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SMART HOMES INNOVATION SPECIAL


How to think smarter


Te smart homes of the future will offer a dazzling array of gadgets and gizmos designed to make life easier for consumers. Keeping pace with this new technology is essential – so here’s some advice to help you get in on the ground floor


By Ron Skirving FCIM, Dip CAM (DigitalM)


F


or too long, the custom install market has had its pick of the high margin work. But with satellite and audio visual (AV) installations now being displaced


by the Internet of Things (IoT) and an ever-increasing choice of new devices and systems, the electrical contracting industry has a fantastic opportunity to cover new ground. The market has moved on from


just AV control in every room. Today, a more diverse range of skillsets is required to deliver fully integrated AV systems, lighting and heating.


34 CABLEtalk FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020


Essential to delivering these solutions is a solid understanding of electricity and structured wiring. And it is my view that the electrician is ideally placed to become the smart installer and technology expert to meet the needs of this growing market.


Opportunities Smart homes are now big business in Scotland and across the UK. The spend on assisted living solutions, home security and automation was estimated at £800 million in the UK last year. It is growing at a rapid pace and is expected to increase by 30% this year. Even then it will only have reached 40% of homes.


There is a long-term opportunity and one worth investing in to upskill and claim your place in this cutting- edge market.


Cabling infrastructure Cabling is the backbone of smart buildings. A structured wiring scheme allows the smart installer to bring technology everywhere in the home without having to lay wires every time a new device is introduced. You can even get standalone devices such as Alexa, Nest and Sonos to communicate with each other. Installing cables is bread and butter work for an electrician. Designing a project plan and using software to programme the devices is more complex, but manageable within the skillset of the electrician.


Becoming a smart installer Good electricians are in huge demand, but in short supply. The greater imbalance will exist in the smart home sector but most homeowners don’t currently know where to go to


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