Imagine a world where you arrive home to welcoming lights, where the air-conditioner is already cooling your chosen rooms, and your oven is warming to cook the nightly meal.

Think it’s in the future? Well think again, Smart Home technology is right here, right now courtesy of home automation and it’s soon to become an everyday reality for many Australians.

This is how home automation works and how it can save you time, effort and money.

A little background

The reality is we’ve been making our homes smarter and more automated for decades via lights that run on timers, irrigation systems that react to the weather and time, and heating or cooling that responds to temperature triggers.

However, recent years have seen a new wave of increasingly intuitive smart technology as software and hardware developers work to simplify home automation and make it more accessible and responsive than ever before.

The rise in smartphone apps which can remotely control the home is part of this process, along with the ability to network appliances and fixtures like lighting from a central hub in the home.

Hubs

The heart of any smart home is the hub where appliances and fixtures like lighting, temperature control and security are connected to a central point which is accessed, altered and monitored via a software application.

These home appliances can be connected wirelessly, using the home’s internet connection, or through fixed wiring.

While hubs have traditionally been isolated devices that resemble small boxes, new technology means even everyday items like the television could soon double as the hub for the home. This year Samsung launched a smart TV with hub capability, while LG is also following suit.

Apps

Hubs are controlled by software applications that put the comfort, climate and functionality of a smart home in the palm of the homeowner’s hand. Available for smartphones and tablets, these apps allow users to decide and design what appliances and fittings will do, even when the homeowner is out and about.

This means the resident can monitor their connected devices like security, lighting, power and air-conditioning and alter their activities from anywhere at any time with the convenience of their phone.

Features and benefits

Not only does home automation offer convenience, it also increases the security, comfort and efficiency of your home.

• Security – With an automated security system residents can monitor their property themselves, and receive text alerts or the system can be overseen by a professional security agency. Residents can then also remotely control items like security gates and external lighting. That’s not to mention internal lights that turn on or off as if to indicate someone is home even when the resident is away.
• Comfort – Home automation allows for the tailoring of fixtures like lighting and heating or cooling to create a welcoming ambience within the home. Residents can then devise lighting patterns, colours and modes for varying occasions or assign protocols to welcome them home.
• Efficiency – These days, home owners can discover how much power their home is drawing and what appliances are utilising the most electricity so they can more effectively manage power costs. By combining home automation with energy efficient lighting and then monitoring usage an initial investment can save thousands in the long run.

RADI Smart Living

Radi Electrical is a leading installer of home automation systems in the greater Sydney region. We work with home owners to tailor systems that suit their needs, designing and providing a home automation solution using the latest technology and professional installation.

You can contact us for further information and home assessments here.