home automation
Home automation is a great opportunity to maximise the efficiency of your home with the benefits of the Internet of Things. Thanks to high technology and web applications, it is possible to actively remotely control the switching on and off of lights and household appliances, monitor energy efficiency, view video surveillance footage, activate alarms, intervene on temperature control systems, open and close doors and shutters, interact with the video intercom, and much more. This is done not only with individual actions, but also by setting customised scenarios for daytime, night-time, home entry and so on. Through home automation, controlling your home is easier and at your fingertips, wherever you are.
WHY CHOOSE HOME AUTOMATION?
one.
Automation and control make the building current, innovative and prestigious.
Today, it is unthinkable to create a building without an open, future-oriented automation and control system. In this way, the building is inherently innovative and safe, maintains its value and commercial attractiveness over time and contributes to the indispensable environmental sustainability.
All functions can be managed through the use of a single device with simple and intuitive gestures. The operation of each home can be flexibly adapted to individual needs and requirements, thanks to the possibility of extensive customisation.
The house offers great active and passive security. Intrusion control is complemented by presence simulation with switching lights on and off when absent from the home, video surveillance with remote control, gas leak detection and flooding danger with alarm notification.
Lighting control is complete: on/off, dimming, choice of colour combinations for RGB LED sources. The concept of ‘dynamic light‘ becomes reality: brightness and colour temperature that vary according to human needs to ensure visual comfort, well-being, concentration and a correct effect on biological rhythms.
The control of audio and video equipment is fully integrated with other home automation functions. Remote controls of multimedia devices such as TVs, video projectors or DVD players and stereos can be emulated using a single user interface on smartphones or tablets.
two.
Improvement of the quality of life thanks to the greater visual and thermal comfort in the rooms and the ease of use of all the integrated functions.
The management of blinds and shutters is automated: in combination with weather stations it is possible to limit or exploit the sun’s contribution (depending on the season) and thus achieve significant savings in heating and cooling energy. In the event of precipitation or frost, blinds and shutters can be brought to a safe position to prevent damage.
The most energy-intensive consumers (oven, induction hobs, washing machines) are actively managed by disconnecting non-priority loads, avoiding the intervention of main switches. Loads are continuously monitored in order to increase awareness of one’s own energy behaviour, to check which consumers consume the most at which times of day.
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning are ideally regulated. Changing set points, choosing the conduction mode, and setting fan speeds become easy. Control of relative humidity and air quality (CO2) increases well-being. Easy daily and weekly programming by time slots.
Scenarios make it possible to delegate repetitive everyday gestures, reset the system according to different living needs (out-of-home-inside, summer-winter, out-out-of-home, night-day, weekdays – holidays, children at home – out-of-home, guest scenario, relaxation, etc.) and recall programmed automations.
three.
Scalability and modularity of the system.
Simplicity in plant design and requirements definition. Suitable for new construction and renovation.
Ease of readjustment of the installation as a result of structural evolutions and modifications or needs that change over time (even after a long time has elapsed since its implementation).
Maximum freedom and flexibility in programming devices to achieve the desired functions.
The wiring of the system is greatly simplified compared to the traditional solution by virtue of fewer cables installed.
The equipment and the resulting number of functions managed can gradually increase over time. For this to be possible, it is necessary to structure the system properly and therefore to design and set it up correctly. It is possible to equip it initially with the minimum necessary (at a very low cost) and then gradually develop it according to actual needs.
four.
Control and interaction with the system from anywhere, locally or remotely and at any time.
This is made possible by the availability of the latest generation of phones and tablets with large displays, friendly and intuitive interfaces and the possibility of adding tools and functions with Apps. Increasingly high-performance network services allow interaction with great reliability and very short response times. Any control action can therefore also be carried out remotely via an Internet connection.
Intrusion control with presence simulation through switching lights on and off when absent from home, video surveillance with remote control, gas leakage and pipe breakage control with alarm notification.
Innovative voice control via Amazon, Apple and Google home speakers with voice assistants offers an unparalleled user experience and control convenience.
five.
Safety and reliability of the plant.
The installation, also thanks to the technology with which it is made, is extremely reliable and consequently the risk of malfunction or disruption is almost non-existent.
Simplicity in plant design and requirements definition. Suitable for new construction and renovation.
Control points connected in extra-low voltage (no 230V mains voltage). Increased safety of use, reduced risk of electrocution, reduced electromagnetic pollution in the home.
The installation, by virtue of its inherent reliability, is free of maintenance and periodic interventions.
six.
Maintenance and increase in value of the property over time.
Revaluation of the property in the case of renovation, increase and retention of value over time (estimated at around 5%) in the case of new construction. In the United States and the United Kingdom, already more than half of the estate agents attribute increased value to properties with home automation solutions and new constructions are prepared or already equipped with many devices.
Increased value and commercial attractiveness of the building by obtaining a higher energy class thanks to home automation equipment (according to UNI EN 15232, to be certified by UNI/TS 11651).
Enhancement of the building by obtaining performance level 3 of the system by means of advanced home automation functions (according to CEI 64-8, chap. 37).
seven.
Saving of resources through greater energy efficiency and exploitation of free contributions from renewable sources.
Saving resources by increasing energy efficiency and exploiting free input from renewable sources. The word savings already justifies every action… but do we want to quantify it? With a boiler combined with a smart thermostat, average savings reach 30% without any compromise on comfort, guaranteed by the perfect integration of weather station, smart thermostatic valves, sensors on openings and presence detection sensors. Exploitation or limitation of solar radiation (through shading or ..).
The home automation system is the ideal infrastructure to transmit and display consumption data from smart meters within the building. It is only through the timely and frequent monitoring and display of energy and water consumption on home automation displays or smart phone apps that users become aware of their behaviour and can change it in a virtuous direction.
Individual room or zone thermoregulation and hourly programming to limit energy consumption, guaranteeing the high level of comfort of modern buildings. Each degree of room temperature reduction corresponds to an energy saving of around 6%.
Home automation technology makes a significant contribution to achieving the objectives dictated by the European Union on the subject of “almost zero energy buildings” (NZEB according to Directive 2010/31/EU and Legislative Decree no. 63 of 4 June 2013).
Presence and movement detection to activate lighting and air conditioning only where and when really needed.
eight.
Tax deduction and exploitation of incentives.
Tax deduction and exploitation of incentives. Possibility of taking advantage of tax deduction schemes (e.g. Stability Law 2016, Art.1 paragraph 88) linked to the provision of the home automation system.
Exploitation of the solar contribution or its limitation through coordinated and automated shading management.
Smart homes and buildings are prepared for future connection to a smart grid and, more generally, to be an active part of a smart city. Automatic management of building energy demand will enable the concept of ‘demand response’, for example by shifting some consumption in response to the current electricity price.
By dimming light sources, it is possible to reduce consumption as well as to adapt the intensity of lighting to different situations and needs.
nine.
Very small difference in the cost of constructing the system compared to the traditional technique.
The modest cost difference between the traditional plant engineering solution and the automation solution is induced by the requirement for some of the devices needed to build the automation plant (estimated at around 20%). This difference is to a large extent absorbed by the lower cost of the installation time (which is reduced) and the lower cost of certain installation materials (e.g. cables, pipes).
dieci.
Investment protection over time.
Lo standard KNX garantisce la durata e la disponibilità della tecnologia nel tempo e quindi la certezza di reperimento in futuro di ricambi e di prodotti sostitutivi.
La diffusione di KNX e la formazione standardizzata garantisce ovunque la disponibilità di tecnici specialisti e di integratori di sistema competenti.
AMAZON ALEXA
Thanks to the integration with Control4, the Amazon Alexa system makes it even easier to control home automation when you are inside your home. In fact, it is possible to activate one’s own scenarios, as well as interact with the individual connected complements, directly with voice commands, thus allowing easy access to home control for all family members.
SMART VIDEO DOOR PHONE
CHIME from Control4 is an innovative 5 MP smart video door phone with a 180° viewing angle that allows you to interact whether you are inside the home or remotely. It also allows you to supplement your video surveillance system by recording any movement that takes place near the entrance thanks to infrared activation, thus further increasing your security.
