Are you on board the smart home train yet? If not, plenty of great seats remain. You can get on board with millions of people who have already invested in their first smart home device. Best of all, there is no right or wrong way to make a home smart. Your home can be as smart as you want it to be.
Today’s market supports enough choices that you can build a smart system perfectly suited to your needs and wants. You can spend just a little or invest a considerable sum. You can focus on convenience, efficiency, home security, or all three. It’s entirely up to you.
Demand Continues Unabated
If you’re not yet convinced of the demand for home automation, consider data from a 2023 Reportlinker market analysis. It suggests an estimated CAGR (compounded annual growth) in excess of 10.2% between 2022 and 2027. How good is that? Any industry would be happy to see CAGR in the neighborhood of 5-6%. Growth in excess of 10% is phenomenal.
That growth is fueled by demand. As home automation adoption grows, demand for it increases. It’s a lot like the internet. When the public internet first became a thing, growth was slow. But as it caught on, growth accelerated. The internet is now a global phenomenon.
Will home automation ever reach the same level of adoption? There is no way to know for sure. However, I won’t be surprised to see it happen. I have been writing on home automation and security for years. I’ve witnessed the growth myself.
You Choose Your Own Focus
That same Reportlinker market analysis explains that the market is currently segmented. In other words, there are a lot of individual niches built into the home automation ecosystem. Reportlinker suggests that the most popular niche over the next few years will be smart appliances. What are the others? Reportlinker mentioned:
- Home entertainment systems.
- Security and access control.
- Lighting control.
- HVAC control.
The one thing they all have in common is remote access. No surprises there. Remote access is one of the requirements of a truly smart device. That being said, every homeowner can choose his or her own niche. You can choose your own focus as you seek to break into the smart home ecosystem.
A Home Security Focus
A 2022 post published by Vivint Smart Home suggests beginning your home automation adventure with a security focus. They recommend devices to protect against burglary and home invasion. But the post also mentions smoke and carbon monoxide sensors, smart locks, and other devices.
Starting with a home security focus would not be unusual. On average, most people are motivated to invest in home automation for either security or energy efficiency purposes. When you’re talking security, you’re generally talking about preventing burglary and property crimes.
With home security as your focus, you would look for a system that offers:
- Window and door sensors.
- Broken glass sensors.
- Motion sensors.
- Smoke and carbon monoxide sensors.
- Video cameras.
If you are especially sensitive to crime in your area, you might even opt for remote monitoring. Vivint is just one of many home security providers offering services.
An Efficiency Focus
Home security might not be as important to you as energy efficiency. If that’s the case, no worries. Home automation offers plenty of devices designed to enhance your efforts to be more efficient. At the top of the list is the smart thermostat. It was mentioned in a Vivint post, by the way.
An entry level smart thermostat can be programmed and remotely accessed. More advanced thermostats include additional features – like artificial intelligence (AI). What would an AI-enabled thermostat be able to do? Adjust its own programming.
By receiving and analyzing data from other sensors in the home, an AI-equipped smart thermostat can artificially learn a homeowner’s routine. Armed with that information, it can automatically adjust programming to maximize energy efficiency.
Other devices you might be interested in for efficiency include:
- Motion sensitive lighting.
- Programmable smart lights.
- Automated window blinds.
- Automated irrigation.
Home automation can make your house more efficient while requiring very little manual effort from you. Just install your smart home devices, complete a one-time setup process, and then forget about them. Your devices will take care of themselves. If you ever do need to intervene, remote access by way of your cell phone makes it very easy.
A Convenience Focus
What if you care mostly about convenience? The home automation industry has you covered. In fact, one of the most common smart home devices in America is a convenience-based device: the smart speaker. Millions of people have at least one smart speaker in their homes.
Connecting a smart speaker to smart lighting and HVAC systems means being able to control both by way of verbal commands. Program your lights and then just talk. A simple verbal command turns lights on and off. Do the same thing with your thermostat. Enter new programming or override existing programming with just your voice.
Other smart devices that make your home more convenient include:
- Smart locks.
- Smart light bulbs and fixtures.
- Smart garage door sensors.
- Smart appliances.
One of the most intriguing aspects of smart home automation for convenience is the ability to integrate devices with your smartphone by way of GPS. Remember that every modern smartphone has GPS built into it. GPS makes it possible to search for restaurants near you or find your way with your favorite navigation app. Expert AC Repair Services can further enhance your home’s comfort by ensuring your air conditioning operates efficiently and reliably, integrating seamlessly with your smart home setup.
With GPS, you can program your smart home devices to respond to the location of your phone. You could automate everything from lighting to temperature to locking and unlocking your doors based on where you are.
There is a lot more that could be set on this topic. If you remember just one thing from this post, let it be this: you can make your home as smart as you want it to be. If that intrigues you, it’s time to get on board. Read more about: instacoolbio