[ Spotlight: Smart homes ]
No longer a vision of the future, the smart home is here – and a plethora of products specifi cally designed to enhance our lifestyles and save energy are now readily available. ROB SHEPHERD investigates how the desire for new technology is driving demand for increasingly sophisticated living spaces, and why a smarter home is within everyone’s grasp
I
n the past, the term ‘smart home’ conjured up images of expensive home automation gadgets and gizmos that were only to be found in the mansions or grand estates of the ultra-rich. However, the assumption that it is all something
of a Tomorrow’s World concept has been turned on its head in the last few years, with highly advanced multimedia and energy saving systems being introduced into dwellings of all shapes and sizes.
Growth spurt The smart home industry has been around for a considerable amount of time, but the level of growth that it has experienced in recent years is, given the current economic conditions, remarkable. According to AMA Research in its report Home Automation Market Report – UK 2012-2016 Analysis, the UK home automation market in 2011 saw a 12 per cent increase on the previous year. For Gary Lewis, chairman of the Custom
HOME ADVANTAGE
32 ECA Today March 2013
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