If you go ten years back and think of mobile phones, you will remember there was a huge difference between a regular and a smartphone. Regular phones had smaller screens and all the typing was done on the keyboard. While smartphones, on the other hand, had just a big screen and everything was done touching that screen. And this is only the difference on the outside. They also worked in a different way, in a sense that smartphones are more intuitive and therefore easier to use.

With the phones the case is easy. But sometimes it is hard to say if an object is smart or not. What does a smart object mean in any case? The concept of smart means integration and connectivity. Smart things collect data and apply it so that the object is more responsive to the needs of the user. Smart simply means being closer to the needs of the customer.

 

What makes smart shades “sexy”?

In the world of shades, a lot has been happening in the last ten years as well. But unlike mobile phones, shades (in their appearance and use) have not changed that much. At least that is how it looks on the outside. But also shades are becoming smart. Throughout history, the change in use and technology of shades seemed to be quite drastic (from animal skins, that were used as window covers in ancient times, to shutters, venetian blinds, and now motorized shades). However, with the smart shades, the looks of the shades are not changing, but the use and in particular usability of shades change significantly.

 

Smart shades are sexy and have a life of their own. They rise with the sun (if we tell them so), lower if the storm is approaching and they can stimulate our presence also when we are not at home (to keep our house safe). But their beauty really comes to life when it comes to energy saving. The research[i] suggests that when shades are automated, the average energy consumption for heating and cooling can be lower by more than 60% (compared to when shades are controlled manually). With energy prices going into the sky, the shades are the ones that move according to the sky, the sun, the clouds, and the winds. To help save energy, shades open or close according to the position of the sun and so keep the house cold (in the summer) or warm (in the winter). The house doesn’t overheat, and it does not lose temperature. Not to mention that all this also enhances the comfort of the house owners.

Smart home ready shades – what does it mean?

So, if smartphones look so different today compared to the past, how come the shades do not but are still smart? The devil is in the details, so to speak. The shades become smart home ready when a smart home shutter module is installed and connected to the shades’ motor (the size of the module is one-third of the size of a smartphone). Then, when there is a smart home system in the house, the shades automatically connect to that system. That is how shades really become smart, so smart that with one touch on the phone (smartphone of course) they move up, down, stop in the middle, change inclination, and sing. Ok, perhaps not sing. 😉 But the real beauty lies in the automation of the shades, in which case we don’t even need to touch the phone, but the shades do everything on their own. Now, that is smart, isn’t it?

You don’t really use an old phone with a keyboard anymore, do you? Why should you not use smart shades as well?

 

[i] Source: Researchgate.net (Title: Impact of Blinds Usage on Energy Consumption: Automatic Versus Manual Control)