Making your home smart is not just a trend but a practical decision that can increase property value, reduce operating costs, and contribute to environmental sustainability. But how does one transform a residence into a smart home? What interventions are needed, and who can assist with this transformation? And most importantly, how can the return on investment be calculated in terms of reduced operating costs and increased commercial property value? These are the questions a study by MCE Lab has sought to answer.
From the concept of a smart home to practical implementation
“The first indispensable step to turn your home into a smart one is to turn to someone with skills and a transversal vision of the various possible interventions,” says Giuliano Dall’Ò, Coordinator of MCE Lab and professor at the Polytechnic of Milan. In the residential sector, when it comes to smart homes, there are still no specifically defined professional figures with an overall vision, so the electrician becomes the key figure, especially since they have to issue a compliance certificate for the systems and collaborate with system installers or thermotechnicians when necessary.
The areas of intervention can vary depending on the type of housing. Independent houses and small structures allow for more extensive and structural interventions, while condominium apartments have certain limitations, although technology has reduced them, and developments are ongoing in this sector. The main interventions involve energy sources, their supply, use, and management in relation to connected devices and systems. This includes the management of lighting, cooling, and heating. Data collection technologies such as smart sensors and meters acquire information about energy usage and other conditions that affect its use, allowing smart devices to make necessary adjustments to optimize energy usage, thereby reducing consumption and related costs.
Practical examples for smart home temperature control
For example, implementing a management system for external fixtures that opens blinds when there is sun in winter and closes them in summer can save up to 10% on the management costs of the heating and cooling system, depending on exposures. If coupled with a temperature management system that adjusts based on external conditions and the presence of people, savings can double.
Programming temperatures inside the home is a key element to achieve significant energy savings, and adopting a solution that allows intelligent and programmable management, even remotely, such as advanced wireless-connected thermostatic valves, can reduce costs by up to 40% if appropriately integrated into an overall management context.
Interventions of this kind can require investments of around €8,000 for an apartment of about 100 sq.m. With the 50% tax incentive for Italy, these costs can be reduced to about €4,000.
Calculating the return on investment
Simulations by MCE Lab, based on a 100 sq.m apartment, have shown potential significant savings. Giuliano Dall’Ò reports: “According to ARERA data, an average user with a 6 kW usage spends about €2,000/year, and with a well-used smart system, the cost would be reduced by 40%, with savings of around €800/year. Assuming that the same apartment is heated with a gas system, the cost of heating plus hot water is about €1,100/year, and the achievable savings with the smart system are about 20%, corresponding to a figure around €200/year, for a total of a thousand euros per year in the most conservative of hypotheses.”
Alternative energy sources: photovoltaic panels and digital automation
Talking about renewable energy sources systems, it is now possible to install photovoltaic panels even in condominiums, thanks to various solutions, including balcony and terrace panels. With average sunlight hours in Italy, a panel of about 1.5 sq.m with good exposure to the south can produce about 250-300 kWh per year. The cost, including purchase and installation, is about €1,000, thanks to the 50% tax deduction.
Moreover, a recent study by the Smart Building Alliance has revealed that the use of digital automation systems to regulate consumption guarantees a reduction of up to 30% in energy consumption, a key factor in determining the energy class of the property. Combining this data with a study by Immobiliare.it, which highlighted how moving a house from energy class G to D increased the value of the property by up to 18%, and reaching energy class A can increase the value of the house by up to 40%, we have another economic reason to make our homes smart.
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