The demonstration of a Smart Home at the Iberdrola Campus in San Agustín del Guadalix serves to show that the energy needs of a home can begin to be met in a self-sufficient way. This simulation is 219.60 square metres in size and includes several rooms of a single-family home with Smart solutions.

What is a smart home?

The Smart Home, included in Iberdrola’s Smart SolutionsExternal link, opens in new window.  initiative, is a modern concept that combines cost reduction and increased sustainability. The aim of this type of home is to make progress in the connection of devices and appliances, facilitating their remote control and allowing their regulation to be automated to achieve more efficient energy use.

In order to have a home with these features, it is necessary to make a series of installations that entail an initial outlay that is later compensated by the lower monthly electricity costs. The most common, which is closely related to home automation, is the implementation of smart appliances that can be controlled from a smartphone. Their use ranges from elements such as household appliances to others such as sockets. The main function is to create temporary routines for these devices and only switch them on when necessary.

It is also possible to reduce the energy costs of heating and cooling. In this area, one of the most common installations in Smart Homes is aerothermal energy. These types of systems serve as heat pumps, air conditioners and water heaters that extract the ambient energy contained in the air to provide heating in winter, cooling in summer and hot water all year round.

The search for self-sufficiency is another of the pillars of Smart Homes. It is therefore possible to install solar panels on the roof – which allow savings of up to 70 % on energy bills. 

In addition, a smart home can include a socket and pole for an electric car. This would serve as a charging point and, thanks to the solar panel located on it, would allow it to be self-sufficient. In addition to reducing energy costs, it helps to eliminate dependence on fossil fuels and their pollution.