Home Automation or Simply called “Smart Homes” is The New Digital Trend
Contents
A home automation system works by connecting all your appliances or controlled device to a central hub. In this way, you can control all your appliances through the internet. Smart homes involve control of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Security (HVAC), and much more. According to the Research and Markets database, the home automation market was worth $5.77 billion in 2013. It is expected to grow up to $75.2 billion by 2022.
Along with this smart home revolution came devices capable of changing the way your household works, namely, the Smart Plug. Now, what is a smart plug? A smart plug is a device controlled by an app that lets you turn on and off any appliance that plugs into a standard wall socket. You only need to plug it into any wall socket and connect the appliance of your choice, be it a lamp, a TV, a coffee machine.This small device has numerous applications.
1: Voice Recognition:
This device is compatible with voice recognition. Smart plugs have the ability to integrate Amazon Alexa or other virtual assistants. With this device, you need not leave your room even. This proves extremely useful for handicapped people, or if you have a household of children.
2: Scheduling:
You can control this device by internet connection even when out of your home. You can even schedule this device to work according to your needs. Imagine having your alarm set for you daily and coffee brewed at exactly six. Or your lights automatically turn off the moment you go to bed. Yes, all of this is possible by this device.
3: Security:
Smart plugs can also help in security. With the application of “away mode” your device will turn your lights on and off at regular intervals, making it seem like someone’s home. This will help keep intruders away.
4: Outdoor Use:
Smart plugs can also be used outdoors. Last year iHome released an outdoor smart plug called the “iSP100”. It is capable of working with smart home systems like Amazon’s Alexa, Wink, Nest, and Apple’s Homekit etc. It is generally weather resistant and includes voice recognition, perfect for outdoor lighting.
5: Multiple Devices:
Some smart plugs can connect only up to one or two devices at the same time. However, there are some smart plugs that allow multiple devices to be collected simultaneously. For example, the “Greeni Surge”, which has 4 outlets and 4 USB portals, and can work with Amazon Alexa and Google assistant. Now, this can power up to eight devices at a time.
6: Lowering electricity consumption:
Another great reason people are considering smart plugs is their ability to lower electricity bills. Yes, with smart home devices, you can not only measure your daily energy consumption, you can also save electricity. These devices are capable of turning off your lights automatically when you leave your homes. Not only this, by measuring your daily consumption and number of devices installed, and comparing them with the energy each device uses, you can decide which devices should be replaced by energy saving devices.
The UAE, for example, is focusing on making their energy sector eco-efficient. They are using smart plug systems for monitoring and controlling household energy consumption. A study showed that users in UAE were satisfied with the impact of smart plugs and concluded that the daily energy consumption is likely to decrease with the adoption of smart plugs.