Smart Home Technology Trends for New Builds

With the delivery of new housing and apartment developments, there is generally a time lag for innovation and new smart home technologies to be integrated, through design, into the final product. Over the past number of years, there has been a huge increase in the number of IoT devices being developed for the residential market and we are now starting to see these technologies being deployed across most newly-built homes in Ireland.

• Smart Thermostats – Indoor air quality became a vital measurement for families over the past 15 months, since the outbreak of Covid-19, with ventilation taking priority over comfort and energy efficiency. In the future, smart thermostats that also measure IAQ will be standard technology in all new homes, ensuring properties maintain perfectly balanced temperature using a simple programme. This AI-enabled software is so ingenious it learns and adapts to suit the occupants’ habits. These are controlled using any smart device and are fully-responsive to using voice commands. Smart Thermostats allow occupants to create separate heating zones. Each room can be set to a specific temperature at different times of the day to suit individual needs.

• Smart Lighting – Homeowners now expect their lighting system to be smart, through wirelessly controlled interfaces that use apps or devices with voice commands. Smart bulbs are very much like LED bulbs but with added sensors and wireless capability. They are turned on, off, dimmed, or brightened by instruction through a smart device remotely. Simply put, they are convenient, hygienic and energy-efficient,  Smart Lighting also means that the residents can schedule lighting to go on and off. For example, occupants can programme wake-up and evening lighting to adjust to morning light or perhaps to settle down for a restful night.

• Smart Doorbells and Alarms – Homeowners want to ensure that their property and family are safe at all times. By installing a smart doorbell with camera functionality, occupants regain a great sense of control and security whether they are at home or not. Similarly, smart security and alarm systems allow people real time oversight over their homes while they are away. Being able to control your doorbell and security system wirelessly means they can be armed or disarmed instantly. Smart security systems automatically send alerts and are linked to professional services, including emergency services.

• Voice-Activated Smart Kitchen Appliances – Drop, a Smart kitchen company in Ireland, has developed software that has been integrated into kitchen appliances from manufacturers like Bosch, Electrolux, Kenwood, GE Appliances, Thermomix, and Panasonic. As a result, smart kitchen appliances combine traditional cooking devices with technology, making the process faster and more precise, using apps to control the temperature and cooking times.

• Smart Speakers – This particular smart home technology has made the trend list for several years now and still it continues to innovate and provide more tasks for people within their homes. Homeowners can utilise smart speakers in their properties for various uses and not just for playing music. For example, residents can create zones of music or podcasts across the home, while checking news and local weather upon waking. The Apple HomePod, though small in stature, delivers sound that would fill a room, while managing to control other smart home devices throughout the rest of the building.

What was previously considered to be a ‘smart home’ is today simply a home. Home buyers and tenants expect a high level of automation and connectivity within their living areas. Smart home technologies continue to evolve and these help property owners and occupiers to consume less energy, while living comfortably.