All of us have by now come into contact with a smart home in some form. With IoT (Internet of Things) on the rise, it has been extended to homes as well – maybe your bed lamp can authorize payment for your shopping on Amazon. Or you ask Alexa to switch off the geyser and AC, ask Google to check weather and open curtains if it is sunny, while a soothing melody plays on your connected surround sound system. We have come a long way from this being futuristic or science fiction, to reality. And technology in the home automation space is not progressing arithmetically but making geometric leaps. From making homes comfortable to keeping them safe and healthy – home automation has a number of roles to play.
Home automation as a concept and an idea was present for close to 4 decades now, but the factor holding adoption on a mass scale was cost. It was niche, extremely inaccessible because, like all new technologies it was capital intensive, and cost extensive, says a leading home security system technology company in Hyderabad. Not to mention the costs of energy consumption, installation involved. This is where KNX steps in. KNX is a framework, an integrated system, which has evolved into a standard that basically tells us how sensors and actuators on the network can communicate. It helps control central functions of home automation like lighting, heating-cooling, HVAC, security, energy management and so on.
Why use KNX?
Though there are various new systems, protocols that have emerged in the space of Home automation with the rise of the smart home. Where even DIY options of setting up solutions have emerged, KNX remains a gold standard in this field. Here are a few reasons why:
Benchmark
The KNX system was well ahead of its time, and accommodates all the needs of home automation systems of today, according to a top KNX home automation company in Hyderabad. The KNX bus is robust, and enables for a large number of devices to be mounted on it. The technology has been a benchmark and most large automation projects including large auditoriums, opera houses and spaces have this at its core.
Flexible
The very idea of home automation is adding technology to give that personal touch. KNX allows for personalization and flexibility in adding devices like never before, so a large number of devices mounted on the bus can seamlessly communicate with each other, without any platform agonies.
Simple & robust
KNX is a simple solution. With just one core tool, it is a easy to engage interface. It also allows the customers to stay in control through their smart phone or personalized devices. So if you are controlling an office, a public area, or a common-space in residential communities,
One stop Solution
Since a KNX is not proprietary, it allows for various products from several companies with different operating systems and configurations to communicate on a single platform, instantly and remotely. So you won’t have the issue of isolated devices, and the freedom to choose from a larger array of products. Also KNX is scalable, and can be used easily on small homes to large auditoriums with the same ease.
How is the KNX system setup?
The KNX system is pretty similar to your computer bus line. Here the KNX bus is the nerve centre – a cable that runs side by side your main supply line. Every new product you bring in to your home and each element on the automation system are then connected to this bus line. The whole cable system, also has sensors that perform their roles. These sensors sense and send signals that can be used to control monitor and alter through devices of your choice – a phone, tablet, smart switch or a wearable device.
The KNX bus line is always routed parallel to the main supply line, and all elements. The sensors (thermostats, voltmeters, motion sensors), the actuators (valves, light dimmers, or air conditioning regulators) are linked to it.
Next, the application software, is loaded onto devices depending on its commission through an interface. The KNX system can now be accessed through LAN, Internets or any other open or closed networks.
What can KNX offer?
Apart from making spaces smarter, a solution modeled around KNX can be used to manage lighting, sound, multimedia, HVAC, security and anything else that you can think of.
By now, everyone is well aware of the advantages automation offers not just in terms of comfort, but savings – both energy and finances. Products come with labels of KNX compatibility, which means products tested for KNX can offer other important functions like data assimilation, providing feedback in addition to the function it is designed to serve.
How does KNX aid energy efficiency?
For a long time, energy efficiency has been a pressing issue, not just because it made more economic sense. also because it improved systemic efficiency, load factor and also provided comfort. The energy usage was largely dependent on human behavior, and attitudes.
KNX provides a dynamic management system, wherein through better communication and data driven control. The feedback loop gives an idea of how much energy is consumed, and predicts how much is demanded.
The monitoring features that KNX offers through a ‘liberated control’, an open protocol that gives a channel to ensure energy efficiency. While not going on austerity measures.
It also enables the formulation of visualization systems, where energy consumption patterns are mapped, and gives the management a facility to monitor, tweak and plan energy usage.
Studies in controlled laboratory conditions show that energy efficiency increased by over 50%, which is substantial.
Conclusion
Whether the idea is to curb energy usage, or regulate rising energy demands as more people have access to electronic devices in emerging economies, KNX systems can help. With economies of scale, the cost of KNX systems can be brought down too. As the technology gains experience and momentum, it has become the face of proven energy saving studies. While the idea to control light or curtain blinds is the stereotypical idea of a home automation solution, KNX is so much more.
