November Arroyo 2018

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—
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WHAT THEY DO
With smart homes, if you’re not around, the thermostat can be
regulated to turn itself down and then return to a pre-set level when you
are near home. Or if you are coming home late at night, you can turn on
the porch lights from your vehicle when you are near home, thus easing
your path into the house. You can also monitor security with motion
sensors and security cameras inside and outside the home.
A smart home can guide you through your day in a seamless way.
It can open the blinds at a pre-set time in the morning, turn on the radio
station, warm the flooring in the bathroom, and turn on the lights on
the staircase as you head to the kitchen. Once there, the automatic
coffeemaker is hard at work, preparing your morning dose.
Before leaving, the alarm is set, and the thermostats automatically
lower the temperature, since no humans will be present and energy
needs to be preserved. Your solar array soaks up the sun’s rays, and if
the interior temperature rises beyond a certain point, the blinds will be
lowered to cool the home down.
The security system is also hard at work, taking pictures of packages
delivered and anyone who comes to the front door, relaying the
information to your smart phone.
On the way home, depending on the time of day, the lights
can be turned on and the environment prepped for your return. The
kitchen appliances can also be notified to start the crockpot or preheat
the oven.
When you arrive home, the lights and temperature come up.
Perhaps your favorite music begins, all setting the stage for a nice
evening at home. Perhaps you ask your Amazon Echo to check your
telephone messages or read back your personal emails as you enjoy a
glass of wine.
That’s life in the smart home. And while such 21st Century living was
previously confined to high-end luxury homes, the increasingly cheaper
technology is seeping further down the food chain, with even multifamily
housing being targeted as the next logical installation targets.
An October 2018 report from Navigant Research indicates that
an increasing number of homes are going the smart home route. “As
urbanization increases and the supply of affordable housing decreases,
building owners and residents are more interested in the potential of
connected technologies,” the report notes. “Many consumers expect
their homes to be equipped with digital technologies, and property
managers can find value in using these technologies to assist in more
efficient operations, as well as to attract and retain occupants.”
The Statista website shows household penetration of smart devices
at 32 percent this year, with growth toward 53.1 percent by 2022. That
makes it a $20 billon business in the US as of this year. Nearly half of US
consumers (48%) intend to buy at least one smart home device in 2018, a
66% rise year-over-year (YoY), according to Parks Associates.
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