Defining the modern smart house What role does digital technology play in defining the modern smart home? We are at the point where smart house technology is becoming the norm in new builds and retrofit projects. By Oliver Rehm, chief executive officer of Baufritz in the UK
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et’s try to break down a smart house into its constituent elements and understand the role of technology and the services it can deliver. It has evolved from analogue home automation where labour-saving machines and building services such as heating and washing, could be scheduled. Today, computers and digitalisation have become part of our household devices; they have integrated with communication protocols and they fundamentally change the way we manage our houses.
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I would like to investigate smart digital technology and climate change mitigation. Greenhouse gas emissions for homes arise primarily from the fossil fuels burned for heating, followed by electricity used to power devices. Going forwards, houses must be much more energy-efficient. A super energy-efficient house creates its own set of challenges, which can only be addressed by using Smart buildings technology. All houses need to breathe. Once all the drafts and thermal bridges have been removed, different approaches are needed to manage ventilation.
Clearly, opening a window results in heat loss so the inclusion of a Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery System manages air-flow while minimising heat loss. By including sensors within the house, ventilation is efficiently managed. An energy-efficient house is designed to optimise solar gain by using the sun as a heat source. In summer, when the sun is strongest, there is a risk of overheating. By including a smart shading system, which can be programmed to reduce the effect of the sun within the users’ defined tolerances, an ideal building ambience can be maintained.
