[ Spotlight: Smart homes ]
The smart home sector is expanding from its traditional high-end installation base
SMART THINKING I
The smart home has truly come of age and a diverse range of technology that enables us to enhance our lifestyles, reduce carbon emissions and save energy, is now readily available. ROB SHEPHERD takes a look at how the market is developing and highlights the opportunities it offers electrical contractors
t might seem strange that, in an age of austerity, and with the rising cost of living, one of the markets to have experienced sustained growth during this period is the consumer electronics sector. This has been driven by the public’s
insatiable appetite for technology that enables homes to be smarter, as well as by a desire to adopt an energy-efficient approach to living.
Defining moment Defining exactly what constitutes a smart home is open to a certain amount of interpretation. For example, some focus on energy-saving
technology, while others concentrate on ‘lifestyle’- based gadgets and gizmos. Generally speaking, a smart home incorporates advanced automation systems to provide inhabitants with sophisticated monitoring and control over a building’s functions. These include lighting, temperature, multimedia
32 ECA Today March 2014
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