When a dead body was discovered in a hot tub in Bentonville, Ark., in late 2015, detectives looked for forensic evidence in uncommon places. The home was outfitted with smart devices, such as Apple’s Nest thermostat, an Amazon Echo that responds to voice commands and a digital water metering system that could be read remotely. The investigators thought the Echo might provide clues if they could analyze a log of any commands it received. Detectives reached out to some smart-device providers to gather forensics that could help solve the crime in a timely manner.


The investigation continues, but this event may foreshadow the role that smart home devices play as they continue to change lifestyles as well the technology frontier for today’s contractors.


Assets


Home devices are becoming an asset in multiple ways.


“We are already there,” said Rob Martens, vice president of strategy and partnerships for Allegion, parent company of lockmaker Schlage, Carmel, Ind. “That is why how you implement the technology is just as important as what you select.”


Smart home elements can have multiple functions. For interconnected devices, there is debate as to how much control is needed to capture its benefits and meet any challenges they pose.


“We are seeing multiple sensors, microphones, speakers all being incorporated into single product solutions in hopes of delivering greater bundled value such as a home security device that provides remote viewing, notifications on air quality and energy savings, audio entertainment and even shopping list creation,” said Fritz Werder, vice president and general manager, Nuvo and On-Q product lines, Legrand, Hartford, Conn.


Martens said contractors are going to begin to see Wi-Fi-certified homes.


“This demand will extend to existing homes, as more and more connected devices become common, so electrical contractors could benefit by understanding and potentially providing some services around it,” he said.


Better technology, better value


Within smart home technology, many see an emergence of voice technology and voice control.


“The hottest new technology in the smart home is undoubtedly voice control,” said Mitchell Klein, executive director, Z-Wave Alliance, Fremont, Calif. “Voice-control products such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home are dominating the market right now, and there is a lot of consumer interest in using voice to control their homes. Beyond voice control, AI [artificial or augmented intelligence] is emerging as a trend in home control.”


Capability is not without cost, but higher cost may be palatable to many if it clearly translates to value.


“While smart home technology developments are continuing to improve the quality of life for homeowners, they are also continuing to improve in cost,” said Greg Rhoades, director of marketing for Leviton’s energy management, controls and automation business division.


“With newer technologies having bundled interoperability—switches, cameras, thermostat, etc.—electrical contractors can offer more affordable and high-quality options together to customers who want to make their homes smarter in more ways than one,” he said. 


Upward emergence


Rhoades said that, in addition to cost for smart home solutions, ECs can provide even more value to homeowners by teaching them how to customize their smart home products upon initial install and setup. Knowing which options are on the market to expand a homeowner’s control and ease of use over his or her products enables contractors to improve their own service value as well. 


This year, electricians can create a smart home without having to be an integration or software expert. It’s getting easier for smart homes to become the futuristic showcase of convenient technology for living that has been in the works for decades.


Smart home devices aren’t new. The 1964 New York World’s Fair featured “picture phones,” underground homes and a host of gadgets. However, the utility of home devices in the age of the Internet of Things has given way to unforeseen capabilities and value, such as unlocking our door, remotely monitoring our water usage, and possibly solving murder mysteries.


For the EC with foresight, fertile ground awaits in smart home technology, with dividends to be reaped by those who understand and embrace its potential.