The word domotics comes from the Latin domus (house) and the Greek ticos (a suffix that stands for automatic) and studies the ways and the technologies that together improve the quality of the life within a house.
But home automation is not only this. It also means energy saving, high performance, optimization of consumption, all integrating between various aspects and functions ranging from comfort to safety, control and finally energy saving.
Advanced and interconnected technology
Many people are used to traditional systems, where each action corresponds to a command such as pressing a switch or turning a regulator. All these commands aren’t connected one with the other and they can’t interact.
What makes home automation possible is precisely the combined management of all the devices that are inside a house.
The potential of this system is enormous, as well as its application. The application can be extended well beyond the home, adapting to commercial buildings, clinics and specialized buildings. It is also very useful, if not essential, as a support for the elderly and disabled, helping them to perform actions that would otherwise be complex for them.
Many words are used when talking about home automation. We can refer to our home as a smart home, home automation, but in the end, all these definitions converge towards the same concept, i.e. a place with advanced and interconnected technologies, where several devices can be managed simultaneously.
How to create a home automation system
To create a smart home, the building must accommodate such a system even if initially it might have reduced functionality. It can then be expanded depending on the inhabitants’ needs, but also thanks to the technological development that in the future will certainly see the birth of new functions to be combined with those already existing, all easily manageable through your smartphone, PC or tablet.
Even in a house which is not necessarily prepared for installing a home automation system, it is not needed to realize complicated masonry work to add such a system. The installation of such a system is made possible by the Wi-Fi or the radio frequency. This system is however different and requires more maintenance than the wire.
A home automation system is capable of carrying out and controlling various devices in a completely autonomous way, but it can also receive instructions from the user who set them in advance. All those functions that are repeated in a constant and daily way can be managed by a home automation system that simplifies the inhabitants’ daily life and contributes to energy savings, maximizing the final result and the safety.
Home automation can be used for doors, windows, shutters and roller shutters that can be closed or opened at will, as well as for access routes, from gates to garages. This system manages the air conditioning of the house, both in winter and summer, the lighting of the house and also any awnings or any shielding that protect from the sunlight. Finally, regarding the security of the building, it also manages independently all the anti-intrusion systems, video door entry systems or video surveillance systems.
The heart of this apparently complex system is a control unit or a dedicated computer which is entrusted with the management of all peripherals.
The use of this mechanism is easy and intuitive, no special preparation or training is necessary, once the system is implemented it is controlled through a convenient graphic interface.
Monitoring and management
The advantages of a home automation system are not only from an aesthetic point of view which are typical of a modern, efficient and functional house, but the benefits extend to a whole other set of aspects. It goes without saying that being able to manage several connected devices simultaneously is convenient and improves the habitability of a building, but the advantages in terms of safety and savings are even greater.
A smart house monitors all the house accesses, also allowing a video control both locally and remotely, via your smartphone. The system sends a signal of any possible break-ins, but also in case of fires or gas leaks for a totally safe environment. It also controls the house consumption, optimizing the operation of the devices and resulting in significant savings in bills.
The overloads will only be a faraway memory, the external lighting will be activated exactly at dusk avoiding unnecessary waste, the thermostat will work to control the temperature, with savings that can reach up to 30% of your previous consumption.