How HVAC Companies Can Benefit from the Smart Home Market with WISE Technology
The concept of home automation is nothing new. The ability to pre-program a microwave to start cooking at a certain time and the use of electric garage door openers are examples of early home automation technology. What’s different now is how home automation systems are integrated with Internet of Things (IoT) technology to create what we call "smart homes."
A smart home is a dwelling where various systems, including HVAC, are interconnected and controlled through a single panel or interface. These can include heating, cooling, security, lighting, water, gas, entertainment, and just about any electric-powered system in the home. The benefits of smart home technology for consumers is increased convenience and greater control over their lifestyles, lower electricity bills, and a more environmentally friendly home.
Opportunities for HVAC contractors with smart home and home automation
The smart home technology market is growing, and this trend will continue for the foreseeable future. The global smart home market will reach more than $40 billion by 2020, and the U.S. has the highest smart home penetration rate, followed by Japan and Germany. In 2016, 80 million smart home devices were delivered worldwide, a 64 percent increase from 2015, according to IHS Markit. At least 130 million smart home devices will be shipped worldwide this year alone.
For HVAC contractors, the increasing demand for home automation represents an opportunity to increase revenues, provide new levels of service to their customers, and differentiate themselves from their competition. That’s because the most important factor for consumers to receive a benefit from smart HVAC and home automation systems is proper installation. Smart HVAC systems can be also integrated with renewables such as solar and energy storage to help consumers optimize their energy usage and lower their bills.
Where Smart HVAC fits into smart home automation
Smart HVAC systems play a major role in automation, especially as energy savings becomes a greater priority for homeowners. HVAC equipment is one of the largest systems in a home, and often the biggest user of energy. One of the main ways that smart HVAC technologies that can be implemented through home automation is with a smart thermostat.
These devices can be programmed to heat and cool a home according to a pre-set schedule or to more specific factors such as whether a room is occupied. They can also integrate several thermostats together in a single home to provide zone control that’s customizable to the preferences of every individual who lives there. Smart thermostats allow consumers to regulate energy usage at peak demand times as well.
WISE technology enables your customers to integrate all their smart HVAC home automation devices through a single hub which they can control through an app on their smart phone, tablet, or computer. This hub is vendor-neutral, meaning that it can integrate otherwise disparate brands and systems that wouldn’t normally work together. The result is unmatched convenience and lifestyle control for your customers.
As the demand for home automation and smart devices increases, the opportunities for HVAC contractors to sell, install, and maintain smart HVAC systems grows as well. HVAC contractors who offer this technology to their customers will have an advantage over those that do not.