essay about smart house

Smart House System Technology Explained

Introduction, energy management, security system, lighting system, smart appliances, entertainment, emergency management.

Smart House is a term used to describe a house that has Computer Controlled Automation System that controls various functions in a house such as appliances and lighting. This system employs smart technology allowing for networking of appliances hence enabling access and operation of the appliances from any part of the network. The system can be used in monitoring, warning and carrying out various functions according to selected criteria. The smart technology enables automatic communication via the mobiles phones, the internet and the fixed telephones.

Smart technology makes use of different electronics components, performing different functions. These components are divided into the following general groups:

• Sensors: for monitoring and submitting any changes, examples are humidity sensor, smoke detectors, movement and heat sensors, thermometers etc.
• Actuators: These components perform physical actions; examples are automatic light switches, relays and door and window openers.
• Controllers: these components make choice based on occurrences and programmed rules.
• Central units: Used in programming and making changes to a system, a good example is a computer.
• Interface: These are components which help user to communicate with the system.

The most important aspects to be taken care of for a house to be considered smart are:

• Energy management
• Emergency management
• Smart appliances.

Smart houses are considered very efficient in energy management.Electronics devices are installed in the house to monitor the usage of the energy and the number of people in the house at a particular time for energy regulation. When there is no one in the house, the temperatures settings are lowered automatically and all the appliances and lights that are not in use are turned off. The energy management system also controls heating system, fans and air conditioners in a way that will save energy. The smart house energy system also automatically turns off energy from an outlet that is not being used.

Smart house energy management system helps in saving energy cost by up to 65% compared to a house where energy usage is controlled manually.

A smart house is far much secure as it is easy to protect making it hard to break in than the current house. Alarm systems, similar in application to car alarm are installed in a smart house. The security system put the house in security mode, automatically shutting all windows and doors.

The smart house security system is programmed for a single day use or for a long time when the owner of the house is in a long trip or vacation. In this case, the security system is set to open the curtains and turn on and off the lights, making it look like there is a person in the house.

As part of the security system, surveillance cameras are installed and hidden around the house. These camera are monitored over the internet and the house owner can check at all aspects of the house include burglars and other unusual happening around and inside the house.

Smart house employs lighting system that makes the house safe and easier to live in by use of programmable lights or remotely accessed lighting system. With programmable lighting system, the house owner programs the lights to come on of off at a specific time and even dim depending with the mood. A central computer is used to turn specific lights at a specific time during the night. This helps in deterring criminals, hence improving security. With remote access, lights can be controlled remotely from any where inside or outside the house using mobile phones or PDAs.

For a house to be considered smart, smart appliances are installed to make use of the smart technology. The appliances are networked in the system to perform specific task at a given time.

Examples of smart appliances include remote controlled coffee maker which brews coffee just before the house owner wakes up. The coffee maker is linked to an alarm to wake up the house owner when the coffee is ready. A smart refrigerator automatically adjusts the temperatures inside based on the temperature of food inside. These smart appliances are connected to a computer which automatically turns the appliances on and off.

Smart appliances make the life of people calmer and better structured as the technology make planning of the day easier. This tranquility help people to concentrate on a specific task as other tasks are being carried on without a lot of monitoring and intervention.

Smart entertainment systems are designed to controls the way home entertainment system including the TV and Home theatre system functions. Smart TV user have the ability to change channels by either speaking or accessing the TV via the internet, instructing it on what to record and at what time. Ultra Thin rear projections TVs have been developed using Digital Light Technology (DLP), they have massive screen sizes, and they are slim and light enough to hang on the wall.

Smart internet enabled home theatres system stream music from multiple computers on the internet and store in an internal hard drives. This home theatre can be accessed remotely over the internet to control almost all aspects of the system.

A smart house emergency system is designed in a way that it will inform house occupant where there is an emergency and at the same time contact the relevant authority on the emergency for a quick response. If there is fire for example, the fire detector sends a signal to the central computer which triggers the alarm and at the same time make a call to the fire department.

Another example is when there is a gas leakage in the house; the emergency control system will shut down the main gas supply and turn off all electrical appliances to prevent any fire out break. The system will then turn on the alarm and send a signal to the house owner informing them on the gas leak though the mobile phone or through the internet to a personal computer.

Smart houses are the choice for most people as they improve the lives of people in a great way making it easier to live because of the convenience and safety they offer. With automatic smart appliances, people are able to plan their time and concentrate on important tasks in their lives.

Chris D. Nugent (2006) Smart Home and Beyond, IOS Publishers, United States.

David Heckman (2008) A Small World: Smart Houses and the Dream of the Perfect Day, Duke University Press, United Kingdom.

Richard Harper (2003) Inside the Smart Home, Springer Publishers, New York.

Smart House: Your wish is Their command, Web.

Smart House: The so called Sci-Fi Life, Web.

Smart House Designs, Web.

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Article Contents

Introduction, 1 smart-home definition, 2 smart-home infrastructures, 3 smart-home energy-management scheme, 4 technical challenges of smart homes, 5 conclusion, conflict of interest.

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Smart homes: potentials and challenges

• Article contents
• Figures & tables
• Supplementary Data

Rasha El-Azab, Smart homes: potentials and challenges, Clean Energy , Volume 5, Issue 2, June 2021, Pages 302–315, https://doi.org/10.1093/ce/zkab010

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Decentralized distributed clean-energy sources have become an essential need for smart grids to reduce the harmful effects of conventional power plants. Smart homes with a suitable sizing process and proper energy-management schemes can share in reducing the whole grid demand and even sell clean energy to the utility. Smart homes have been introduced recently as an alternative solution to classical power-system problems, such as the emissions of thermal plants and blackout hazards due to bulk plants/transmission outages. The appliances, sources and energy storage of smart homes should be coordinated with the requirements of homeowners via a suitable energy-management scheme. Energy-management systems are the main key to optimizing both home sources and the operation of loads to maximize home-economic benefits while keeping a comfortable lifestyle. The intermittent uncertain nature of smart homes may badly affect the whole grid performance. The prospective high penetration of smart homes on a smart power grid will introduce new, unusual scenarios in both generation and loading. In this paper, the main features and requirements of smart homes are defined. This review aims also to address recent proposed smart-home energy-management schemes. Moreover, smart-grid challenges with a high penetration of smart-home power are discussed.

Smart homes provide comfortable, fully controlled and secure lifestyles to their occupants. Moreover, smart homes can save energy and money with the possibility of profiting from selling clean renewable energy to the grid. On the other hand, the probable decrease in total domestic-energy loads encourages many governments to support promising smart-home technologies. Some countries have already put out many rules, laws and subsidy programmes to encourage the integration of smart homes, such as encouraging the optimization of the heating system, supporting building energy storage and/or deploying smart meters. For instance, the European Standard EN 15232 [ 1 ] and the Energy Performance of Building Directive 2010/31/EU [ 2 ], which is in line with Directive 2009/72/EC as well as the Energy Road Map 2050 [ 3 ], encourage the integration of smart-home technologies to decrease power demand in residential areas.

To control the environment, a smart home is automated by controlling some appliances, such as those used for lighting and heating, based on different climatic conditions. Now, recent control schemes adapt many functions besides classical switching ones. They can monitor the internal environment and the activities of the home occupants. They also can independently take pre-programmed actions and operate devices in set predefined patterns, independently or according to the user’s requirements. Besides the ease of life, smart homes confirm efficient usage of electricity, lowering peak load, reducing energy bills and minimizing greenhouse-gas emissions [ 4 , 5 ].

Smart homes can be studied from many points of view. The communication systems [ 6 ], social impacts [ 7 ], thermal characteristics [ 8 ], technologies and trends of smart homes [ 9 ] are reviewed individually. Moreover, the monitoring and modelling of smart-home appliances via smart meters are reviewed for accurate load forecasting, as in [ 10 , 11 ]. Recently, power-grid authorities have modified residential electrical tariffs to encourage proper demand-side management by homeowners. Different from previous reviews, this paper introduces smart homes from the electrical/economic point of view. It also discusses smart-home energy-management systems (SHEMS) in two different modes, offline load scheduling and real-time management. The prospective impacts of unusual smart-home power profiles on future smart grids are also summarized.

After this introductory section, Section 1 describes the different definitions of smart homes within the last two decades. Smart-home communication schemes and other infrastructures of smart homes are discussed in Section 2. Section 3 discusses in more detail the existing functions of SHEMS, their pre-proposed optimization techniques and related technical/economical objective functions. The impacts of smart homes on modern grids are also discussed in Section 4. Finally, in Section 5, the main conclusions and contributions of the paper are highlighted.

The term ‘smart home’ has been commonly used for about two decades to describe houses with controlled energy schemes. This automation scheme confirms easier lifestyles for homeowners than normal un-automated homes, especially for elderly or disabled persons. Recently, the concept of ‘smart home’ has a wider description to include many applications of technologies in one place.

Sowah et al. [ 12 ] define smart homes as: ‘Houses that provide their occupants a comfortable, secure, and energy efficient environment with minimum possible costs regardless their occupants.’ The Smart Homes Association defines a smart home as: ‘The integration of technology and services through home networking for a better quality of living’ [ 13 ].

Makhadmeh et al. define them as: ‘Incorporated residential houses with smart technology to improve the comfort level of users (residents) by enhancing safety and healthcare and optimizing power consumption. Users can control and monitor smart-home appliances remotely through the home energy-management system (HEMS), which provides a remote monitoring system that uses telecommunication technology’ [ 14 ].

Smart homes can be defined as: any residential buildings using different communication schemes and optimization algorithms to predict, analyse, optimize and control its energy-consumption patterns according to preset users’ preferences to maximize home-economic benefits while preserving predefined conditions of a comfortable lifestyle.

Distributed clean energy generated by smart homes provides many benefits for prospective smart grids. Consequently, the effects of smart homes on future power grids should be extensively studied. In the near future, smart homes will play a major role as a power supplier in modern grids, not only as a power consumer.

The general infrastructure of smart homes consists of control centres, resources of electricity, smart meters and communication tools, as shown in Fig. 1 . Each component of the smart-home model will be discussed in the following subsections.

Infrastructure of SHEMS source

2.1 The control centre

The control centre provides home users with proper units to monitor and control different home appliances [ 15 ]. All real-time data are collected by SHEMS to optimize the demand/generation coordination and verify the predefined objectives. The main functions of the control centre can be summarized as follows [ 15 ]:

(i) collecting data from different meters, homeowners’ commands and grid utility via a proper communication system;

(ii) providing proper monitoring and analysing of home-energy consumption for homeowners;

(iii) coordinating between different appliances and resources to satisfy the optimal solution for predefined objectives.

2.2 Smart meter

The smart meter receives a demand-response signal from power utilities as an input to the SHEMS system [ 16 , 17 ]. Recently, advanced smart-metering infrastructures can monitor many home features such as electrical consumption, gas, water and heating [ 18 ].

2.3 Appliances

Smart-home loads can be divided according to their operating nature into two categories: schedulable and non-schedulable loads. Non-schedulable loads are operated occasionally according to the homeowner’s desires without any predictable operating patterns, such as printers, televisions and hairdryers, whereas schedulable loads have a predictable operating pattern that can be shifted or controlled via SHEMS, such as washing machines and air conditioners [ 19 ].

According to [ 19 ], controllable devices are also classified into interruptible and non-interruptible load according to the effect of supply interruption on their tasks. Electric vehicles (EVs) can be considered as an exceptional load [ 20 , 21 ]. EVs have two operating modes: charging and discharging. Therefore, EVs are interruptible schedulable loads during the charging mode. Moreover, EV battery energy can also be discharged to supply power to the grid during critical events, which is known as vehicle-to-grid [ 22 ]. By SHEMS, EVs can participate in supplying loads during high-priced power periods. In low-priced power periods, EVs restore their energy from the grid [ 23 , 24 ].

2.4 Resources of electricity

Solar and wind plants are the most mature renewable-energy sources in modern grids. Nowadays, many buildings have installed photovoltaic (PV) modules, thermal solar heaters or micro wind turbines. For smart homes, various functions can be supplied by solar energy besides generating electricity, such as a solar water heater (SWH), solar dryer and solar cooler [ 25 ]. Moreover, PV plants are cheap with low requirements of maintenance [ 26 ], whereas hot water produced by SWHs can be used in many home functions, such as washing and cooking, which increases the home-energy efficiency [ 27 ].

Energy storage may be considered as the cornerstone for any SHEMS. SHEMS are usually installed with energy-storage systems (ESSs) to manage their stored energy according to predefined objectives. Many energy-storage technologies are available in the power markets. Batteries and fuel cells are the most compatible energy-storage types of smart-home applications [ 28 ]. A fuel-cell structure is very similar to a battery. During the charging process, hydrogen fuel cells use electricity to produce hydrogen. Hydrogen feeds the fuel cell to create electricity during the discharging process. Fuel cells have relatively low efficiency compared to batteries. Fuel cells provide extra clean storage environments with the capability of storing extra hydrogen tanks. That perfectly matches isolated homes in remote areas [ 29 ].

Although wind energy is more economical for large-scale plants, it has a very limited market for micro wind turbines in homes. Typically, micro wind turbines require at least a wind speed of 2.7 m/s to generate minimum power, 25 m/s for rated power and 40 m/s for continuous generated power [ 30 ]. A micro wind turbine is relatively expensive, intermittent and needs special maintenance requirements and constraints compared to a solar plant [ 31 ].

Recently, biomass energy has been a promising renewable resource alternative for smart homes. Many pieces of research have recommended biomass energy for different types of buildings [ 32 ]. Heating is the main function of biomass in smart homes, as discussed in [ 33 , 34 ]. In addition, a biomass-fuelled generation system is examined for many buildings [ 35 , 36 ].

2.5 Communication schemes

Recently, communication systems are installed as built-in modules in smart homes. Both home users and grid operators will be able to monitor and control several home appliances in the near future to satisfy the optimum home-energy profile while preserving a comfortable lifestyle. Therefore, both wired and wireless communication schemes are utilized, which is known as a home area network (HAN), to cover remote-control signals as home occupants’ ones. Fig. 1 shows an example of a HAN that consists of Wi-Fi and cloud computing networks for both indoor and outdoor data exchange, respectively [ 37 , 38 ].

Energy-management systems for homes require three main components: the computational embedded controllers, the local-area network communication middleware and the transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) communication for wide-area integration with the utility company using wide-area network communication [ 37 ].

According to home characteristics, many wired communication schemes can be selected, such as power-line communication (PLC), inter-integrated circuit (I2C) and serial peripheral interface or wireless technologies such as Zigbee, Wi-Fi, radio-frequency identification (RFID) and the Internet of Things (IoT) to develop HANs. A few of the most common techniques will be discussed briefly in the following subsections [ 38 ].

PLC is a technique that uses power lines to transmit both power and data via the same cable to customers simultaneously. Such wired schemes provide fast communication with low interference of data. Moreover, PLC provides many communication terminals, as all power plugs can be used for data transferring. As all electrical home devices are connected by power cables, PLC can communicate with all these devices via the same cable.

PLC set-up has a low cost, as it uses pre-installed power cables with minimum hardware requirements. With a PLC communication scheme, home controllers can also be integrated easily with a high speed of data transfer. On the other hand, PLC has a high probability of data-signal attenuation. Furthermore, data signals suffer from electromagnetic interference of transmitted power signals.

2.5.2 Zigbee

Zigbee is a wireless communication technique [ 37–46 ]. Zigbee follows the IEEE 802.15.4 standard as a radio-frequency wireless communication scheme. It does not require any licenses for limited zones such as homes [ 37 ]. Also, Zigbee is a low-power-consuming technique. Therefore, it is suitable for basic home appliances, such as lighting, alarm systems and air conditioners [ 39 , 40 ]. Zigbee usually considers all home devices as slaves with a master coordinator/controller, which is known as a master–slave architecture.

Zigbee provides highly secured transferred data [ 38 , 41 ] with high reliability and capacity [ 42 ]. It also has self-organizing capabilities [ 42 ]. Conversely, Zigbee is relatively expensive due to special hardware requirements with low data-transfer rates. Moreover, Zigbee is not compatible with many other protocols, such as internet-supported protocols and Wi-Fi.

2.5.3 Wi-Fi technology

Wi-Fi is a wireless communication technique that follows the IEEE 802.11 standard. Wi-Fi provides high-rate data transfer that is compatible with many information-based devices such as computers, laptops, etc. [ 43 , 44 ].

Wi-Fi is a highly secured scheme with many of the familiar internet capabilities and low data-transfer delays (<3 ms) [ 45 ]. On the contrary, it is a relatively high-power-consuming scheme compared to Zigbee schemes [ 45 ]. Also, home devices can affect transmitted data signals by their emitted electromagnetic fields [ 46 ]. Wi-Fi can also suffer from interference from other communication protocols such as Zigbee and Bluetooth [ 43 ].

RFID is a wireless communication technique that conforms to the electronic product code protocol [ 47–52 ]. It can coincide with other communication schemes such as Wi-Fi and Zigbee. It can be utilized for a relatively widespread range of frequencies, from 120 kHz to 10 GHz. It also covers a wide range of distances, from 10 cm to 200 m [ 48 ]. Many researchers are investigating RFID home applications, such as energy-management systems [ 49 ], door locks [ 50 ] and lighting controls [ 51 ].

RFID operates on tags and reader-identification systems with a high data-transfer rate. Nevertheless, RFID has expensive chips with low bandwidth. The possibility of tag collision within the same zone decreases the accuracy of the RFID scheme.

This scheme connects home devices, users and grid operators via the internet to monitor and manage smart homes [ 6 , 38 , 53–65 ]. Consequently, the IoT and cloud computing have proven to be cheap, popular and easy services for smart homes. Moreover, IoT schemes are compatible with many other communication protocols, such as Zigbee, Bluetooth, etc., as listed in Table 1 . Internet hacking is the main problem with IoT schemes. System security and privacy are critical challenges for such internet-based schemes.

IoT protocols features

Today, building energy-management systems (BEMS) are utilized within residential, commercial, administration and industrial buildings. Moreover, the integration of variable renewable-energy sources with proper ESSs deployed in buildings represents an essential need for reliable, efficient BEMS.

For small-scale residential buildings or ‘homes’, BEMS should deal with variable uncertain load behaviours according to the home occupants’ desires and requirements, which is known as SHEMS. Throughout recent decades, many SHEMS have been presented and defined in many research studies.

In [ 66 ], SHEMS are defined as services that efficiently monitor and manage electricity generation, storage and consumption in smart houses. Nazabal et al. [ 67 ] include a collaborative exchange between smart homes and the utility as a main function of SHEMS. In [ 68 ], SHEMS are defined from the electrical-grid point of view as important tools that provide several benefits such as flattening the load curve, a reduction in peak demand and meeting the demand-side requirements.

3.1 Functions of SHEMS

Adaptive SHEMS are required to conserve power, especially with the increasing evolution in home loads. SHEMS should control both home appliances and available energy resources according to the real-time tariff and home user’s requirements [ 4 ]. Home-management schemes should provide an interface platform between home occupants and the home controller to readjust occasionally the load priority [ 5 ].

As shown in Fig. 2 , the majority of smart-home centres can be summarized as having five main functions [ 5 ], as follows:

Functions of SHEMS

(i) Monitoring: provides home residents with visual instantaneous information about the consumed power of different appliances and the status of several home parameters such as temperature, lights, etc. Furthermore, it can guide users to available alternatives for saving energy according to the existing operating modes of different home appliances.

(ii) Logging: collects and saves data pertaining to the amount of electricity consumed by each appliance, generated out of energy-conservation states. This functionality includes analysing the demand response for real-time prices.

(iii) Control: both direct and remote-control schemes can be implemented in smart homes. Different home appliances are controlled directly by SHEMS to match the home users’ desires, whereas other management functions are controlled remotely via cell phones or laptops, such as logging and controlling the power consumption of interruptible devices.

(iv) Management: the main function of SHEMS. It concerns the coordination between installed energy sources such as PV modules, micro wind turbines, energy storage and home appliances to optimize the total system efficiency and/or increase economic benefits.

(v) Alarms: SHEMS should respond to specific threats or faults by generating proper alarms according to fault locations, types, etc.

3.2 Economic analysis

Economic factors affecting home-management systems are classified into two classes. First, sizing costs include expanses of smart-home planning. Second, operating costs consist of bills of consumed energy. These costs depend mainly on the electrical tariff.

3.2.1 Sizing costs

These include capital, maintenance and replacement costs of smart-home infrastructures, such as PV systems, wind turbines, batteries/fuel cells and communication systems. In most previous SHEMS, such planning costs usually are not taken into consideration, as management schemes usually concern the daily operating costs only [ 69 ].

3.2.2 Operating costs

The electricity tariff is the main factor that gives an indication of the value of saving energy, according to the governmental authority; there are many types of tariffs, as follows [ 70–74 ]:

(i) Flat tariffs: the cost of consumed energy is constant regardless of the continuous change in the load. Load-rescheduling schemes do not affect the electricity bills in this scheme. Therefore, homeowners are not encouraged to rearrange their consumed energy, as they have no any economic benefits from managing the consumption of their appliances.

(ii) Block-rate tariffs: in this scheme, the monthly consumed energy price is classified into different categories. Each category has its own flat-rate price. Therefore, the main target of SHEMS is minimizing the total monthly consumed energy to avoid the risk of high-priced categories.

(iii) Seasonal tariffs: in this scheme, the total grid-demand load is changed significantly from one season to another. Therefore, the utility grid applies a high flat-rate tariff in high-demand seasons and vice versa. SHEMS should minimize the total consumption in such high-priced seasons and get the benefit of consumption in low-priced seasons.

(iv) Time-of-use (TOU) tariff: there are two or three predefined categories of tariffs daily in this scheme. First, a high-priced-hours tariff is applied during high-demand hours, which is known as a peak-hours tariff. Second, an off-peak-hours tariff is applied during low-demand hours with low prices for energy consumption. Sometimes, three levels of pricing are defined by the utility grid during the day, i.e. off-, middle- and high-peak costs, as discussed in [ 75 ]. SHEMS shift interruptible loads with low priority to off-peak hours to minimize the bill.

(v) Super peak TOU: this can be considered as a special case of the previously described TOU tariff but with a short peak-hours period of ~4 hours daily.

(vi) Critical peak pricing (CPP): the utility grid uses this tariff scheme during expected critical events of increasing the gap between generation and power demand. The price is increased exceptionally during these critical events by a constant predefined rate.

(vii) Variable peak pricing: this is a subcategory of the CPP tariff in which the exceptional increase in the tariff is variable. The utility grid informs consumers of the exceptional dynamic price increase according to its initial expectations.

(viii) Real-time pricing (RTP): the price is changing continuously during pre-identified intervals that range from several minutes to an hour. This tariff is the riskiest pricing scheme for homeowners. The electricity bill can increase significantly without a proper management system. SHEMS should communicate with grid utility and reschedule both home appliances, sources and energy storage continuously to minimize the total bill.

(viii) Peak-time rebates (PTRs): a proper price discount is considered for low-consumption loads during peak hours, which can be refunded later by the grid.

Depending on the electricity tariff, SHEMS complexity varies dramatically. In the case of using a flat-rate tariff, the algorithm becomes simpler, as one value is recorded for selling or buying the electricity. Tariffs may be published from the proper authority or predicted according to historical data. Prediction of the dynamic tariff is a main step in any SHEMS. Many time frames of tariff prediction are proposed that vary from hourly, daily or even a yearly prediction. Many optimization techniques with various objective functions are proposed to handle different features of both smart-home infrastructures and electricity tariffs, as will be discussed in the following section.

3.3 Pre-proposed SHEMS

Different SHEMS may be classified according to four features: operational planning of load-scheduling techniques, system objective functions, optimization techniques and smart-home model characteristics, as will be discussed in the following subsections.

3.3.1 Load-scheduling techniques

SHEMS concern the generation/load power balance to provide a comfortable lifestyle with the minimum possible costs. Scheduling loads according to their priority and the periods of renewable energy (solar, wind and EV state) can help in reducing the overall energy consumption daily. According to data collected by the management system, an initial load schedule is suggested daily to minimize the daily cost of consumed energy [ 76 ].

By using a proper optimal scheduling algorithm, electricity bills can be reduced by shifting loads from high-priced to low-priced intervals [ 77 , 78 ]. Many techniques have been proposed for home load scheduling, as will be discussed in the following subsections:

(i) Rule-based scheduling: in this algorithm, all home appliances and resources are connected to smart data-collector taps. By processing the collected data, different appliances are scheduled according to their priorities and based on the if/then rule. Also, some high-priority loads are supplied by home renewable sources/storage to maintain their function during predicted peak hours [ 79 , 80 ].

(ii) Artificial intelligence (AI): many AI controllers have been proposed for home load scheduling, such as artificial neural networks (ANNs), fuzzy logic (FL) and adaptive neural fuzzy inference systems (ANFISs). Table 2 compares between the three types of scheduling scheme based on AI.

Optimization techniques for load scheduling

3.3.2 Objective functions

(i) Single-objective techniques: in these schemes, only one criterion is minimized or maximized according to the home-user requirements. Several minimization objective functions were proposed, as follows:

lifetime degradation [ 47–49 ];

life-cycle costs [ 93 ];

gas emissions [ 94–96 ];

both active and reactive losses [ 97 , 98 ].

On the other hand, some research defined other single maximizing objective functions, such as:

net present value [ 96 ].

economic profits [ 97 , 98 ].

increased system reliability: according to many well-known reliability indices, such as loss of power supply probability, loss of load probability and others [ 99 , 100 ].

generated power [ 101 , 102 ].

loadability [ 103 ];

Multi-objective techniques: homeowners may have several criteria to be optimized together. Multi-objective optimization (MOO) problems consider many functions simultaneously. MOO finds a proper coordination that moderately satisfies the considered objectives. In [ 102 ], SHEMS with MOO techniques are summarized. Table 3 lists some examples of such multi-objective functions.

Multi-objective functions of SHEMS

3.3.3 Optimization techniques

Optimization techniques aim usually to identify the best coordination taking into consideration predefined constraints. Many approaches are available for addressing optimization problems. These approaches can be classified into two categories: classical and AI-based techniques. Table 4 lists various SHEMS optimization techniques and their main features.

Optimization techniques in SHEMS

Classical methods, especially linear programming types, have been usually applied in the last decade for smart homes with limited objective functions and simple model characteristics of tariff and home appliances. Recently, AI-based techniques have been proposed to cover more complicated models of smart homes with multi-objective functions with high levels of comfortable lifestyles.

3.3.4 Home-model characteristics

The smart-home model differs significantly according to three factors: installed variable energy sources, applied tariff and EV deployment. PV systems have been applied for nearly all studied smart homes due to their low price, simplicity of installation, low maintenance requirements and easily predicted daily power profile. On the other hand, a few pieces of research have considered micro wind turbines in their home models, such as [ 120 ]. Wind turbines are limited by high-wind-speed zones that are usually located in rural areas. In addition, homeowners usually do not prefer wind turbines due to their high prices, mechanical maintenance requirements and the unpredictable variation in wind power.

Dynamic tariffs are applied in most smart-home research. Specifically, the TOU tariff is analysed in a lot of studies, such as [ 121 , 122 ], whereas little research uses RTP, such as [ 123 , 124 ]. EV is studied as an energy source in the parking period or vehicle-to-grid (V2G) mode. In [ 75 , 125 ], EV in V2G mode reduces the electricity bill in peak hours, whereas, in [ 126–130 ], ESSs are managed only to reduce the electricity usage from the grid.

Many technical challenges arise for modern grids due to the increasing mutual exchange between smart homes and utility grids, especially power-quality control. Electric-power-quality studies usually confirm the acceptable behaviour of electrical sources such as voltage limits and harmonics analysis. Recently, smart power grids have diverse generation sources from different technologies that depend mainly on power electronics devices that increase the difficulty in power-quality control. Power-quality constraints should be taken into consideration for any energy-management systems to provide harmony between modern sources and loads.

On the other hand, power-quality issues should not form an additional obstacle against the integration of new technologies in modern grids. Therefore, both advanced communication schemes and AI-based techniques make modern grids ‘smart’ enough to cope with selective power-quality management. Smart homes exchange power with utility grids. With the prospective increase in such smart homes, the effect of their behaviour should be studied and controlled. Smart homes affect the grid-power quality in three different areas, as will be discussed in the following paragraphs [ 154–156 ].

4.1 Generating equipment

Integrated micro generation schemes in smart homes are mainly single-phase sources based on inverters with high switching frequencies that reach to many kHz. Low-order harmonics of such a generation type can usually be disregarded. However, with the expected continuous increase in such micro generators, the harmonics of low-voltage networks may shift into a range of higher frequencies, perhaps from 2 to 9 kHz [ 157 ]. Therefore, more research is needed to re-evaluate the appropriate limits for generation equipment in smart homes. Moreover, single-phase generation increases the risk of an unbalanced voltage in low-voltage grids. Therefore, negative-sequence voltage limits should be re-evaluated particularly for weak distribution networks. Also, a need for zero-sequence voltage limits may arise [ 154 ].

4.2 Home appliances

Modern home appliances depend mainly on electronic devices, such as newer LED lighting systems, EV battery chargers, etc., with relatively low fundamental current and high harmonic contents compared to traditional ones. According to many power-system analysers, many harmonics will increase significantly to risky levels, particularly fifth-harmonic voltage, with increase in such new electronic appliances [ 155 ].

4.3 Distribution network

In future grids, significant unusual operating scenarios may be possible with high penetration of domestic generation, especially with the possibility of an islanded (self-balanced) operation of smart homes. Short-circuit power will differ significantly during different operating conditions compared to classical grids. Moreover, low-voltage networks may suffer from damping-stability problems due to the continuous decrease in resistive loads, in conjunction with the increase in capacitive loads of electronic equipment. In addition, resonance problems may occur with low frequencies according to the continuous change in the nature of the load [ 156 ].

Although smart homes have bad impacts on utility grids, there are no charges applied from the grid authority to homeowners based on their buildings’ effects on grid-power quality. Therefore, home planners and SHEMS designers are usually concerned only with the economic benefits of their proposed schemes.

Smart homes, using new revolutions in communication systems and AI, provide residential houses with electrical power of a dual nature, i.e. as producer and consumer or ‘prosumer’. The energy-management system includes many components that mainly depend on a suitable communication scheme to coordinate between available sources, loads and users’ desire. Among many proposed communication systems, the IoT has many advantages and was chosen in many studies. Besides the popularity of the IoT, it does not need any special equipment installation and is compatible with many other communications protocols.

Many functions are applied by management systems such as monitoring and logging to facilitate a proper interaction between home occupants and the management scheme. Home security also should be confirmed via the management scheme by using different alarms corresponding to preset threats. Home users control different home appliances according their desires by SHEMS and via cell phones or manually.

The electricity tariff plays an important role in defining management-system characteristics. Tariffs vary from simple fixed flat rates to complicated variable dynamic ones according to the electrical-grid authority’s rules for residential loads. According to the tariff and selected objective functions, pre-proposed optimization techniques vary significantly from simple classical linear programming to sophisticated AI ones.

Modern electronic-based home appliances increase power-grid-quality problems, such as high harmonic contents, unbalanced loading and unpredictable short-circuit currents. On the other hand, power-grid authorities do not charge homeowners according to their buildings’ effects on the power quality. Therefore, all proposed energy-management systems are concerned mainly with the economic profits from reducing electricity consumption or even selling electrical power to the utility grids. In the future, price-based power-quality constraints should be defined by the grid authorities to confirm proper power exchange between both smart homes and grids. A possible future direction is behaviour modelling of aggregated smart homes/smart cities in different operating scenarios to conclude probable power-grid scenarios for stability and quality.

This work was supported by the project entitled ‘Smart Homes Energy Management Strategies’, Project ID: 4915, JESOR-2015-Cycle 4, which is sponsored by the Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT), Cairo, Egypt.

None declared.

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What Is a Smart Home?

How smart homes work, smart home systems, how to create a smart home.

• Pros and Cons
• Smart Home FAQs

The Bottom Line

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Smart Home: Definition, How They Work, Pros and Cons

Adam Hayes, Ph.D., CFA, is a financial writer with 15+ years Wall Street experience as a derivatives trader. Besides his extensive derivative trading expertise, Adam is an expert in economics and behavioral finance. Adam received his master's in economics from The New School for Social Research and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in sociology. He is a CFA charterholder as well as holding FINRA Series 7, 55 & 63 licenses. He currently researches and teaches economic sociology and the social studies of finance at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Investopedia / Mira Norian

A smart home refers to a convenient home setup where appliances and devices can be automatically controlled remotely from anywhere with an internet connection using a mobile or other networked device. Devices in a smart home are interconnected through the internet, allowing the user to control functions such as security access to the home, temperature, lighting, and a home theater remotely.

Key Takeaways

• A smart home allows homeowners to control appliances, thermostats, lights, and other devices remotely using a smartphone or tablet through an internet connection.
• Smart homes can be set up through wireless or hardwired systems.
• Smart home technology provides homeowners with convenience and cost savings.
• Security risks and bugs continue to plague makers and users of smart home technology.
• Though full-scale home automation may cost thousands of dollars, smaller individual products costing less than $100 can get homeowners started on smart home products.

A smart home’s devices are connected with each other and can be accessed through one central point—a smartphone , tablet, laptop, or game console. Door locks, televisions, thermostats, home monitors, cameras, lights, and even appliances such as the refrigerator can be controlled through one home automation system. The system is installed on a mobile or other networked device, and the user can create time schedules for certain changes to take effect.

Smart home appliances come with self-learning skills so they can learn the homeowner’s schedules and make adjustments as needed. Smart homes enabled with lighting control allow homeowners to reduce electricity use and benefit from energy-related cost savings. Some home automation systems alert the homeowner if any motion is detected in the home when they're away, while others can call the authorities—police or the fire department—in case of imminent situations.

Once connected, services such as a smart doorbell, smart security system, and smart appliances are all part of the internet of things (IoT) technology, a network of physical objects that can gather and share electronic information.

Security and efficiency are the main reasons behind the increase in smart home technology use.

Smart homes can feature either wireless or hardwired systems—or both. Wireless systems are easier to install. Putting in a wireless home automation system with features such as smart lighting, climate control, and security can cost several thousand dollars, making it very cost-friendly.

The downside to wireless systems is you likely need strong Wi-Fi coverage and broadband service throughout your entire house. This may require you to invest in range extenders or hardwired wireless access points. Wireless smart home systems are generally more appropriate for smaller existing homes or rental properties due to their smaller size.

Hardwired systems, on the other hand, are considered more reliable and are typically more difficult to hack. A hardwired system can increase the resale value of a home. In addition, hardwired smart home systems can easily be scaled; therefore, it is often the default method when designing a new build or performing a major renovation.

There is a drawback—it's fairly expensive. Installing a luxury and hardwired smart system can cost homeowners tens of thousands of dollars. In addition, you must have space for network hardware equipment including Ethernet cables.

Smart home products now allow for greater control over heating devices including when products are turned on, turned off, and controlled. Smart products may be armed with temperature or humidity sensors to automatically turn on or off if certain criteria are met. This line of smart home innovations also extends to air conditioners.

Often with the use of a mobile phone, table, or custom remote specific to a product, lighting products now enhance the capabilities of homeowners. Lights can be switched on and off, placed on a schedule, or set to change based on sunrise or sunset times. Like some more traditional products, lights can often set to change based on motion. Smart bulbs can communicate over Wi-Fi and display statistics or metrics to your phone.

This lighting category may also contain smart home products that control or prevent light. Automatic blinds may be installed and set to close based on sunrise schedules. Alternatively, electronic curtains allow users to manage their blinds using a handheld device.

Audio/Visual

One of the more fun aspects of smart homes, many entertainment products are now heavily connected to each other and can be controlled with a single remote. Television and speakers now have greater capabilities to be played on command using applications, including being maintained on a schedule or being voice-controllable.

One of the most reasonable aspects of a smart home is the enhanced security capabilities. Many products now have camera capabilities that track motion, capture video, or allow for live video feeds. This may be installed to sync with a ringing doorbell or set to display on certain areas of your property. These videos may allow for video-calling with the individual at your door, including audio capabilities.

Many smart homes are also refit with modern security kits. This includes motion sensor detectors when individuals should not be home, home monitoring, notifications and alerts of suspicious behavior, and the ability to lock doors or windows remotely using a phone.

A very large section of smart homes relates to digital assistants or home hubs. These products are often interacted with using your voice and can take commands, field questions, organize your calendar, schedule conference calls , or provide alerts. Though not specifically related to one's home, these digital assistants provide a broad range of controlling smart assets, their schedules, and their statuses.

Smart smoke and carbon monoxide detectors not only sound an alarm but can be synced to your phone to alert you should you be away from your property. These devices can often be set up to send emergency notifications to specified contacts.

Automated irrigation systems have had the ability to be programmed for a while. Now, smart irrigation systems field climate and environmental conditions an factor those traits into existing water schedules. Smart irrigation systems monitor moisture-related conditions and strive to conserve water.

When budgeting for smart home products, consider any required or necessary labor/installation costs from professionals.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Smart Homes

Installing a smart home technology system provides homeowners with convenience. Rather than controlling appliances, thermostats, lighting, and other features using different devices, homeowners can control them all using one device—usually a smartphone or tablet.

Since they're connected to a portable device, users can get notifications and updates on issues in their homes. For instance, smart doorbells allow homeowners to see and communicate with people who come to their doors even when they're not at home. Users can set and control the internal temperature, lighting, and appliances as well.

For the cost of setting up the smart system, homeowners can benefit from significant cost savings . Appliances and electronics can be used more efficiently, lowering energy costs.

While the smart home offers convenience and cost savings, there are still challenges. Security risks and bugs continue to plague makers and users of the technology. Adept hackers, for example, can gain access to a smart home's internet-enabled appliances. For example, in October 2016, a botnet called Mirai infiltrated interconnected devices of DVRs, cameras, and routers to bring down a host of major websites through a denial of service attack , also known as a DDoS attack.

Measures to mitigate the risks of such attacks include protecting smart appliances and devices with a strong password, using encryption when available, and only connecting trusted devices to one's network.

As noted above, the costs of installing smart technology can run anywhere from a few thousand dollars for a wireless system to tens of thousands of dollars for a hardwired system. It's a heavy price to pay, especially since there may be a steep learning curve to get used to the system for everyone in the household.

Smart Homes

Are often more convenient than traditional methods of scheduling, controlling, or accessing products

May enhance security due to notifications or alerts

Offers multiple ways of performing a certain task (i.e. lights can be manually turned on or scheduled)

May result in long-term cost savings when considering efficient energy use

May pose security risk as products are connected to networks and can be hacked

May require additional work for homeowner to track additional passwords and monitor product security

Are often more expensive than their less smart counterpart products

May result in steep learning curve, especially for those not technologically-savvy

Home Much Does a Smart Home Cost?

On one hand, more and more smart home products being brought to market will continually put pressure on manufacturers, competition, and product prices. On the other hand, these incredible innovations are continually expanding what they are capable of and may be assessed price premiums. When considering smart home products, perform a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether the price exceeds the convenience.

According to HomeAdvisor, it may cost up to $15,000 to fully automate a four-bedroom, three-bath home. Average total home automation costs is just under $800, though fully-connected luxury homes may run into the six figures.

In general, a smart home can start by being very focused on a specific product or room. This strategy allows individuals to invest in smart technology for minimal capital. Consider the following options priced at less than $100 as of January 2024:

• Google Nest Mini, the home audio and assistant device
• Amazon Smart Plug, a method of automating appliances
• Ring Smart Doorbell, a video-enabled camera for home security
• Wyze Thermostat, a digital, wireless, programmable heating device

On the other hand, larger smart home technologies (with more capabilities) often cost thousands of dollars. For example, Vivant's Premium Plus Package for home security cost over $2,300 at writing. Alternatively, the LG 31 cubic foot Door-in-Door smart refrigerator could be had for a little over $8,000.

What Is In a Smart Home?

Smart homes can choose to have smart speakers, lights, thermostats, doorbells, or home hubs. Smart technology can also extend to kitchen appliances or outdoor or landscaping equipment. New innovations are continually evolving what is in a smart home.

Why Is a Smart Home Important?

A smart home is important because it allows a household to become more energy efficient. In addition, it allows a household to save time and perform tasks more efficiently. A smart home is important because of the convenience it provides over traditional methods of performing tasks.

Can a Smart Home Be Hacked?

Yes. Because home automation often requires a live network connect, home automation systems can be hacked if the security protocol of the smart home product has inadequate security protocols. In addition, individuals must take additional care to not share or disclose sensitive log-in information as these devices may require a password or personal device access to control.

Is a Smart Home Worth It?

Investing in a smart home is a cost-benefit analysis that often requires an upfront investment to equip your house with the appropriate products. In addition, there is the cost of needing to train yourself and become competent in understanding how to use the products. However, the benefits of saving time performing tasks as well as potential utility cost savings may make a smart home worth it.

Leveraging innovation and technology, smart homes make it easier to do things. Whether it is controlling applications using your phone or scheduling products to perform tasks at certain times, smart homes have revolutionized the way individuals do things, consume energy, and interact with their home products.

Stolojescu-Crisan, Cristina and et al. " An IoT-Based Smart Home Automation System ." Sensors (Basel) , vol. 21, no. 11, June 2021.

Setayeshfar, Omid and et al. " Privacy Invasion via Smart-Home Hub in Personal Area Networks ." Pervasive and Mobile Computing , vol. 85, September 2022.

Antonakakis, Manos and et al. " Understanding the Mirai Botnet ." Proceedings of the 26th USENIX Security Symposium, August 2017, pp. 1093-1110.

HomeAdvisor. " How Much Does a Smart Home Cost? "

Google. " Nest Mini ."

Amazon. " Amazon Smart Plug | Works with Alexa ."

Ring. " Ring's Best-Selling Doorbell ."

Wyze. " Wyze Thermostat ."

Vivint. " Start Building the Ultimate Smart Home ."

LG. " LG SIGNATURE 31 cu. ft. Smart Wi-Fi Enabled InstaView Door-in-Door Refrigerator ."

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How to Design Smart Homes? 8 Tips for Incorporating Domotics Into Architecture

• Written by José Tomás Franco
• Published on February 15, 2021

Home automation has long been associated with high costs, a burdening assembly time, and a cumbersome process that impelled us to discard the idea of automating projects. However, these days are long gone. 

With lower costs and easier assembly, today, developing a new project without home automation seems somewhat absurd. Below, with the help of AVE Chile , we've compiled a series of tips to help you incorporate domotics into your next project.

1. Experiencing home automation is key to understanding its value

The vast majority of people who have ever inhabited an automated space will hardly feel comfortable returning to traditional systems. To convince a new client, it's key that they can experience in situ the benefits of home automation: test the different options of a control panel, manage the environmental conditions of a space, change the intensity and color of the light, adjust the temperature, and/or interact with the different types of switches and their sensors .

2. The user must identify what they really want to control

Once the user experiences home automation, they may want to control everything, without much reason. By definition, home automation seeks to be globally intelligent, so it must function as a system that facilitates processes, without unnecessarily complicating the user's life . Automating the operation of an iron or a coffee machine, for example, may not make a real difference in the user's quality of life. However, the ability to program lights, alarms and/or heating at certain times of the day, will.

3. It's more effective to apply home automation to 'generate integrated solutions,' than to fulfill individual functions

Once the needs of the user have been identified, it's advisable to plan integrated solutions that allow programming and controlling of environments . For example, when selecting a predefined environment for the night, the system will execute, in a single process, the attenuation and shutdown of lights, the closing of curtains, and the activation of the alarm. This doesn't prevent the management of each option separately, but it's easier and more effective to consider them, from the outset, as responses as a whole.

4. There is no difference between a traditional electrical plan and a domotics plan

When bringing home automation into a built project, the architect must simply define the locations of the switches and other devices, and the specific functions of each one of them. With this plan, the company in charge of the installation of the automation system is responsible for intervening the electrical installation on site, giving the specialist the instruction to incorporate the wiring required by the home automation . This UTP ( Unshielded Twisted Pair ) cabling is much simpler than the one traditionally used, and occupies a single pipeline.

It's important to point out that home automation must be included in the construction plan before beginning the heavy work since in more advanced stages the complete process becomes more complex.

5. In just a couple of hours, an electrical specialist can learn to install a home automation system

It's not necessary for the electrical specialist chosen by the architect or client to be an expert in home automation in order to install it. The training related to this process can be done in just a few hours.

6. Properly programmed, the home automation system greatly reduces the energy consumption of the building

In the case of hotels, home automation allows spaces and rooms that are not in use to be kept completely off, taking detailed control of the use that each guest gives to each room. For example, if a guest has the heating on in his room and opens a window, the thermal system will shut down to avoid energy waste. Even during the night, while the guest sleeps, the system can be programmed to reduce the temperature slightly, saving a large amount of energy without the user noticing.

In addition, in buildings that use three-phase systems , it's possible to determine a maximum monthly energy consumption, avoiding that the expense exceeds the predetermined limit at the end of the month. The control panel gives the user a complete detail of this consumption: daily, weekly, monthly or yearly.

7. Home automation can improve the quality of life for elderly or differently abled people

Through centralized control panels and motion sensors, home automation can greatly facilitate and support the way in which older adults or people with disabilities inhabit their daily spaces. Among other benefits, it is possible to program the lighting of lights at a certain time of the day, increasing its intensity with the passing of the hours, or turning on and off automatically when the person enters certain rooms . In addition, people with Parkinson's disease or other motor diseases can solve the handling of the switches without touching them.

8. Integrate alarms in the home automation system to control remote intrusions or dangers

Including the alarm in a home automation system avoids the need to connect to a central, notifying the user directly on his mobile phone and showing in detail which door or window has been intruded. If surveillance cameras have been included, it's possible to see in real time what is happening in the building.

In the case of other hazards, such as a gas or water leak, the system warns the user to close the passage of these elements, while a definitive solution to the problem is found.

Editor's Note:  This article was published originally on January 08, 2019.

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设计一个家庭自动化的智能家居的8个技巧

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What Is a Smart Home? The Pros and Cons, Explained

What is a smart home? Learn the basics of smart home technology and whether a smart home is right for you.

You've probably heard the term "smart home" a lot recently. But what exactly is a smart home? What makes it "smart" and why would someone be interested in converting their home?

We're going to walk you through the ins and outs of a smart home so that you know whether the technology is for you.

What Is a Smart Home?

A smart home is any home that uses some form of electronic device to control or automate everyday tasks. These homes often consolidate around a central hub that allows communication between all of the devices located in the house.

These devices can range from temperature sensors, smart thermostats, wall switches, smart plugs, water sensors, door and window sensors, motion sensors, and many other integrated devices. Like your smartphone—which does more than just allow you to make phone calls—a smart home can allow you to automate many of your home tasks.

For example, let's say you wanted to have your thermostat automatically decrease the temperature when you left for work in the morning. A smart home with an integrated thermostat could allow you to do that. Or, if you wanted to unlock your front door for guests, but you were stuck at the office, a well-equipped smart home would allow you to.

Finally, what if you wanted to turn off your Christmas lights at precisely 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday? A smart home with the proper setup could also allow you to automate this task. Some smart home devices can even vacuum your house or mow your lawn.

Smart homes save time, increase security, improve comfort, and make life more enjoyable for homeowners.

Related: What is a Smart Home Hub?

How Do Smart Homes Work?

The easiest way to describe how a smart home works is to think of the home like the human body. In most smart homes, there is a brain, which is often an app or a set of apps on a mobile device. This central device is known as a hub.

The hub directs all activity to the smart devices on the network. If the home is like a body, these devices are its limbs. Using the power of the internet and integrated connectivity, these devices get instructions from the hub and then perform certain mechanical behaviors based on those instructions.

The behaviors—called automations—can range from sending a text to a family member to turning on all of the lights in the house and engaging a security alarm.

Many people have built smart homes that perform complex tasks, and companies like Apple and SmartThings have included programming tools in their software to make creating these automations easier.

Related: The Best Smart Doorbells for Your Home

Smart Home Communication Protocols

To communicate with devices, smart home hubs need some sort of communication language that both the device and the hub understand. Because many smart home products exist on the market, several manufacturers have standardized these communication protocols. Rather than using several hundred protocols that don't work together, the smart home industry has narrowed it down to just a few: Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread, KNX, Control4, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi.

The most prominent protocols currently in use are Zigbee and Z-Wave. However, many manufacturers have begun to move more toward Thread as it offers some unique benefits over the other, more popular, protocols. Additionally, some Bluetooth devices don't need internet connectivity to function, which appeals to some people.

Related: What's the Difference Between Zigbee and Z-Wave?

Smart Home Benefits

What are some of the most significant benefits of a smart home? The most considerable benefit is convenience. Smart homes allow you to do things like control HVAC in your home from anywhere in the world (including your couch), turn lighting on or off, control external sprinkler systems, and even view guests arriving at your front door.

Most of these tasks can be completed using a mobile device or the smart home hub. You can even set up certain tasks to happen at specific times or on particular days. Setting a smart thermostat optimally or setting an irrigation system to stay off when it's raining are ways that smart homes can also save money.

Smart homes can also eliminate some of the hassles of access that plague some homeowners. If you have a dog-walker or a landscaping service, you can give those people access to your home even if you are away at work or on vacation.

Customization is also a significant benefit of smart homes. Because there are so many products available, you can tailor your home to your personal preference. Every smart home is as unique as its owner, and the possibilities are only as limited as your imagination.

Lastly, smart homes offer upgraded security benefits over a typical home. In-home cameras and doorbell cameras can make thieves think twice about trying to break in. Motion sensors and door/window sensors can also keep rambunctious teenagers from leaving the house without you knowing about it.

Smart Home Downsides

There are only a few minor issues that can come up with a smart home, and they all have to do with connectivity.

When a device malfunctions or loses its connection, it can create havoc. Because networks fail frequently, you may want to consider what alternative methods of control you have if a smart item stops working. Fortunately, these connectivity issues are usually only temporary.

Related: How to Reconnect a Smart Light Switch That Has Lost Connection

Getting Started With Your Smart Home

There are some great products available if you are interested in setting up a smart home. Though, it's best to plan out your installation before you go buying random tech. For many people, a smart home starter kit is an excellent place to begin the journey. These kits offer many standard devices, such as motion sensors and smart plugs, that you can experiment with before diving in deep.

You might also want to check out some of the most common products, such as smart bulbs or thermostats. Also, there are many uses for inexpensive smart plugs to get your creativity started. It's recommended that you brainstorm some ideas about how you might use these items before buying, though, just to make sure you're not wasting your money.

A Smarter Home Starts Here

Building your own smart home doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Adding a few products at first and doing some experimentation can open the door to a home that offers much higher levels of convenience and comfort. By building a smart home, you're upgrading your security, customization, flexibility, and satisfaction.

You also don't need to buy a lot of products to consider your home smart. One or two is enough. Just know, if you really want to customize your space to its fullest potential, then the option is also available.

Study Like a Boss

Smart Houses

The world of computer technology is continuously advancing each and every day. We look back at what we had 5 years ago and are amazed to see how far we have come in such a short time. To know what to expect in the upcoming years is impossible, for technology is at such a constant increase. Computer technology is a wonderful tool and can benefit many people if you are willing to accept it. One of the advancements on the rise is Smart Houses. A Smart House is a house that is controlled by computers with artificial intelligence.

Many people are choosing to turn their houses into smart ones in order to create a safer and more technological environment. Throughout my report, I will discuss some features that I would include in my own smart house, such as safety and convenience. I think the most common reason that my house will be a smart house is for safety purposes. Not only does it give a peace of mind to know that my house is protected at all times, but it gives protection in times of danger.

Brinks Home Security provides several packages which you can accustom to your price range and allows you to pick the package which is right for your home. The standardized system is controlled by a digital keypad, which allows you to type in a 3-digit number that enables the system. It also features three panic buttons that directly contact the police department, the fire department, and the hospital in one quick touch of a button. This package comes with 2 door and window sensors that set the alarm off if they are opened while the system is armed.

It also comes with a motion detector that detects heat and body movements. If any of these features are triggered, a siren will sound which makes your family and the intruder aware that the Brinks monitoring center are being notified. Some extra features are a glass break protector, smoke & heat detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors. The system also provides a keyless keyfob that allows you to enable or disable the system with a touch of a quick button. As you can see, the Brinks Home Security provides a thorough package of home safety features.

Not only is it reliable, but also gives a secure way to keep your house safely protected. Other systems, such as the FireCracker Kit from X10. com , provide you with an affordable and easy system. It allows you to control all the systems in your house based from your computer. You can make your coffeepot start brewing or your turning off your lamp simply by the click of a mouse. Control all the lights in your house with your PC or with a remote. One touch of a button and your lights will be on, your heater turned up, and your bath tub already starting to get filled. How much better can it get?

I would also have a Robo-dog in my Smart House. This is a robotic dog, which features a motion sensor that puts the dog into a barking frenzy when it is set off. This not only scares the intruder, but it also notifies me that there is something wrong. The Robo-dog provides the benefits of a good guard dog without the inconvenience of attending to a pet. It would be placed near the door so if an intruder breaks in, then my guard dog will stop him in his tracks. There are many simple and affordable ways to keep your house, and mine, secure. Another common reason for a Smart House is convenience.

Imagine being able to control the temperature of your house or turning on your lights with one simple phone call. X10 provides just that . The touch-tone controller activates lights, reboots PCs and sets air for heating or air conditioning with a quick touch of a button. I can access this via any touch-tone phone or from the manual control keypad placed in my house. This gives the convenience of coming home to a warm, well-light house without having to go through the hassle of putting wood in the wood-stove or waiting for the heater to heat up the house.

A number of software programs are available that are needed to run a smart house. One of the programs suggested by the Home Automation Forum is the HomeSeer . This is a software program that allows you to run all of your computer-automated systemssuch as the touch-tone keypad. It has speech recognition and synthesis that allows you to control your programs simply by the sound of your voice. You simply need to program words into the system, such as bathroom light on and as soon as it recognizes your words, it turns the bathroom light on.

It also allows variations, so if you said bathroom on it would also perform the same task. It also has an email alert program. If something is irregular in your house, it will notify you via email as soon as it notices the problem. This will give you the security in knowing your house is protected and watched at all times. The inventor of HomeSeer, Rich Helmke, is currently working on a new program that is a tapi phone interface. This will give you all the control you want, as described by the Home Automation Forum.

A variety of free downloads of HomeSeer for trial offers are available at http://keware. com/download. htm#hscm11. As you can see, the possibilities for a Smart Houses are endless. Home automation is on a rise and soon we will no longer have to worry about those tedious tasks that are so time consuming in our daily lives. Cooking & cleaning wont even be a concern anymore, for your smart house will provide you with the living environment you desire. Consider making your house a smart house and provide your family with the security and convenience that they deserve.

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How is technology changing the homes we live in? How can hi-tech homes help old people to live independently? Read the article to find out about research and development into smarthomes in the UK.

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People taking care of the elderly or sick at home may get help from the house itself.

Big changes

The beginning of the 21st century saw a revolution in home-living with new technology changing the places where we live, from the wireless internet to TV screens that hang on walls, and it seems technology could be changing our homes again. A project conducted by Johann Siau, Senior Lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire’s School of Engineering and Technology, builds on the University’s InterHome project  –  aiming to create a home that monitors people living at home who are frail or elderly.

The InterHome

‘We’ve developed a wrist-band type device,’ says Johann Siau, ‘which allows us to monitor the condition of an elderly person, or whoever is wearing the device. It allows us to collect data of a person, to detect if the person has fallen or is away from where they are supposed to be. It connects an elderly person with an assisted-living type device with the InterHome.’ The assisted-living project is part of the University’s wider InterHome project, which is the development of a smart house. The house stores the usage patterns of the person living there and can adapt to make it as energy efficient as possible. ‘Linking the two together, and building the service element, allows us to introduce the assisted-living idea to care for the elderly. It’s very important that these technologies are there to help and support rather than to replace any of the existing services.’

Built from zero

The InterHome is not just a prototype (a doll’s house at the moment) or a vehicle for research, it’s a study tool where students from a range of scientific disciplines get to learn and develop technology. The InterHome incorporates the latest broadband technology, mobile data and communication. Researchers and students make sure all the technology works together. ‘We’ve used this to teach our undergraduate students, as well as our postgraduate students, and gives us the flexibility to be able to design our systems because the hardware and software is developed in-house.’ It requires a variety of skills from students – electronic engineers, embedded-system engineers, computer students, design students. ‘The current plan we are working on is a smart home project in Watford with some commercial companies,’ says Johann Siau. ‘We are looking at how a smarter home can provide extra value services.’

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Green City Planning and Practices in Asian Cities pp 39–76 Cite as

How Green Is Your Smart House: Looking Back to the Original Concept of the Smart House

• Puteri Fitriaty 6 , 7 ,
• Zhenjiang Shen 8 &
• Kenichi Sugihara 9  
• First Online: 22 March 2018

2276 Accesses

4 Citations

Part of the book series: Strategies for Sustainability ((SPPSDE))

The smart house has been a growing field of interest among researchers and entrepreneurs in recent years. The smart house is designed to create a high quality of life based on technologies of functional automation within residential buildings. It provides a platform to monitor and control certain appliances in the house environment. The concept of the smart house is discussed in this chapter.

An in-depth literature study of the smart house was conducted to establish smart house principles and parameters, then these were compared with the principles and parameters of the green house to identified the similarities and the differences between those two concepts. Concept and parameter implementation of the smart house in practice was investigated through a field survey and online materials. Japan, as one of the leading countries in smart house technology, was chosen as a case study. Six smart houses were selected to evaluate the concept implementation and compare smart house concepts with those of the green house.

The results showed that the smart house concept and the green house concept have an intersection of sets relationship. The intersection set parameters are the parameters included in the principles of respect for users, conservation of energy and water, and working with the climate.

• Energy efficient
• Green concept
• Smart house parameters
• Quality of life

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to JSPS (C) for providing funds through the Urban Planning Laboratory (project no. 15 K06354), Kanazawa University.

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Architectural Department, Engineering Faculty, Tadulako University, Palu, Indonesia

Puteri Fitriaty

Urban Planning Laboratory, Environmental Design Division, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan

School of Natural Science and Technology, Environmental Design Division, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa City, Japan

Zhenjiang Shen

Faculty of Information Media, Gifu Keizai University, Ogaki, Japan

Kenichi Sugihara

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Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Chongqing University, Chongqing, Chong Qing, China

Institute of Design, Taipei University of Technology, Taipei City, Taipei, Taiwan

KuangHui Peng

Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan

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Fitriaty, P., Shen, Z., Sugihara, K. (2018). How Green Is Your Smart House: Looking Back to the Original Concept of the Smart House. In: Shen, Z., Huang, L., Peng, K., Pai, J. (eds) Green City Planning and Practices in Asian Cities. Strategies for Sustainability(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70025-0_3

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How smart homes have changed architecture guide

How smart homes have changed architecture advice, Modern house guide, Online property help tips

How Smart Homes Have Changed Architecture

9 October 2021

Do you dream of turning your house into a digital home where all the systems will work in unison and can be controlled remotely using your smartphone! If you have an affirmative response, then you have come to the right place.

How Smart Homes Have Changed Design

Today we are going to discuss how the trend of smart homes has been imparting a facelift to the architecture industry:

• Most modern-day homes rely on cables and cords. This makes it imperative for a designer to take the wiring into account while coming up with home renovation ideas. Doing this often limits their potential. The wireless capabilities of a smart home architecture can change all of that so that architects can enjoy greater freedom in their work.
• Lighting has a big role to play in affecting our moods and concentration levels. Warm lighting induces a relaxed feel whereas blue light boosts up our energy meter during the daytime so that we can focus more on our tasks. The pre-set schedules are followed by smart lighting for ensuring the right atmosphere before you set foot inside your house.
• The ambiance of our home is improved to a great extent by natural light entering our space at the right time. This is where the pre-set modes of smart curtains come into play so that we can wake up to the gentle sun rays caressing our faces at daybreak. It can also help in the creation of a secluded sleeping atmosphere at night.

These curtains can add to the safety quotient of your homes by randomly opening and closing even when the house is empty so that outsiders can’t comprehend if you are out on a vacation. Your energy bills will reduce drastically as the smart curtains help maintain your desired temperature by keeping the heat in or out. Geolocation data from your phone alerts the system whenever you leave home so that curtains can insulate during winter and keep heat out during summer.

• Music never fails to create the right atmosphere whether you are cooking in the kitchen or working in the garage. The process of integrating audio systems in your existing home architecture can be a challenging drill. Custom-designed or nearly invisible speakers can solve this issue by matching your house ambiance and offering utmost flexibility whether you wish to listen to music in a particular or all the rooms of your house. Smart audio systems make it possible to play the same audio simultaneously in all rooms or different tracks for different rooms.
• We rarely enjoy doing household chores. Smart appliances can make this process easier by taking care of all the house chores quickly and efficiently. A simple tap of a button is all it takes to remotely vacuum your living room, cook a pot roast and even make coffee. You can take the example of Samsung refrigerators which bank on built-in cameras to remotely view the contents inside the fridge for easy shopping.

A smart home comprises multiple devices which remain connected with the internet through your broadband – https://www.broadbandchoices.co.uk/broadband/cheap-deals . This acts as a medium of accessing the devices either through remote or voice control. Herein lies the importance of choosing a proper broadband connection that can render adequate support to your home devices without succumbing to network issues.

It is also important to get a heavy-duty smartphone that can exercise remote control over your devices. The smartphone market is filled with phone deals and you can take your pick among the various options after considering your specific requirements. Since the internet has a big role to play in determining the efficacy of your smart home, you can choose amongst sim-only  deals with superb data capacity so that you can control your home appliances directly using your smartphone. All the architectural trends listed above can impart a facelift to your home design and help transition into a smart home.

Comments on this guide to how smart homes have changed architecture article are welcome.

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Buy one of the 6 best smart locks in 2024 and ditch your house keys forever

By Jason R. Rich

Updated on: April 2, 2024 / 6:27 PM EDT / Essentials

CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms.

Tired of losing your house keys? 

The latest smart locks work with any door that already has a dead bolt, and you can control them from anywhere using your smartphone. And if you don't like using your phone, no worries; some of the best smart locks also have a built in keypad, so you can create a personal code for each member of your household, as well as temporary codes that only work once for, say, a petsitter or housekeeper.

On their own, a smart lock adds an added level of security to any home. But they get even handier when you bundle them with a video doorbell  and home security cameras . You can see who's at your door and, if you like, even let them in when you're not there.

And if you have other gear such as a smart thermostat or smart lighting  you can control all of it, including a new smart lock, from the same smartphone app, like the Apple Home app on an iPhone or the Google Home app on an Android device.

• Best smart lock overall : Schlage Encode Plus

Best budget smart lock : Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro

• Best smart lock for easy installation : August Wi-Fi Smart Lock

Best smart lock with easy share e-keys : Lockly Secure Plus Deadbolt

Best smart lock and video doorbell combo : eufy security e330.

• Best smart lock with a keypad : Yale Assure Lock

What is the best smart lock pick in 2024?

Our consumer tech gurus have curated this collection of the best smart locks available. Each selection offers something unique, as well as -- of course -- a new level of home security that makes it easier to make your home safer.

Best smart lock overall : Schlage Encode Plus 

Entry methods : Smartphone, keypad, metal key | Wi-Fi support : Yes | Battery : 4x "AA" batteries | Waterproof : Certified Commercial Grade 1 (not IP rated) | Dimensions : 5 x 3 x 0.9 inches | Color/finish options : 4 color, 2 style options | Auto lock feature : No |  Compatibility : iOS, Android, Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Schlage Home app

The Schlage Encode Plus is a Wi-Fi enabled smart lock that you can remotely control using your smartphone or voice. Create up to 100 passcodes for household members and guests. The lock is easy to install and uses AA batteries that'll last for up to six months. As a backup, the lock works with a supplied metal key.

Choose between four finish colors and two design styles -- Camelot (shown here) or Century (a more modern design). Using a smartphone app, you can see a log of when people come and go from your home, receive customizable notifications and manage multiple locks at the same time. 

There's also a customizable alarm that senses door movement and break-in attempts. Installation can be done using just a screwdriver. No hardwiring is required. 

Meanwhile, an auto-lock feature conveniently re-locks the door for you when you leave. It has a variety of time-delay options to choose from. The lock also provides one-touch locking from the exterior touchscreen, which makes locking up super easy.

Entry methods : Smartphone, keypad, biometric, metal key |  Wi-Fi support : Yes |  Battery : 4x "AA" batteries |  Waterproof : IP65 rated |  Dimensions : 2.95 x 1.22 x 2.95 inches |  Color/finish options : Zinc |  Auto lock feature : Yes |  Compatibility : iOS, Android, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings, IFTTT

When it comes to keyless smart locks, you can't go wrong with the competitively priced Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro. Control it using a smartphone, or a biometric fingerprint sensor and numeric keypad built into the lock.

We like that this lock offers easy installation and is waterproof (IP65 rated). One really useful feature is the lock's geofencing capabilities; if you like, the U-Bolt Pro will automatically unlock whenever you approach. You can also program e-key passcodes that offer permanent access, or that can only be used only on certain dates or preset times.

The lock itself is made from premium and durable metal. Installation can be done using just a screwdriver, with no hardwiring or drilling required -- as long as you're replacing a standard deadbolt lock. The four AA batteries used to power the lock will work up to 8,000 times before needing to be replaced.

Best smart lock for easy installation : August Wi-Fi smart lock (4th Gen)

Entry methods : Smartphone, biometrics  |  Wi-Fi support : Yes |  Battery : 2x CR123A (included) |  Waterproof : No |  Dimensions : 2.8 x 2.8 x 2.75 inches |  Color/finish options : Matte black, silver |  Auto lock feature : Yes |  Compatibility : iOS, Android, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit (Siri), Samsung SmartThings, Apple Watch

One of the great things about this smart lock is that it sits on the inside of your door, right over your existing deadbolt lock. Installation takes just minutes. Control it remotely using your smartphone, or gain entry using a fingerprint scan.

Another useful feature is that the August Wi-Fi smart lock can be controlled using voice commands via a smart speaker or home hub. Using the smartphone app, you can quickly and easily share permanent, scheduled or temporary access codes to your home with friends, family and other people you trust. Best of all, you'll never need to leave a key under the doormat again.

The August Wi-Fi will auto-unlock as you get home for totally hands-free entry, a feature which can be turned on or off. With the auto-lock feature, your home automatically secures once the door is closed, or after a set amount of time. 

For phone-free home access, you can connect a smart keypad (sold separately) to unlock the door with unique codes. 

Entry methods : Smartphone, biometric, keypad, metal key |  Wi-Fi support : Yes |  Battery : 4x "AA" batteries |  Waterproof : Water resistant |  Dimensions : 7.4 x 3.2 x 4.5 inches |  Color/finish options : Satin nickel, matte black, Venetian bronze, brushed gold |  Auto lock feature : Yes |  Compatibility : iOS, Android, Amazon Alexa

This smart lock from Lockly is controlled using an app, or use a built-in fingerprint scanner and numeric keypad. In a pinch, you can lock or unlock the door using a metal key.

Using the smartphone app, you can remotely lock or unlock the door from anywhere, plus program up to 16 key codes and check the lock's activity log. This lock is well made and durable. It's also especially easy to set up and use. 

Placing a finger over the lock's biometric sensor will unlock the door in less than one second. There's even a feature that automatically re-locks the door when you leave. The Secure Plus Deadbolt can be set up to accept Alexa voice commands via a compatible smartphone, smart speaker or home hub.

Entry methods : Smartphone, biometrics, keypad, metal key |  Wi-Fi support : Yes |  Battery : 10,000mAh rechargable |  Waterproof : IP53 rated |  Dimensions : 8.7 x 7.1 x 3.1 |  Color/finish options : Grey aluminum |  Auto lock feature : Yes |  Compatibility : iOS, Android, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Eufy Security app | Camera resolution : 2K

It's super convenient to install a video doorbell near a front entranceway; you can see who comes and goes from anywhere using a smartphone. And when someone approaches the door, you can speak with and see them using a smartphone app.

The folks at Eufy have combined the functionality of a smart lock and video doorbell into one unit that can be controlled using a single app. Operate the lock using its fingerprint scanner, numeric passcodes or a metal key. The Eufy app allows you to manage all aspects of the lock and video doorbell from virtually anywhere.

The built-in camera offers 2K HD resolution using an f/1.6 lens for clear visibility, even at night. No matter where you are, see who's at your door through the doorbell camera and manage your lock with the Eufy Security app. Stay informed with notifications and easily handle access for any visitor. This lock/video doorbell combo can be installed in between 15 and 30 minutes using just a screwdriver.

Best smart lock with a keypad : Yale Assure Lock 2 Touch

Entry methods : Smartphone, keypad, metal key |  Wi-Fi support : Yes |  Battery : 4x "AA" batteries |  Waterproof : IP55 rated |  Dimensions : 3.75 x 2.5 x 0.9 inches |  Color/finish options : Satin nickel, black suede, bronze |  Auto lock feature : Yes |  Compatibility : iOS, Android, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Philips Hue, Yale Access app, Apple Watch

The Yale Assure Lock is ideal for Apple users, because it supports iOS, Apple HomeKit and Siri. However, it works with Android and Amazon Alexa devices, too. The lock has a built in numeric keypad and fingerprint sensor. It comes with the required bridge and can be fully controlled and managed using your phone.

In fact, you can lock, unlock, share access and see who comes and goes from anywhere using the Yale Access app. You can even set up the lock to unlock automatically as you get home and have your phone on you. Without the phone, simply use the keypad for entry. 

The lock can be set up to work in conjunction with a Blink video doorbell (sold separately). If you're an Airbnb host, this smart lock is ideal for allowing your guests entry, since it offers advanced guest management features and notifications.

How to choose a smart lock for your home

All of the smart locks featured in this roundup are designed to either replace or work with a standard deadbolt. In most cases, you'll be able to install the smart lock in 30 minutes or less, using just a screwdriver. 

• Compatibility : If the smart lock is your first piece of smart tech, focus on compatibility with your smartphone and whether the lock will work with the Apple Home (for an iPhone) or Google Home (with Android devices) app. This will also impact which digital assistant the lock will accept voice commands from, such as Google Siri, Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. If the smart lock will be used in with other smart-home gear, such as a video doorbell, smart speaker or home hub, ensure it all will work together, even if it's not all from the same brand.
• Methods of entry : The goal of a smart lock is to eliminate the need for a metal key to lock or unlock the door. Along with your compatibility with your smartphone, home hub or smart speaker, you might want a lock that has a built-in keypad for programmable passcodes; a fingerprint scanner; and a place for a traditional metal key as a backup.
• Battery life : Smart locks are powered using replaceable batteries or a rechargeable battery pack. For added convenience, you want a lock with a battery that's rated to last at least for a full year.
• Sturdiness and security : The best smart locks are not just visually appealing, easy to install and simple to operate, they're also made from quality components and offer the same, if not better, security that a traditional deadbolt. Also, pay attention to the smart lock's IP rating if it will be exposed to harsh weather.

When it comes to keeping up with the latest  technologies , our team of consumer tech experts has you covered with comprehensive product roundups, in-depth product reviews and details about where and how to find the best deals. We cover everything from  laptops  and  action cameras , to the best  TVs ,  smart grills ,  tablets ,  smartwatches  and noise canceling  earbuds  and  headphones .

Jason R. Rich ( www.JasonRich.com ) is an internationally recognized consumer technology expert with more than 30 years' writing experience. He's also an accomplished author and photographer. One of his most recently published books, The Remote Worker's Handbook: How to Effectively Work From Anywhere ($24.99, Entrepreneur Books) is now available from Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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HGTV's 2024 Smart Home Is Here! Find Out Where It's Located and Get an Exclusive First Look Inside

PEOPLE has a sneak peek of all the house's amazing features, plus how to enter to win it

Natalia Senanayake is an Editorial Assistant, Lifestyle at PEOPLE. She covers all things travel and home, from celebrities' luxury mansions to breaking travel news.

HGTV Smart Home 2024 is a serene, contemporary escape.

PEOPLE can exclusively reveal the ultra modern, yet cozy abode is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and designed by HGTV’s Tiffany Brooks for the tenth year in a row.

The host is sharing a first look at the two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom retreat that one lucky fan will get the keys to in the video tour, above. Along with the 2,035-square-foot pad, the winner of the prize will receive an all-electric Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV as well as $150,000. The entire prize amounts to over $1 million.

“This year’s home is a sophisticated retreat where neutral, relaxed and airy spaces meet modern, high tech, sleek features,” Brooks says. “The smart living solutions and cozy feel will provide the winner the perfect balance.”

Stepping inside the home, Brooks reveals that the previous design of the house had closed-off, separated rooms before they opened up the floor plan on the first level. 

The HGTV designer shows off the “airy” living room, which features a wall-spanning fireplace, skylights, and a library with a TV that can also function “as a piece of art.” The space also includes folding glass doors for easy indoor/outdoor living.

The living room opens up into the dining and kitchen area, where built-in banquette seating can accommodate eight people, and extra storage can be found underneath. 

Behind the banquette lies the modern kitchen, which Brooks refers to as “the most head-turning renovation that we have in the house.” The designer reveals they intentionally avoided upper cabinets so there would be room for the double windows overlooking the lush backyard.

A tucked-away pantry includes amenities like a microwave, ice maker, extra storage and a beverage refrigerator.

In the primary bedroom, Brooks made sure to add a number of “smart features” for the future homeowners to enjoy. Some of these include remote-controlled shades, LED lights wrapped around the ceiling and a headboard equipped with a reading light and bluetooth connectivity. 

The serene primary bathroom has double sinks and a wet room with dual shower heads, body sprays, adjustable handhelds and a soaking tub. 

Upstairs, the media room also boasts a “fully-equipped” snack bar, according to Brooks. 

Down the hall past the laundry room and guest bathroom lies a blush-tone guest bedroom. A second guest room has a “hand-painted mural on the ceiling, that’s a nod to Atlanta being known as the city in the forest,” Brooks says.

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The front exterior of the home plays into the nature theme with what Brooks calls a “massive living plant wall that’s low maintenance.”

In the backyard, the deck features plenty of seating around double fire pits for cozy nights. The home also has its own outdoor kitchen, dining area and pergola that leads directly into the primary bedroom.

Fans can enter to win the HGTV Smart Home 2024 twice per day starting April 19 at 9 a.m. on HGTV.com/Smart and FoodNetwork.com/HGTVSmart.

Related Articles

Smart Houses

The world of computer technology is continuously advancing each and every day. We look back at what we had 5 years ago and are amazed to see how far we have come in such a short time. To know what to expect in the upcoming years is impossible, for technology is at such a constant increase. Computer technology is a wonderful tool and can benefit many people if you are willing to accept it. One of the advancements on the rise is Smart Houses. A Smart House is a house that is controlled by computers with artificial intelligence.

Many people are choosing to turn their houses into smart ones in order to create a safer and more technological environment. Throughout my report, I will discuss some features that I would include in my own smart house, such as safety and convenience. I think the most common reason that my house will be a smart house is for safety purposes. Not only does it give a peace of mind to know that my house is protected at all times, but it gives protection in times of danger.

Brinks Home Security provides several packages which you can accustom to your price range and allows you to pick the package which is right for your home. The standardized system is controlled by a digital keypad, which allows you to type in a 3-digit number that enables the system. It also features three panic buttons that directly contact the police department, the fire department, and the hospital in one quick touch of a button. This package comes with 2 door and window sensors that set the alarm off if they are opened while the system is armed.

It also comes with a motion detector that detects heat and body movements. If any of these features are triggered, a siren will sound which makes your family and the intruder aware that the Brinks monitoring center are being notified. Some extra features are a glass break protector, smoke & heat detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors. The system also provides a keyless keyfob that allows you to enable or disable the system with a touch of a quick button. As you can see, the Brinks Home Security provides a thorough package of home safety features.

Not only is it reliable, but also gives a secure way to keep your house safely protected. Other systems, such as the FireCracker Kit from X10. com , provide you with an affordable and easy system. It allows you to control all the systems in your house based from your computer. You can make your coffeepot start brewing or your turning off your lamp simply by the click of a mouse. Control all the lights in your house with your PC or with a remote. One touch of a button and your lights will be on, your heater turned up, and your bath tub already starting to get filled. How much better can it get?

I would also have a Robo-dog in my Smart House. This is a robotic dog, which features a motion sensor that puts the dog into a barking frenzy when it is set off. This not only scares the intruder, but it also notifies me that there is something wrong. The Robo-dog provides the benefits of a good guard dog without the inconvenience of attending to a pet. It would be placed near the door so if an intruder breaks in, then my guard dog will stop him in his tracks. There are many simple and affordable ways to keep your house, and mine, secure. Another common reason for a Smart House is convenience.

Imagine being able to control the temperature of your house or turning on your lights with one simple phone call. X10 provides just that . The touch-tone controller activates lights, reboots PCs and sets air for heating or air conditioning with a quick touch of a button. I can access this via any touch-tone phone or from the manual control keypad placed in my house. This gives the convenience of coming home to a warm, well-light house without having to go through the hassle of putting wood in the wood-stove or waiting for the heater to heat up the house.

A number of software programs are available that are needed to run a smart house. One of the programs suggested by the Home Automation Forum is the HomeSeer . This is a software program that allows you to run all of your computer-automated systemssuch as the touch-tone keypad. It has speech recognition and synthesis that allows you to control your programs simply by the sound of your voice. You simply need to program words into the system, such as bathroom light on and as soon as it recognizes your words, it turns the bathroom light on.

It also allows variations, so if you said bathroom on it would also perform the same task. It also has an email alert program. If something is irregular in your house, it will notify you via email as soon as it notices the problem. This will give you the security in knowing your house is protected and watched at all times. The inventor of HomeSeer, Rich Helmke, is currently working on a new program that is a tapi phone interface. This will give you all the control you want, as described by the Home Automation Forum.

A variety of free downloads of HomeSeer for trial offers are available at http://keware. com/download. htm#hscm11. As you can see, the possibilities for a Smart Houses are endless. Home automation is on a rise and soon we will no longer have to worry about those tedious tasks that are so time consuming in our daily lives. Cooking & cleaning wont even be a concern anymore, for your smart house will provide you with the living environment you desire. Consider making your house a smart house and provide your family with the security and convenience that they deserve.

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2024 White House Easter Egg Roll in photos

New Research

Microplastics Are Contaminating Ancient Archaeological Sites

New research suggests plastic particles may pose a threat to the preservation of historic remains

Aaron Boorstein

Staff Contributor

Today, microplastics are found almost everywhere: oceans , food , the atmosphere and even human lungs , blood and placenta s. But while they’re thought of as a modern problem, plastic particles are now appearing where one might least expect: ancient archaeological sites.

Researchers found microplastics in soil deposits 7.35 meters (24.11 feet) below the ground, according to a study published this month in the journal Science of the Total Environment . The soil samples date to the first or early second century C.E. and were sourced from two archaeological sites in York, England. Some were excavated in the late 1980s, while others were contemporary samples.

The scientists then used an imaging technique called μFTIR , which can detect microplastics’ quantities, size and composition. Across all samples, they found 66 particles consisting of 16 polymer types.

“This feels like an important moment, confirming what we should have expected: that what were previously thought to be pristine archaeological deposits, ripe for investigation, are in fact contaminated with plastics,” says John Schofield , an archaeologist at the University of York, in a statement .

Microplastics are fragments of plastic that are smaller than five millimeters long, the diameter of a standard pencil eraser . They come from a variety of sources, including laundry, landfills, beauty products and sewage sludge.

“In the last not even 100 years—mostly since the 1950s—we as humans have produced eight billion tons of plastic, and the estimate is only about 10 percent of that has been recycled,” Leigh Shemitz, president of the climate education group SoundWaters, told Yale Sustainability in 2020.

Microplastics have been found in soil samples before. In fact, almost one-third of all plastic waste ends up in soil or freshwater, according to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification .

But the new study provides “the first evidence of [microplastic] contamination in archaeological sediment (or soil) samples,” write the researchers. These findings could change how archaeologists protect historic sites.

“While preserving archaeological remains in situ has been the favored approach in recent years, the new findings could trigger a change in approach, as microplastic contamination could compromise the remains’ scientific value,” writes CNN ’s Jack Guy.

In situ , Latin for “in the place,” is the term used to describe archaeological objects that have not been moved from their original locations. Leaving remains in situ helps prevent site and artifact damage, preserves contextual setting and allows future researchers to gather information.

“The presence of microplastics can and will change the chemistry of the soil, potentially introducing elements which will cause the organic remains to decay,” says David Jennings , chief executive of York Archaeology, in the statement. “If that is the case, preserving archaeology in situ may no longer be appropriate.”

Now, the researchers will shift their attention toward better understanding the implications of their findings. They know microplastics could threaten the integrity of archaeological samples, but what exactly does that harm look like?

“To what extent this contamination compromises the evidential value of these deposits and their national importance is what we'll try to find out next,” says Schofield.

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Aaron Boorstein | READ MORE

Aaron Boorstein is an intern with  Smithsonian magazine.

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House will send impeachment articles against Mayorkas to Senate on April 10

Lexie Schapitl

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks during the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Winter Meeting in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024.(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) Jose Luis Magana/AP hide caption

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks during the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Winter Meeting in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024.(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

House Republicans will deliver two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate on April 10, Speaker Mike Johnson announced Thursday.

Johnson and the Republican House members assigned to prosecute the impeachment shared the update in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. They urged Schumer to "schedule a trial on the matter expeditiously."

Schumer and his staff have promised to start the process of swearing senators in as jurors the day after the articles are received in the chamber. Washington Senator Patty Murray, the Senate President Pro Tempore, will preside over the trial.

The House passed the two articles of impeachment by one vote in February — with only Republican support — making Mayorkas the first cabinet member to be impeached since William Belknap, secretary of war under President Ulysses S. Grant, in 1876. Three Republicans voted with all Democrats against the impeachment.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas impeached by House Republicans

But the proceedings stalled as lawmakers negotiated must-pass spending bills and worked to avert a government shutdown. Lawmakers chose to pause the impeachment process because Senate rules require all other business to be suspended while impeachment is prosecuted on the Senate floor.

The articles accuse Mayorkas of "willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law" in enforcing border policy and "breach public trust." After their passage, Schumer called the impeachment effort against Mayorkas a "sham," and said in statement that Republicans have failed to demonstrate that the secretary has committed any impeachable offenses.

The Democratically-controlled Senate is widely expected to acquit or otherwise sidestep the charges and allow Mayorkas to remain in his role. Some Republicans in the upper chamber have also expressed doubts that Mayorkas' actions rise to the "high crimes and misdemeanors" standard set by the Constitution for impeachments.

NPR's Eric McDaniel contributed to this report.