Discovering why.... automated heating.

Several of our blog entries have referenced or focused on automation from a holistic view-point, looking at what ‘automation’ or ‘internet of things’ mean for the home, how can such a system be applied in the home, and what does this mean for you the end user. In this post, the first of a new series, we are going to deep-dive into an area of your home and explore what automation can do for it, what products are available and what having them would mean for you the controller.

Discovering why…. automated heating.

Heating your home is the most energy-intensive activity that happens in your home, not to mention one of the most important! Heating contributes up to 60% of all your energy usage. (Report) As a domesticated species we have moved from open fires to stoves, to boilers and radiators, and as with most areas of technology the major developments have occurred within our lifetime - combination boilers which provide both hot water for heating and washing, under-floor heating systems that provide much greater efficiency, and thermostats that allow for the definition of temperature that your home is heated to.

All devices that have been developed within the ‘home automation’ and ‘internet of things’ arena are intended to give you - the user - the ability to access and control that device - and the system it is connected to - when you are not physically in front of it. It is also designed to allow that device to have a degree of decision-making and autonomy placed upon it, should you so wish. The controller interface linking into a system is how automation has and will continue to influence our relationship with devices, services and products. For heating your home, this means becoming close and personal with your thermostat.

Thermostat, a modern word based on two ancient Greek ones: thermo (meaning heat) and statos (which means standing and is related to words like stasis, status quo, and static—meaning to stay the same). We can tell just from its name that a thermostat is something that "keeps heat the same": when our home is too cold, the thermostat switches on the heating so things quickly warm up; once the temperature reaches the level we've set, the thermostat switches the heating off so we don't boil.

Home thermostats have benefitted from development over many years, from the humble wired thermostat located in close proximity to the boiler (and annoyingly out of reach for us all as kids as the winter months set in) to the wireless, multi-zone thermostats able to create cosy environments in living quarters whilst dropping the temperature in those areas less frequented. Greater technology has led to greater control - much better than simply throwing a log on the fire and crowding round it. Yet until the most recent developments these thermostats were focused on two functions which they did very simply.

1. Setting the temperature. 18-22 degrees celsius, or 64-72 degrees fahrenheit for our friends in the US, is the sweet spot for most homes depending on outside temperatures. And the traditional thermostat is very adept at hitting this temperature. Various heat detection or thermometer systems have been deployed over the years, from bimetallic plates to wax, with each of these turning on or off your heating system depending on the pre-set input of median temperature.

2. Scheduling your heating. Setting when you want your heating to come on, or when you want your thermostat to create the cosy environment, is another key and expected feature of a thermostat. This could also be done on the boiler itself using the timer, which would then in turn tell the thermostat whether or not it was needed. This schedule was a daily system that was nearly as influential as my mother in determining how quickly I got out of bed and dressed for school. In the depths of winter when I was waking up to frost appearing in the air when I breathed out it was the anticipation of the heating coming on earlier that kept me from curling up under the covers for the entire day.

Let us look at both of these functions through the lens of today’s technology. Setting the temperature and scheduling heating should be easily managed by you from anywhere, not just when in front of your boiler. Attuning your heating to your needs should also be a normal practice, giving you the temperature you want, when you need. These benefits are all found in the features of automated heating and internet-connected thermostats. And they save you money at the same time - conservative estimates report a financial saving of between 10% - 15% on domestic energy bills in a year. (Report)

Technology continues at pace to bring new functions and benefits to our lives, in ways never thought possible by our ancestors. We are seeking the ability to control more things in our lives via technology, and at the same time need to be living in more harmony with our environment. This is more achievable than ever - Heat Pumps and Solar Photovoltaic panels now work seamlessly with home battery storage, controlled by advanced yet affordable systems made possible by technologies such as KNX protocols, which brings your home into the palm of your hand.

Allow me for a moment to paint a picture for you: it is the summer with warm days and nights. Your thermostat is aware of this as it is able to access weather reports via the internet, and knows that your target temperature of 18ºC is naturally reached due to its internal temperature gauges. As the days grow shorter and winter approaches your thermostat comes into its own. One evening while you’re at home the temperature falls below 18ºC, and your heating system seamlessly turns on. No need for you to turn on the heating or reset the scheduling. The next day the temperature again falls below 18ºC, but this time no-one is home. The thermostat is able to sense this due to motion sensors, and therefore knows not to turn on the heating. All this ensures that your home is heated as you want, when you need it.

In the world of today, with seemingly unlimited possibilities presented by technology and the connectivity of our human experience, homes that work to our needs is a must. Whether this is a multi-zone system or humble internet-connected control, you can have better control of your heating which will save you energy usage, save you money, and enable your home to work better for you. To find out what device could work for you - get in touch!

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