Thanks to COVID-19, the relationship between consumers and their homes has shifted. People the world over have become personally acquainted with how their environment can impact them, and for many, the core focus of the home has shifted to providing safety and security. But burglaries and break-ins are only part of the equation. It’s just as important for people to have environmental monitoring solutions to protect them from any dangers that may come from within the home instead.
Ahead, experts discuss the latest trends, opportunities and challenges in offering detection for water leaks, temperature, gases and more.
Providing Much Needed Peace of Mind
With people already investing in ways to sleep better, change room temperature remotely and monitor air quality, providing peace of mind is just as valuable a service. Utilizing the latest sensor devices, integrators can become a one-stop shop for home automation, security and wellbeing.
“These investments are being made because of the growing awareness of health effects related to radon gas, invisible gasses, black mold and those types of things that can exist in your walls, in your house … so all of these become reasons for people to spend money on this technology.”
A monitoring sensor placed beneath a sink can alert homeowners of when moisture begins to build up.
Temperature can be adjusted, lights can be turned on or off, and water leaks, smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) constantly monitored. This is ideal for customers that want to not only monitor their own home, but perhaps a secondary property, or an elderly relative aging in place. These life-safety devices can then be tied together with a security system through a mobile app.
“I’m always looking not only to integrate devices in our security system and in our hub, but also what are some new technologies that are emerging that I can integrate with our interactive platform and make available through our app and to our partners. Air quality is definitely one of those devices,” explains Alula vice president of product marketing David Mayne.
“These investments are being made because of the growing awareness of health effects related to radon gas, invisible gasses, black mold and those types of things that can exist in your walls, in your house … so all of these become reasons for people to spend money on this technology.”
Delivering Great Value in More Ways Than One
Aside from improving safety and wellbeing, these devices can also increase the value of a home. Many house listings now have technology, energy and air quality scores that are touted by realtors looking to maximize a home’s sale price.
There’s also discount incentives for environmental monitoring technology from insurance companies. If an integrator is already offering customers a certificate along with their security system to present to their insurance company, why not do the same for leak and freeze detectors?
Commercial environments can also benefit greatly from these types of monitoring solutions — whether its industrial factories ensuring their workers aren’t inhaling too many fumes or something as simple as making sure an office’s temperature is comfortable for employees.
Schools, especially, have a lot to gain from environmental monitoring as well. Aside from your standard smoke and CO monitors, integrators can offer cutting-edge technology such as gunshot, aggression or PM2.5 detection.
Even when empty, buildings still need to be monitored. Commercial and security integrators can implement an automated system that ties leak detection, intrusion sensors and fire alarms together with video surveillance, allowing the appropriate staff to keep an eye on the property without having to be there.
Everyone Wins
Environmental monitoring opportunities aren’t without their challenges, however. The first hurdle integrators must overcome is expanding outside traditional intrusion systems like contact sensors, access control and video surveillance. Then, it becomes a matter of educating customers.
“Fifty thousand people a year in general are hospitalized because of CO exposure and hundreds of people die. If that’s not part of their ongoing intrusion bidding practice, it really should be,” says Fincher.
“Similarly, water damage amounts to tens of thousands of dollars a year in damage. But it can be easy to avoid because it’s usually from two things. One, a pipe breaks and that’s usually because of temperature freeze, or two, something fails and it slowly turns into a big problem. There are devices we make and that other entities make that can integrate seamlessly into an intrusion panel. It’s just being aware of these things and saying, ‘Hey, did you think about X, and what are you going to do about it if such and such a thing occurs?’”
But upon clearing those hurdles, Mayne adds that clients will only want more. Once temperature monitoring gets installed, thermostat automation often follows, for instance.
“It could be small appliance controls, it could be turning a sump pump on or off. These are things that you can now tie into the system. Even opening or closing a water main, there’s devices that can do that.”
Another version of this article originally appeared on CE Pro.
