Home Maintenance

How Electrical Contractors Can Become Smart Home Installers

March 6, 2020

It’s tough to differentiate yourself in the market as an electrician. Most of the time, it comes down to referrals and if someone likes you as a person instead of your level of skill. Check out the Best Multimeter for Electronics Technician.

However, smart home technology offers you a way to set yourself apart. Both new and old building owners and homeowners are looking into how smart technology can save them money, and you can be there to help them make the right decisions.

Both new and old buildings are being set up with smart technology. Consumers want it because it’s efficient.

For example, according to Prime Electrical Services, an electrician in Cherry Hill, NJ, “A smart thermostat is an internet-connected thermostat that can be controlled remotely. The “smart” part of the thermostat is computer programming that learns how you use it, and adjusts to things like time of day and the seasons to be as energy-efficient as possible.”

Here are a few of the popular smart tech systems, including smart thermostats, with a bit of information about them to get you started. If you want to learn more, you should invest in smart home installation training.

Types of Smart Home Systems: What You Need to Know

Smart Lighting

These systems are one of the most popular systems offered because they save customers money on their energy bills. A smart lighting system that uses LED lights and is set on a schedule can help cut costs.

Smart lighting allows users to control their entire home’s lighting from one place, even from their phone in some cases. Dimming and brightening capabilities will need to be built in, and these features can be programmed to follow a schedule at the central hub.

Some lights will be controlled by sensors and can be activated when someone enters the room. When there is no movement in the room for a certain amount of time, the lights will turn off. These sensors will need to be installed separately and connected to the hub as well.

If the hub can be accessed from a smartphone, it will need to be either hard wired to a router via an ethernet cable or connected to WiFi. WiFi is more common and convenient, but an ethernet cable can act as a backup.

Smart Energy

Smart energy systems are another way homeowners can save money on their energy bills. Smart thermostats are especially popular.

These systems also need to be connected to a central hub and the internet. If a homeowner forgets to turn off the heat before going to work, they need to be able to do so from their phone.

In addition to electrical wiring, some knowledge of HVAC systems will be needed to properly install these systems. If a compatible HVAC system is not already installed, the customer will first need to replace that.

Many people who replace their HVAC systems are also including solar panels and systems. The smart thermostat will also need to work with the new solar energy system that is installed.

It’s best to make these decisions at the same time for optimal energy usage. Make sure to make these suggestions to customers interested in smart energy.

Smart Entertainment

Devices like smart TVs, speakers, and tablets are fairly straightforward to set up. Most of them can be plugged into a power outlet and connected to WiFi. Issues arise when customers want devices to work with each other.

Many times, a Google device isn’t going to communicate with an Amazon device. It’s not in the company’s’ best interest to work together yet.

Consumer demand will have to push them in that direction. For now, we will have to choose devices that all are made by one company or deal with incompatibility.

Smart Security

As people make more money, purchase more expensive items, and make bigger investments in their home, a desire to protect their possessions grows. Locking the doors and windows is less likely to deter someone when the reward for breaking in is so much higher.

This is where smart security steps in. Your home can defend itself while you aren’t there.

These systems are made of interconnected sensors, locks, cameras, and lights. If someone walks up to your door, a doorbell camera can activate and shine a light on them. This lets them know they are being watched and recorded, making them less likely to break in.

Other cameras can be placed around the house, and sensors can alert you if someone is foolish enough to break in. The authorities can then be alerted and sent the camera footage for their investigation.

Like the lighting systems, these can be controlled from a smartphone. It’s even more important to have this connectivity for a security system. If someone is skulking around your home, you need to know as soon as possible to take action, whether you are home or not.

It’s also important for the entire system to work together. Like the lighting system, everything will need to feed to a central hub.

As of now, compatibility between different types of smart home systems is rare, especially between different companies. Until compatibility issues are worked out, each system will need its own network of cabling.

This is clearly a lot of electrical wiring and connectivity. To make sure the whole smart home system doesn’t get destroyed, everything should be connected to a whole-home surge protector.

Where to Get Smart Home Installation Training

There are many organisations that offer training in how to set up smart home technology. Here are two of the biggest players.

CEDIA

CEDIA offers training in lighting, security, HVAC, and energy management and partners with local businesses to get more people trained. For example, Lowes and Loxone offer training through CEDIA.

However, the majority of the training is online. Some companies, like Loxone, offer a chance to practice an installation, but many don’t.

ETA International

ETA International offers courses that cover a variety of smart technology niches, including: