Housebuilder October 2018

smart homes
Combining smart tech with storage capability is good news for the environment, says
Ecolution
Green Ecolution
It is not just technology that is becoming smarter.
The systems that power it are too.
Ecolution supplies and installs renewable
energy sources such as solar photovoltaic, air
source and ground source heat pumps and
ventilation systems. It can also install metered
heating interface units where there are
communal heating systems and charging points
for electric cars.
Kevin Knapp, the company’s chief executive,
says the increasing use of renewables opens the
way for “a battery storage system with integrated
smart home capability. This could store energy
generated from systems such as photovoltaic and
optimise when appliances come on, for example
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operated from a tablet or smartphone it is “designed to
seamlessly communicate with Amazon’s Alexa, which
means Alexa can now control a property’s lighting
and blinds through the power of speech, along with
various settings which are activated by short verbal
commands.” Which conjures interesting images of
commuters shouting “close blinds!” into their phones
on the bus home. But the direction of travel is clear.
Admittedly home buyers, especially tech savvy
youngsters, are more concerned about the price of
housing than turning up the radiators before they
arrive home from work. But integrating such systems
at the build stage is easier than retrofitting, and gives
new builds an extra selling point in comparison to
much of the existing stock.
“Including smart devices within a project is an
86 housebuilder october 2018
when the renewables are in use. It could also
control the temperature of your house, ideally via
a heat pump. This can be observed and controlled
via an app, on your phone or computer. This is
already available but very few housebuilders have
embraced the technology yet.”
Combining smart tech with such storage
capability is good news for the environment.
Not only should smart technology lead to more
efficient use of energy in a home, “most smart
technologies themselves use very little energy.
If you pair them with renewable energy
generation and energy storage, you will have a
property that has significantly reduced its energy
consumption and overall carbon footprint.” Looks
like going green is a smart idea.
excellent way of adding value to a property, and
we are seeing an increasing number of developers,
installers and consumers coming to us for innovative
solutions. In my opinion, a true smart home enhances
your lifestyle and enjoyment of the home, and will
also save you money,” says Systemline brand director
Paul Hilditch.
current innovation
Rather than making technology smarter says Hilditch,
current innovation is really about connecting it together.
After all, he points out, the average kettle is smart, in
that it knows to switch itself off when the water inside
it reaches a certain temperature. “Smart technology is
mostly linked to items being connected and controlled
over a network. Our own policy is to be aware of the
latest advances in technology and where required, adapt
our HiFi solutions to meet these changing requirements.
We have a fantastic research and development team
that is both reactive and proactive in its approach to
exploring the latest innovations.”
“For instance,” he adds, “we have ensured that
our Systemline 7 (S7) installed multi-room audio
solution fully integrates with lighting systems from
Rako Controls and Lutron. This allows both sound and
lighting to be controlled in a smart, innovative and
convenient way.”
Suppliers of products that integrate with
such systems are also alive to the potential of
interconnected technology. Megaman, which
specialises in energy efficient lighting, has created a
home automation system that controls and monitors
lighting and other connected domestic devices.
“INGENIUM ZB can be linked to wifi enabling users to
control all their devices simultaneously via systems
like Amazon Alexa and Google Home,” says managing
director Glen Krise.
compatibility
He adds: “INGENIUM ZB is also easy to install, with
little to no wiring required. The system is compatible
with both INGENIUM ZB smart products and other
non-smart brands, making it ideal for users who are
looking to incorporate smart home technology as well
as those who may wish to in the future. The system is
also designed to require minimal additional products for
purchase and installation, only the exchange of regular
products like-for-like. The INGENIUM ZB wall mounted
controller, for example, is designed to fit perfectly in
the place of an average light switch. As such, INGENIUM
ZB requires no extra installation time, allowing
housebuilders to easily make their next build smart.”
Like lighting, heating is an area ripe for automation,
says Paul Hughes, head of communication at heating
expert tado°. “The industry is growing very fast.
According to YouGov, 6% of UK homes have a smart
thermostat and utilities companies are providing
them. They’re also in most retail stores and tado° is
available in all UK and European Apple stores.”
“It makes sense to regulate and save energy and we
believe that they’ll be in most homes within five to
ten years. tado° users save up to 31% of their heating
costs and the wellbeing side is important too – people
can control the heating of each room at anytime,
anywhere, so that all areas of the house are at the
optimum temperature.”
Hughes explains that “the Smart Thermostat
connects directly to your boiler, which you can control
from your smart phone or voice. The Smart Radiator
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