Wireless Home Renovation
Today automation can be implemented in almost any home – meaning that the extensive functionality offered by a Loxone system is available to a wide range of people. In this case study, we’ll take a look at a conventional flat which has been completely automated using only Loxone Air devices.
Phase One
In the first phase of automating this flat, the owners wanted a way of intelligently controlling their heating system, which was powered by a gas boiler.
What was installed?
- Miniserver Go – the brain of the system which once installed enables the possibility of adding any level of automation
- Nano IO Air – this was installed to control the boiler
- Valve Actuators – these were added to every room that required individual temperature control
What functionality did this enable?
Comprehensive control of the heating via the Loxone App – allowing an extensive heating schedule to be set, with different types of days taken into account (workday, holiday, etc.)
Room specific temperatures – now the owners can set individual rooms to have a specific temperature. They no longer need to pick a one-size-fits-all temperature for the whole flat.
Remote access – the heating can be controlled from anywhere, allowing the owners to activate it if they’re coming home early. Meaning the flat will be the perfect temperature when they arrive.
Significant reduction in gas consumption – the occupants reported a 40% decrease in their gas bill.
Phase Two
After a successful implementation of heating control, the owners wanted to go one step further. Smart lighting, an intelligent burglar alarm, automation of the blinds and integration of the air conditioning system were all added. As they already had a Miniserver Go only peripheral devices were needed.
What was installed?
- Drivers for automated blinds
- Relays for lighting control
- IR Control Air – to seamlessly integrate the air conditioning system and existing TV into the Loxone system.
- Presence Sensors
- Door and Window Contacts
- Smart Sockets
What functionality did this enable?
Automated blinds – meaning that they automatically adjust to the position of the sun. They also now help with passively heating and cooling rooms. If a room is too cold but the sun is shining the blinds will automatically be raised to try and heat the room through solar gain. The opposite can be done if a room is becoming too warm.
Automation of the air condition – much like the heating system now the aircon is also intelligently managed by Loxone giving the owners even more extensive temperature control in their flat.
Intelligent Burglar Alarm – a multi-phased intruder alarm which alerts the owners instantly regardless of where they are in the world.
Automated lighting – the lighting throughout the flat is now brought on by presence.
Lighting Moods – in the dining room there are multiple lighting moods which suit different scenarios and occasions. A ‘Cinema Mode’ had also been configured which lowers the blinds, brings on the TV and sets the lighting accordingly.
Control and monitoring of electrical devices – with the Smart Sockets many electrical devices in the flat are tied into the Loxone system. The electrical consumption of these devices can also be monitored.
Central Functions
When leaving, a triple tap on the switch next to the door will activate All Out Mode – which does the following:
- All of the lights in the flat will be turned off.
- The blinds will be set to Automatic Shading.
- Any electrical devices that are on (such as TVs) will be switched off.
- The alarm will be activated.
- If any windows have been left open, a push notification will be sent via the Loxone App to let the person leaving know which window it is.
All Out Mode is great for when you’re at work or going to the shop. However, when you’re going away for a long period time you can activate Holiday Mode. Among other things, this will enable Presence Simulation which will set the blinds and lighting to behave as if someone was home – this is to discourage opportunistic burglars.
A triple tap on a bedside switch will activate Night Mode. This turns off all lighting and electrical devices throughout the house. It also arms the perimeter burglar alarm meaning that if any windows or external doors are opened the alarm will be triggered. If someone gets up in the middle of the night a soft lighting mood will be brought on to light the way.
But that’s not all…
Touch Nightlight
In the bedroom, a Touch Nightlight was installed – it’s an alarm clock, night light, ambient light source and intuitive switch all-in-one. It allows the owners of the flat to easily control the bedroom lighting and blinds and enable Night Mode.Â
Audioserver
Soon the Loxone Audioserver will be installed alongside some Wall Speakers. This will obviously give the owners multiroom audio however, it will also open up the doors to much more with the range of functionality the Audioserver enables.
Wireless but not IoT
Although Loxone Air is a wireless technology, it’s important to make a clear distinction between that and IoT (Internet of Things) solutions. Firstly, IoT devices are usually unidimensional meaning that they are designed to only fulfil one purpose. Whereas multifaceted products are at the heart of a Loxone system – our Touch switch being a switch but also a temperature and humidity sensor at the same time is just one example.
However, perhaps more importantly, Loxone does not need an internet connection to work effectively and zero data is stored in the Cloud. The Loxone Miniserver (the Miniserver Go in this case study) processes all of the logic locally – meaning no data ever leaves the home. This is in stark contrast to IoT solutions.
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