TAPPING INTO THE MARKET
Today’s smart home systems are simple for
homeowners to use and change settings
through an intuitive smartphone or tablet App.
ROOM TO GROW
Christian Schiemann of ABB explains how recent advances in home automation technology
mean that the market is set for rapid growth and how electrical contractors can tap into it.
U
ntil recently, only
wealthy people
could afford smart
home systems.
Home automation
was the domain
of specialist contractors with
knowledge of the KNX protocol that
is used in sophisticated commercial
buildings. While KNX will remain
as important as ever in commercial
buildings, a new generation
of products now exists for the
domestic market.
The market for home automation
is growing fast. Research firm BI
Intelligence estimates that the global
market for smart home devices was
worth $61bn in 2014 but is expected
to grow rapidly to $490bn by 2019.
There are two trends behind
these numbers. First, smartphones
have raised people’s expectations
of how they can control and interact
with the world around them.
Secondly, the latest generation
of smart home systems is much
simpler to install – and therefore
less expensive.
Home automation (or smart
home) technology is a term for
systems that combine control
of lighting, blinds and curtains,
heating and door security. Today’s
smart home systems are simple for
homeowners to use and change
settings through an intuitive
smartphone or tablet App. They are
also simple for ordinary electrical
installers to set up, which keeps the
cost down.
End customers benefit from
energy savings, as well as improved
control and security. Typically,
4
04-5 Tapping into the Market – ABB.indd 4
14/06/2016 12:19