By Bob Gatton
The Consumer Electronics Association recently asked hundreds of home builders a series of questions about home technology (CEA 2006 State of the Home Technology Builder Survey). When builders that included home technology products in their houses were asked why they offered these products, the top two answers were that these products 1) boosted profit potential and 2) set them apart from their competition. And they're right; those are two very good reasons to investigate the option of integrating home automation products in the houses you build.
But what is home automation anyway? If you ask 10 people that question, in all likelihood you will get 10 different answers—everything from being able to open your garage door remotely to integrated whole-house systems that let you control almost anything in the home.
The answer is that both of the above—and everything in between—are correct. Home automation is anything that lets you remotely control or automate various parts or functions of the house.
The simplest example is a remote control that lets you control your audio system, television or garage door. Even better would be a universal remote that would automate your AV system. By pressing one button, the remote would send a series of signals to turn on your television, AV receiver and DVD player. It would then select the proper input on the receiver and television, and then start playing the DVD. At the end of the evening, pressing another button would turn all of the equipment off. (See Universal Remote Controls.)
How automated should your houses be?
So what's next? What if you could control all of the lighting in the house from a remote or keypad in the wall, or press one button to light a pathway to a child’s room in the middle of the night? Or listen to or watch whatever you want in any room? Or monitor the house from a thousand miles away? Wouldn’t you like to be notified if there is a break-in or water leak in your home while you are away? Or lower the thermostat when returning from a summer vacation while you are still an hour away from home?
Actually, these functions have been available for quite a while, but until recently the cost was very high. In the last few years this type of automation has become not only much more affordable, but easier to install and program. The result is that it has become more attractive and attainable to more homebuyers—and more builders need to be taking a close look at making these products available in the houses they build.
This series of articles about today's home automation systems will cover the following topics, all from the point of view of the builder:
- Lighting and lighting control
- Whole-house audio/visual distribution
- Security systems
- HVAC control
- Wired vs. wireless
- Remotes, keypads and touch panels
As with any facet of home construction, proper planning is critical for success. And you won't be surprised to hear that working with a qualified subcontractor is essential, too. Both AVAD–Dealer to Builder and the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) are great resources for finding quality custom-installation companies.
I hope you'll find this series both enjoyable and educational. Home automation may sound like something for the distant future, but it's here and now. Find out how to make it work for you.
Bob Gatton is a Knoxville, Tenn.-based home-theater and -electronics consultant and writer.
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