How does domotics work?
If you own a home and the idea of home automation has captured your interest, in this article you will find out how this technology works and what its costs are.
Domotics is a synchronized network system with controllable devices that work together to make your home safe, comfortable and efficient. These devices are customized to your needs, and can also be managed via a smartphone, tablet or remote control connected to the automation system.
In the home automation electrical outlets, lights, household appliances, heating and cooling systems, sprinklers, controls for swimming pools are connected to a network that can be controlled remotely.
Domotics also includes security systems such as alarms, windows, doors, locks, surveillance cameras, smoke detectors and virtually any type of sensor.
The best thing about home automation is the fact that your portable devices can be easily connected to a local network via Wi-Fi or Ethernet. This means that you will be able to manage your home better and more comfortably.
This is a valuable help in all those occasions where you are tormented by the thought of not having closed a light or the door of the house well: if your home is automated, you can simply control its status from any connected device.
Domotics offers you endless possibilities to program the basic functions of your home according to creative solutions that make your life more manageable.
Read also: IoT: the house of the future is smart
The costs of home automation
Before installing a home automation system, you need to be aware of its installation costs: most home owners spend from 565 euros to 2300 euros.
This will depend on various factors such as the wiring system, which in some cases may require an upgrade to fit the electrical specifications of the home automation system. In general, a professional will require an average of EUR 85 per hour for his installation.
Let’s see now the costs that concern the single components usually used in the domotics:
• Basic kit for home automation with lights or bolt controls: from 40 euro to 500 euro.
• Compatible devices enabling communication through the automation system: EUR 20 to EUR 200.
• Wireless protocols that allow you to connect different parts of your automation systems such as Z-wave, Wi-Fi, Ethernet or X10: from 300 euros to 650 euros.
• Controllers allowing automation and their remote controls: from EUR 130 to EUR 1800.
The average cost of monthly services will vary from 35 euros to 75 euros per month. You will also have to pay or your home automation activation fee ranging from 200 euros to 500 euros a time.
There is also to take into account the cost of cloud automation that ranges from 180 euros to 300 euros.
If you decide to opt for a wired automation system instead of systems that require a plug-in to work (wireless), you can spend from 3000 euros to 17000 euros for installation costs.
Open source systems for home automation
These opensource programs are perfect for those who want to design and build a home automation electrical system: let’s see their features.
• Calaos: is a system designed as a home automation platform at 360°, which includes a server application, a touchscreen interface, a Web application, native mobile applications for iOS and Android and a preconfigured Linux operating system for running background.
Support is available in French or English.
• Domoticz: is a home automation system with a fairly large library of supported devices, ranging from weather stations, smoke detectors, to remote controls, in addition to a large number of additions of additional third parties that are documented on the project website; it was designed through HTML5, which makes it accessible from desktop browsers and most modern smartphones, and is very lightweight, feature that makes it working on many low-power devices.
• Home Assistant: is an open source home automation platform designed to be easily implemented on almost all machines that can run Python 3, and even comes with a container docker to carry out the distribution on other systems.
It integrates with a large number of open source and commercial offerings like Amazon Echo.
• OpenHAB: is one of the best known home automation tools among open source enthusiasts, with a large user community and numerous supported peripherals. Written in Java, openhab is portable on most major operating systems. Supporting hundreds of devices, openhab is designed to be independent of the same and at the same time make it easier for developers to add their own plugins to the system. Openhab also provides design tools so you can create the user interface for your home system.
• OpenMotics: is a home automation system with hardware and software with open source licenses; it is designed to provide a complete solution for device control, and unlike many other programs, OpenMotics focuses on a wired structure.
Read also: IoTSite out IoT platform
Home automation becomes simple, thanks to Techmakers
Although there are several solutions to make your home smart, these are not always simple or immediate to implement.
To make sure you get the most out of home automation you can turn to Techmakers, a company specialized in solutions related to a smart and technological way of living.
The company has designed several devices designed for home automation, such as:
All these systems are the simple and efficient solution for all your needs to have a smart and innovative house, managed according to the smartest systems related to home automation.
Thanks to Techmakers you can find the ideal domotics solution for your home.
Read also: Products and services overview
