices act not only as a heating controller but also provide real-time data about temperature, humidity and occupancy to social housing providers to help support residents and manage their buildings. It can also provide actionable insights that can be passed on to residents about how they can reduce energy costs and improve comfort.
There are also companies focussing specifically on standalone low-cost sensors and gateways that can offer a discreet, versatile means of tracking building environmental conditions and performance. Companies in this space include the likes of Purrmetrix, Aico HomeLink, iOpt and others.
In support of innovation, new protocols, like Matter, also seek to significantly improve interoperability between devices in a way that is reliable and secure, allowing devices from different manufacturers to all communicate with one another more openly.
Scope for future innovation
Innovation must continue to ensure smart home technology is as useful to its end users as possible. Data and building performance measurement algorithms can be readily integrated with existing devices or incorporated into dashboards by manufacturers to provide live updates about buildings and rooms that lose the most heat and, most importantly, how they can be fixed.
Actionable insights can help advise residents and homeowners to contact a retrofit assessor or other independent experts, who can provide more specific insights and start an energy efficiency journey. Multiple insights from data can help pinpoint the key interventions for the householder, so issues are not only flagged but also solved.
Wireless and Bluetooth devices have been commonplace since the early 2000s, and they have created a boom in accessible devices and consumer choice. This technology also allows for easier adoption and installation of smart devices through the DIY market. This places less onus on installers and enables data to be captured across as wide a range of applications as possible.
As the smart home technology industry continues to develop and innovate, manufacturers and the wider retrofit supply chain need to look at how existing technology can be integrated and made the most of, to keep their businesses competitive and informed.
Thermal performance measurements
The algorithms to enable smart home technology integration already exist. Our mould risk and overheating risk indicators can be integrated into smart thermostats and sensor-based Internet of Things (IoT) platforms to present a risk score for mould, condensation and overheating concerns in individual rooms.
Thermal performance measurement algorithms, like SmartHTC, offer a low-cost, scalable test methodology that provides a definitive measure of the thermal performance of a building. It simply requires average internal temperature and energy consumption data to provide insights into both the effectiveness of existing insulation and draught stripping, as well as determining the peak heat load of the building.
Smart home product manufacturers need to consider the positive impact data science, building physics expertise and software capabilities can have on their products. They must explore these options to remain competitive, as the construction and retrofit industries become more measurement-focused.
One thing is certain: We can’t stand still in this industry and smart technology will only get smarter in the years ahead.
