Benefits of having an automated home
Before we move on to the explanation of the architecture of a home automation system used nowadays and the one that is being used in my home, let’s explore and highlight some of the benefits and advantages of having an automated home.
Saving time
The first benefit that can be highlighted is that an automated home will save you time. Think about a simple application; you can remotely turn on or off a lamp or an appliance using your cell phone or a voice assistant device, so you do not need to walk to the switch to do it. This can sound strange if the switch is close to you but think about the idea that you have to do this kind of thing many times a day. You can include, for example, an automation routine that can be triggered to turn a device on or off when a particular time of the day is reached. This can save you considerable time during your day if multiple similar routines are configured, and you do not need to go to each device and turn it on or off.
Feeling comfortable
Having an automated home will bring you some convenience. A good example of that is the automation routine I implemented in my home where the front lights turn on when at sunset, and after four hours, they turn off. This is very helpful for me because there is no public illumination in my street, so it is very dark at night. The lights help to illuminate my house numbers in case someone visits me for the first time at night.
Another example is when I wake up at night to take care of my youngest son, the movement sensor turns on a small light in the aisle so we can see where to go since the master bedroom is on the other side of the house.
Another good example is setting up a scene in your bedroom where you can dim the lights, and turn on the fan and TV automatically if it senses you are in your bedroom at a certain time of the night.
Important note
An automation routine is a resource used in a home automation system to automate certain actions using the devices installed in your home. These routines are configured to be triggered when certain events happen. An event can be different situations, such as sensor status or the time of the day, for instance. We will talk more about automation routines in Chapter 5.
Saving money
An automated home will save you money mainly by configuring some devices in your home to the savings or eco mode. You can configure these modes in the device or implement an automation routine that can emulate it. The example I gave in the last section, where the front lights are turned on and off at night, could save you some money on your electric bill rather than them staying on for the entire night and you having to turn them off in the morning. Another example, depending on the load and how much energy it consumes, is leaving a device turned off when it is not needed. This will be a more significant saving than the first example. A good example of this is the Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system that can be turned off when no one is at home.
Being safe
An automated home can help you to protect and make your house safer. Door sensors can be installed on the main doors of your house, and alarms can be configured to make sounds or announce people entering. This can prevent people from entering without your consent or the opposite, prevent people such as your kids from leaving the house without your awareness. Sensors can also be installed on windows to improve protection against burglars or thieves. Cameras can also be activated when door sensors are triggered, offering remote monitoring if you are not at home.
These are just a few benefits of having a home automation system in your home. You will probably find others during or after reading this book.
In the next section, we will review in more detail the structure of a home automation system when you will be able to understand the components that can be grouped to create it.