Smart home

Connectivity and intelligence in the smart home

Imagine a home that's not only adapted to your needs, but, in some way, works to make your life more comfortable, efficient, and sustainable? That is the premise on which the smart concept is established, the evolution of the home that combines technology and connectivity to transform each corner of your home. From automatic lighting systems to solutions that optimize energy consumption, smart homes are designed not only to facilitate daily tasks and increase safety, among others, but also to reduce the environmental impact of homes.

But what exactly is a smart home? How do they work and what benefits can they offer you? If you have ever wondered what the main characteristics of a smart home are or how you can integrate technology into your home to control comfort and energy efficiency, below we analyze some of the reasons for which this concept is gaining popularity among users.

0:00

What is a smart home?

The term smart home refers to a home that has different devices connected to the internet. That connectivity of systems allows their management and control to be done remotely or in an automated manner. Have you heard of Alexa or Google Home? You're bound to. Although beyond virtual assistants, smart home apps can be materialized in more complex systems that allow heating/cooling, safety, lighting, household appliances, etc. to be managed.

Technology is, therefore, an essential part of the characteristics of a smart home, an element that through different systems and resources seeks to enhance indoor comfort. A smart thermostat, for example, can learn your hours and adjust the temperature of the home so you are always comfortable, also reducing energy waste.

Another of the most common characteristics of a smart home has to do with the possibility of scheduling tasks, receiving notifications in real time, or the integration of technologies such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things (IoT).

What is needed to have a smart home?

Contrary to what it may seem, transforming your home into a smart home doesn't require a large initial investment. However, it is essential to have a quick and stable internet connection. The reason? Simple: all smart devices in your home will depend on it to work correctly. It doesn't hurt either to have a hub or virtual assistant that acts like the 'brain' of the system. Amazon Echo with Alexa, Google Nest with Google Assistant, or devices such as Apple HomeKit, among others, are popular smart home applications that allow connected devices to be controlled through voice commands or from a centralized application.

Even if you are taking the first steps to making your home an authentic smart home, you can always start by including:

Smart bulbs. You can regulate their intensity, color, or schedule them to turn on and off automatically.
Smart thermostats. They control the temperature and optimize energy consumption.
Security cameras. They allow the home to be monitored in real time remotely.
Smart plugs. Ideal to automate the turning on and off of household appliances.

Door and window opening sensors or smart locks that you can manage remotely, smart household appliances such as washing machines able to ration the detergent depending on the weight or dirtiness of the clothes, smart meters to measure the electricity consumption of your home... As you integrate more devices, the possibility of your smart home will grow exponentially.

Differences between home automation and smart home

Although the terms home automation and smart home are used as synonyms, the truth is that there are differences between both. Home automation refers to the automation of processes in the home through technology, but normally involves closed and less fleixible systems. For example, a traditional home automation system can include light sensors that regulate blinds or scheduled heating/cooling systems.

However, the smart home concept is much more versatile. Devices of a smart home not only automate tasks, but can interact with each other and, even, learn from habits of the user itself. Moreover, these devices are usually modular, in other words, they allow the incorporation of new elements without the need to change the entire system.

A practical example of this difference would be light control. In a home automation system, lights could be turned on and off according to a fixed hour. However, if we speak about a smart home, lights could be adjusted both to the time and climatic conditions themselves, your preferences, or if the room is occupied or not thanks to, among other things, artificial intelligence.

Benefits of having a smart home

The versatility of the applications of a smart home translate into real advantages in the home and these are some of them:

Personalization of the smart home
Imagine waking up to go to work and having your coffee ready? Arriving home and that a relaxing bath is waiting for you? They aren't scenes from a movie but real situations that you can put into practice in a smart home. The integration of technology and connectivity allow smart homes to adapt to your routines and preferences, raising the concept of 'home, sweet home' to a new level.
Energy savings
One of the greatest attractions of the applications of a smart home is its capacity to optimize energy consumption. Elements such as smart bulbs that regulate light depending on the natural lighting that they receive or the presence or not of people, plugs that allow the remote control of all types of devices, or smart watering systems that optimize the use of water depending on climatic conditions thus preventing waste, are just some examples.
Reduction of ecological footprint
Controlling distance heating/cooling systems remotely, having a smart shower able to provide you with information on your water consumption, having remote control household appliances... These and other resources of the smart home are synonyms of energy efficiency. But the reduction of energy consumption not only affects electricity bills. Smart homes also contribute to looking after the environment by reducing the ecological footprint of the home.
Safety
The increase in safety is also among the benefits of smart homes. The connectivity of these systems allows, for example, the monitoring and management of the protection of your home through surveillance cameras, door and window sensors, or smart locks, from a smartphone. And not only that. Notifications in real time or the installation of presence simulation systems that allow you to raise or lower blinds or turn on and off lights automatically, increase the feeling of comfort.

How to convert your home into a smart home with Repsol?

Combining technology, connectivity, and automation is a synonym of efficiency and comfort. At Repsol we also join the commitment to the optimization of energy consumption with specially designed proposals for the home.

From making smart devices available to our customers such as thermostats, plugs, or bulbs able to transform any home into a smart home; to applications such as Repsol Vivit, designed among other things to "provide users with simple tools that help them to make a more efficient use of energy." As well as providing detailed information on the consumption of electricity or allowing gas emissions to be offset through collaboration with forestry projects, the application is scheduled to have a smart home area through which it could be connected with different electronic and smart devices of the home for their remote control.