Intelligent lighting system within the Smart Home concept

Definition of a “smart” home

A comprehensive system for managing all of a building’s engineering equipment is called a “smart home.” Such a system is built on a modular principle, allowing it to be easily modified and expanded without losing existing functionality. Modules – control of lighting, climate control, security systems, etc.

Regardless of how perfect the individual engineering subsystems are, only centralized control makes them all together a “smart home.” It is based on specific electrical wiring and a set of automation equipment. As a result of integration, each part of a single whole works in close connection with other elements. Let’s look at this using lighting as an example.

Lighting control in a “smart home”

The way in which the lighting of a “smart” home is controlled is technically more complex than the “classic” way, but for the user it turns out to be simpler. All the complex logic of the work is laid down at the design stage, and the control is displayed on a convenient panel with a single interface. And here we are talking not only about turning on and off lighting devices. Important elements that take part in giving the lighting control intelligent properties are:

• Motion/presence sensors, contact sensors that turn on or off the house lights at a certain moment. For example, JUNG mini-sensors operating on the basis of the KNX standard, a GIRA weather station with a set of sensors.

• Dimmers that smoothly change the brightness.

• Motorized curtains, blinds, roller shutters, electric curtain rods, by means of which the balance between natural and artificial light.

• Lighting devices that can be either conventional or independently “smart”. At the same time, they can be used separately or as an element of a single system. For example, Philips Hue bulbs or the VOCCA smart socket.

• System equipment, including control panels and logic modules, connected together by special wiring.

Not only in interaction with each other, but also with other engineering subsystems, this equipment, as part of a “smart home”, allows you to achieve amazing comfort along with economical use of electricity. Let’s dwell on this in more detail.

What does “smart” lighting control give to the user?

The end consumer is of little interest in the technical details of this or that equipment. More attention is deserved by the functions that are available thanks to its use. With the help of “smart” lighting control it is possible to:

• Notifications. What to do when the music is loud in the house and the doorbell rings? In the era of home automation, this does not go unnoticed. The system is configured so that if the music is on, the lighting will flash a couple of times when you press the front doorbell button. This is where the role of integration comes into play, when one engineering system (light control) works in conjunction with others (security system and multimedia control).

Other events can also be processed. The motion sensor will turn on the hallway lighting when the child wakes up, and will prevent him from tripping when it is dark. When the sensor is triggered, the system can be programmed to simultaneously turn on the dim light in the parents’ bedroom to signal the situation. Convenient and safe. The algorithms laid down at the design stage are executed automatically without human intervention.

There are light bulbs that change color (Philips Hue). Using the special Taghue application, they can be configured to respond to messages from social networks and email clients. Now, simply by being near such a lamp, you can instantly learn about the arrival of a new message by its color. And only then take the necessary actions.

• Sensor operation. Thanks to sensors, it is possible to reveal the potential of “smart” lighting control. Here, the functions of the security system intersect with lighting. The lighting of the path around the house, which is switched on by a motion sensor, will not only create comfort when moving around at night, but will also serve as a means of scaring off uninvited guests.

When a home theater is located in the basement, a scenario is launched by the door contact sensor: while the door is open, the light turns on; when the door is closed, if there are people in the room (the presence sensor is working) and the equipment is turned on, after a while the light is dimmed for watching a movie, and the lighting of the corridor in front of the theater is turned off. After watching, everything happens in the reverse order.

• Flexibility in terms of creating the necessary atmosphere and decor. The desire for new sensations always comes more often than it is possible to make a radical rearrangement or repair in the house. With an instant change in the parameters of lamps (color, brightness, direction), as well as the ability to create new scenarios (a series of actions performed by an event or by pressing a button), the atmosphere in the room changes beyond recognition.

• Balance between natural and artificial lighting. Do not turn on the light bulbs in the morning if you can smoothly raise the curtains, letting in the sun’s rays. This is how the “morning” scenario works, triggering every day. If the weather outside is bad, the weather station sensors or a separate light sensor will inform the system about the lack of sunlight and that the brightness of the lamps needs to be increased.

So, lighting control includes all these possibilities, but is not limited to them. With the use of modern professional “smart home” systems (www.intelliger.ru) there are no limits to the owner’s imagination and needs. As a cheaper option with minimal but sufficient functionality, there are separate devices, such as the mentioned Philips Hue bulbs or “smart” VOCCA sockets. All this provides maximum comfort and a high degree of efficient use of energy resources – something that is difficult to imagine a modern home without.