Many people will remember the old manual dial thermostat models and their constant need for adjustment. These were superseded to a large extent around a decade ago with newer programmable thermostats that revolutionized controlling home comfort and improving efficiency. The most recent thermostat designs take this a step further with smart technology that can adapt to your habits and they also add options for Wi-Fi connectivity and voice control. Let’s take a closer look at how these thermostats work to conveniently improve your comfort and energy savings.
Smart Home Thermostat Voice Control
An independent study carried out by Statista back in 2016 found that approximately 25% of U.S. homes were already using some type of smart home technology. This figure is expected to rise to over 60% by 2021. Both Amazon Alexa and Google Home are two of the most recognized current systems that can control a variety of functions, such as entertainment selections, online shopping, home lighting, and security. Many modern thermostats can be simply integrated into these systems, and this will allow you to control the thermostat remotely. In some cases, the system can be given vocal commands, such as “make this room warmer” and the heating system will respond to meet the required demand.
Going Beyond Mere Convenience
As we have seen smart home technology is here to stay and the integration will only increase over time. The addition of Wi-Fi connectivity adds even more convenience with a plethora of functionality available via an app on your smartphone. This will allow homeowners to interact remotely with their systems for greater control over their home comfort. Preferences can be easily set and then overridden at ease if the situation changes. Of course, this is very convenient if you’re delayed at work and need to change the settings for your return home. This technology also goes beyond mere convenience, systems that are integrated are also able to detect issues and even improve safety. A prime example here from an HVAC perspective would be a smart thermostat communicating with a CO2 detector to shut down the system when high levels of carbon dioxide are detected.
The Future Implications
Like many new technologies, early adopters are quick to see the immediate benefits. As has happened so often in the past we are likely to see even more advances in smart technology in the future. This will be fueled by advances in the industry and the increased demand for more innovative products to meet this need. We may soon see other indoor comfort equipment such as ceiling fans added to this list. Imagine saying “slower fan” and the speed of the fan reducing automatically or turning the fan on a few minutes before arriving home. The innovations will deliver a level of control over indoor comfort that would have been unimaginable only a few short years ago. These improvements will also save homeowners money on their energy bills by improving the efficiency of their HVAC equipment.