In today’s highly competitive markets, even a small improvement in a business’ bottom line can have very attractive long-term impacts. With recent incredible advancements in commercial automation – along with a corresponding and dramatic drop in price – many companies are investing in this amazing new technology to increase their control while reducing costs.
What Is Commercial Automation?
It’s not only new technology, it’s really a new paradigm, incorporating artificial intelligence, innovative energy-saving strategies and management of working and meeting spaces to both save money and create a more enjoyable and productive environment for employees and customers. Automation can control and integrate many individual components, including
- Audio/video, including conferencing equipment
- Energy management and environment control
- Lighting control, including both artificial and natural light
- Your security and surveillance system
How Does It Work?
Commercial automation uses advanced AI to anticipate, adapt and allocate resources in a custom blend to match your needs. During setup, technicians work with your company to determine how the software will best suit your needs and tailor it to fit comfortably and seamlessly. It learns as it goes, adapting to conditions and remembering the minor adjustments you make. And it allocates heating, cooling and lighting as needed for energy savings and creature comforts.
What Does It Actually Do?
That depends on your needs! For example, in a restaurant, employees opening up will spend time adjusting lighting, televisions, music, HVAC and even raising or lowering window shades. Commercial automation does all that by pushing a button. This is a basic example; the system operates 24/7 and can control many devices, with new ones being added to the list monthly.
And This Saves Real Money?
You bet! Employees aren’t cheap and neither is energy. One government study indicated that businesses waste around 30% of their energy costs from poor environmental control. In the simplified example above, even eliminating half an hour a day would save the average business around 130 hours a year in labor costs – and that’s the tip of the iceberg. Imagine how quickly these savings will add up for you.
We’re surrounded by smart devices these days; our smartphones are almost a part of us and it’s hard to remember the ancient days when we weren’t constantly connected. Possibly the quintessential piece of smart technology in the internet-of-things is the smart thermostat, a connected device that allows hands-on – or off! – control of your environment.
The Beginnings of Smart Control
As the internet became ubiquitous, engineers realized that connecting all sorts of common devices could bring customization and control that had existed only in the minds of science fiction writers a few years ago. By 2013, most Americans owned smartphones and the opportunities for innovative development exploded.
Smart thermostats were among the first common devices. They grew organically from programmable thermostats, offering the same features but with many new ones added. They rapidly became even more feature-rich and dropped in price to the point where virtually anyone can afford them; indeed, they now usually quickly pay for themselves in energy savings and convenience.
The Amazing Features of Modern Smart Thermostats
Engineers being engineers, they weren’t satisfied with a better device; they wanted all the bells and whistles in one package. Some of the main benefits of today’s smart thermostats include
- Remote access from any connected smart device.
- Built-in firmware that is simple to use and saves energy.
- Incredible new features including machine learning and minute-by-minute system monitoring.
You can access your smart thermostat from anywhere in – or orbiting around – the world if you have an internet connection. Never worry again about ruining a vacation by having left the heat on! The firmware uses an intuitive, friendly interface, giving you the option of very detailed control, while also allowing those who prefer a hands-off approach to leave it up to the device. It’ll learn what you expect and how much control you want and adapt to your needs.
They also carefully monitor both system condition and energy usage. Dirty filter notifications and maintenance reminders help you avoid costly repairs, while energy-use graphs instantly show you where you can save more money without giving up any comfort. Average savings often exceed $100/year, paying for the initial cost in very little time.