Home automation systems are one of the hottest technologies in homebuilding today with many homeowners requesting new systems. Home automation systems can include lighting control, energy management, security, audio, and many other sub-systems. The difficulty for most electrical contractors is that even though a homeowner may have an interest, they may not have the knowledge to tell you what they need or even what they want the system to do. This makes designing a home automation system more complex as a result. When designing a home automation system you must become an educator as well as a designer and contractor.
The first step in designing a home automation system is to have a consultation your homeowner. Start off the consultation by having your homeowner tell you as much as they can about what they expect to get out of their home automation system. Your homeowner’s expectations are going to be the most important factor in designing a system because if you can not meet their expectations, they will never be happy with their system. It is also a good idea to educate your homeowner on what other options are available for their system that compliment the products they are installing, as well as telling them about other popular options that they may not have thought of. Once you have a sense of what the customer is looking for you can start to put together the framework for your home automation system.
The most important decision that you will make as the contractor is which home automation controller you will use. Home automation controllers come in many different shapes and sizes and a dizzying array of options are available for most of them. Choose a controller that supports all of the sub-systems and technologies that you will use today and think about any future sub-systems or technologies that a homeowner may want to add later. There is not a single language or protocol for home automation systems, there are many, so the more products and protocols your central controller supports, the easier it will be to integrate the different systems together and add on later. Some of the more popular home automation protocols on the market today are RS-232, Ethernet, UPB, Zwave, ZigBee, and of course there are a whole lot of proprietary protocols on the market today as well. Look for central controllers that support as many protocols as possible, and avoid systems that are proprietary and lock you in to one particular product line.
Make sure that you choose a controller with the capacity to handle the entire house. Be sure you have capacity enough for the future as well. The worst thing you can tell an excited homeowner who wants to add more to their system is, “Sorry, you are maxed out, I can not add anymore.” Always choose a controller with the capacity to do every light in the house even if the customer is only choosing a few locations for now.
Lighting control will be the primary system that an electrical contractor installs as part of a home automation system. Lighting control is said to be the fastest growing home technology and as an electrical contractor you are in a prime position to profit from this trend. Lighting control systems vary greatly in their design, scope, and implementation so there are a wide range of products to suit every type of project out there. The cost of lighting control systems can range from $40 per circuit and can run into the $200 plus range in some more sophisticated systems. It is a good idea to be familiar with a couple of different lighting systems in different price ranges so that you never lose a job because you are too expensive.
Traditionally, there has been a linear relationship between the cost of lighting control products and their performance, and more capable systems have not been available for retrofit installations. A relatively new technology called Universal Powerline Bus or (UPB)™ is a digital communications standard for lighting and home control that bridges the gap between cost and performance. UPB works over existing power lines in a home and therefore doesn’t require new wires to be run. UPB has about 95 percent of the features found in high end systems but the devices have a dealer price of $55 to $120, making it cost effective for all but the most price sensitive installations. UPB™ has been extensively tested and researched in residential environments and found to be 99.9 percent reliable.
UPB™ is for single phase 120/240 volt systems . It transmits using a spread spectrum pulse over the AC Sine wave with peak strength of 60V. This pulse has a long range and can travel up to one mile through the power lines. UPB™ has Advanced Addressing that allows 256 devices per house, 256 houses per transformer that has greatly reduced the chance of overlap between houses.
Whole Home Audio is another very popular sub-system with residential customers today. Much like lighting control, there are many options available. Basic start with manual volume controls and the high end systems feature massive media music distribution servers and intricate keypads. Differing systems are available, depending upon whether or not one will have a media cabinet, or if the sources will be located in individual rooms. When whole home audio systems are tied into a home control system, paging features or notifications like, “Front door open” are obtainable in addition to their music distribution functions.
Energy management is also an integral part of a home control system. Many people install home control systems to conserve energy while still maintaining comfort. A quality home control system allows for the integration of occupancy sensors, communicating thermostats, and a range of sensors including humidity and water. The ability to control pool and spa pumps as well as irrigation systems is an incredible function.
Security is a popular system to integrate with home automation because it gives the homeowner the peace of mind that comes with knowing that their family and home are as safe and secure as possible. Security systems allow you to use their motion detectors and door and window contacts for home automation purposes as well. One of the simplest and most popular examples is to turn on the light in the foyer when the front door is opened and it is dark outside. This is an easy task to accomplish if you have a security system connected to your home automation system. The system can also activate lights in the event of an alarm, or turn off the HVAC system in the event of a fire. Be sure to choose a security system that offers RS232 serial connectivity so it can be integrated.
The last thing on our list is typically the first thing a homeowner thinks of and that is the interface. The way that a homeowner interacts with their system is going to be the most important aspect of their system. If everything works flawlessly, but no one in the home can use it, then the entire system becomes useless. There are many ways to interact with a home automation systems including: keypads, telephone, touchscreens, and over the Internet. Touchscreens are probably the most commonly seen example of a home automation system interface and they come in many sizes and styles. Touchscreens are an easy way to use a home automation system and they are impressive to friends and neighbors. This is a good time to point out the very lucrative referral business that comes with successful home automation installations.
Your homeowner may want to be able to access their system remotely so telephone and Internet access is something to consider as well. Most systems offer some sort of remote access and I find that Internet access is very important to a large number of homeowners. Consider telephone access as well and remind them that they will likely have a telephone but they will not always have access to the Internet.
The best advice for getting into the home automation business is to get educated. There are a number of training opportunities with manufacturers all over the country and courses range from a couple of hours to a couple of weeks. Several third party training schools have popped up in the last several years as well and offer courses in system design, programming, and even how to handle the additional project management that comes with such a big system. Recently some trade schools have started offering classes in CompTIA’s Digital Home Technology Integrator program so if you are hiring new employees this is a great credential to check.
The last thought that I will leave you with is be sure to listen to your homeowner and always plan for future expansion.
