Use Case: IoT for Smart Homes
Habiba Marei • 30 March 2022
Home automation is becoming more and more popular. With people wanting to set their own schedules for everything from home lighting to the oven, it’s clear that smart homes are here to stay. According to the Digital Market Outlook, the number of Smart Homes in the market in the world is expected to be 478,2 million in 2025. 47% of millennials in the U.S. already own smart products in their house, while 70% who already own one product are planning to buy more, according to Alarms. From smart lighting to smart security systems, a smart home brings convenience and comfort every single day, changing the way we live.
What is a smart home?
A smart home is a house designed to optimise the living experience and personalise the living standards of its occupants. A “smart home” can be manually controlled by pre-programmed settings or computerised devices, or it could be remotely controlled via a smartphone. The term “smart home” first appeared in 1994 when Dave Ulrich used it in an article titled “Smart Homes, Dumb Buyers.” His point was that consumers would not buy the technology for their homes unless those products were easy to use. Smart homes have been around since 2002, but they did not become commercially available until 2008. Today, smart homes are more of an extension of ourselves rather than just a house where we spend our time.
The role IoT plays in smart homes
IoT is the core technology that powers smart homes. It enables the connection of and communication between devices to improve your home’s safety, comfort, and convenience. With IoT, you have access to data and information, empowering you to automate and take control of your home through one application. Your phone becomes your control centre.
IoT helps you save money and reduce your energy consumption by regulating your domestic appliances. You can control them from anywhere in the world with a single app and set up complex routines which are executed according to a timetable or your specific needs. This will allow you to pre-heat the oven when you are on the way home, for example, or switch the lights on before getting up.
The benefits of smart home systems
Security
Smart home security systems help you monitor, manage, and maintain your property more efficiently. You can keep an eye on your property even when you’re not around. Sensors installed around your home set off an alarm if there’s an intruder or fire and tell you when there’s any activity in the house or if the garage door is left open. You control it all from a mobile app. Everything can run seamlessly with smart security systems, which reduce the risks of break-ins and other threats.
Automation & Control
Anyone living in a smart home equipped with a comprehensive IoT ecosystem can alter their surroundings as per their preference, thereby creating an environment to ensure complete comfort. Whether it’s allowing you to play music throughout your home, keeping your garage door open while you’re out, or adjusting your thermostat without ever picking up a remote, smart home systems can save you time and money while making every moment of your day just a tad more relaxing.
Energy Efficiency
According to surveys, the most common benefit of having a smart home is energy savings. You can expect to save up to 30% on your energy bills with a smart home system, no matter your utility bill rates. The system is designed to monitor your usage patterns and adapt to your lifestyle, helping you reduce waste. For instance, smart power strips can be controlled by an app so that unused appliances will be automatically switched off, thereby eliminating standby electricity consumption.
Cost Savings
By having more power over your consumption, you can achieve cost savings. You can log onto your smart device dashboard and switch off some of the devices you forgot to turn off before leaving for work. You can also set your thermostat to automatically reduce the temperature when you’re asleep or are away. This can save a lot of additional wattage costs without sacrificing comfort. You also cut costs as smart home systems extend the life of your household electrical appliances.
How smart homes can help build a sustainable world
At its core, a smart home is one that contains all of the latest tech gadgets to make life easier and more efficient. But as technology becomes more integrated with our everyday lives, we now realise the many benefits of having a smart home, especially when it comes to sustainability. A sustainable and healthy home is a home that automatically controls its interior environment, energy use, waste treatment, and water recycling. It is a home that is connected to every one of your devices as well as to the digital services that connect you to the world.
Smart homes are programmable to save money, space, and energy. Smart appliances, heating, and lighting systems generate less waste than conventional ones while saving energy at the same time. And this is just the beginning. Some smart home applications even learn your patterns and better respond to them, as well as utilize complex systems to measure and automate energy consumption for more efficient use of resources. Smart homes can lead to more efficient living and sustainable living, which is why millions of people worldwide are upgrading their homes to decrease their carbon footprint and become more sustainable.
Conclusion
IoT offers possibilities that were inconceivable a few years ago. It has succeeded in bringing smart functionality to nearly everything. It is clear that smart homes represent the next frontier in IoT. From self-cleaning windows to watching your own home make itself, the potential of what can be done with these connected devices seems to have no limits. This presents a lot of opportunities for both manufacturers and consumers alike. There is no doubt that smart home technology will only continue to advance in the upcoming years—and we’ll live in homes that use minuscule amounts of energy while saving tons of time and money in the process. That’s something we can all live with.
