Smart home technology is getting smarter by the day

Smart thermostats in social housing

A technology business focusing on smart thermostats in social housing is Switchee. Their devices act not only as a heating controller but also provide real-time data about temperature, humidity and occupancy to social housing providers to help support residents and manage their buildings. It can also provide actionable insights that can be passed on to residents about how they can reduce energy costs and improve comfort.

There are also companies focussing specifically on standalone low-cost sensors and gateways that can offer a discreet, versatile means of tracking building environmental conditions and performance. Companies in this space include the likes of Purrmetrix, Aico HomeLink, iOpt and others. 

In support of innovation, new protocols, like Matter, also seek to significantly improve inter-operability between devices in a way that is reliable and secure, allowing devices from different manufacturers to all communicate with one another more openly.

Scope for future innovation

Innovation must continue to ensure smart home technology is as useful to its end users as possible. Data and building performance measurement algorithms can be readily integrated into existing devices by manufacturers to provide live updates about buildings and rooms that lose the most heat and how they can be fixed.

Actionable insights can help advise residents and homeowners to contact a retrofit assessor or other independent experts, who can provide more specific insights and start an energy efficiency journey. Multiple insights from data can help pinpoint the key interventions for the householder, so issues are not only flagged but also solved.

Wireless and Bluetooth devices have been commonplace since the early 2000s, and they have created a boom in accessible devices and consumer choice. This technology also allows for easier adoption and installation of smart devices through the DIY market. This places less onus on installers and enables data to be captured across as wide a range of applications as possible.

“Multiple insights from data can help pinpoint the key interventions for the householder, so issues are not only flagged but also solved”

As the smart home technology industry continues to develop and innovate, manufacturers and the wider retrofit supply chain need to look at how new products can be integrated into existing devices, and how their usage can be optimised to keep their businesses competitive and informed.

Thermal performance measurements

The algorithms to enable smart home technology integration already exist. Our mould risk and overheating risk indicators can be integrated into smart thermostats and sensor-based Internet of Things platforms to present a risk score for mould, condensation and overheating concerns in individual rooms.

Thermal performance measurement algorithms, like SmartHTC, offer a low-cost, scalable test methodology that provides a definitive measure of the thermal performance of a building. It simply requires average internal temperature and energy consumption data to provide insights into the effectiveness of existing insulation and draught stripping, as well as determining the peak heat load of the building.

One thing is certain: we can’t stand still in this industry and smart technology will only get smarter in the years ahead.

Luke Smith, managing director, Build Test Solutions