An innovative energy-efficient residential development in Sweden has implications for UK electrical installers looking to stay ahead of the smart building curve, says Vimal Mohanan, Smart Buildings Product Specialist at ABB.
Homes consume over a quarter of all the UK’s energy and cause 17% of the total CO2 emissions, according to a 2022 UK government report. To combat this, the UK plans to implement the Future Homes standard. Under this new regulation, homes built from 2025 must produce 75-80% fewer carbon emissions than homes built under previous regulations. This aims to help meet the country’s sustainability goals while also keeping peoples’ energy bills low.
Successfully adopting this new standard will require wider adoption of smart building technology. It saves energy and emissions by heating and lighting rooms only when they need it.
When it comes to the future of smart, energy efficient living, the UK can take inspiration from beyond its borders.
Smart, sustainable living in Stockholm
The Brobyholm estate, developed by S. Property Group, is a first-of-its-kind low-carbon development that meets the highest standards in sustainability thanks to integrating the latest smart technology and digital connectivity. The first phase of 500 homes is due for completion in 2025, with a further 2,000 homes planned.
Residents can access a single smart home solution that integrates ABB-free@home® and Samsung SmartThings. This system can manage all smart home products and devices seamlessly through an app or device.
Each home has its own energy management system (EMS) that measures energy consumption – automatically optimizing and adjusting the smart appliances, lighting, cooling, heating, and blinds to minimize energy consumption while maintaining resident comfort.
One notable feature is that all the EMSs are interconnected. They communicate with one another to manage the overall energy load of the estate and maximise the use of on-site renewable energy produced by the solar panels located on each building’s roof.
For example, the system takes into consideration the current and predicted availability of solar power. This is so it can prioritise using available renewable power for heating and cooling – this reduces emissions and energy bills. When there is surplus solar energy, it is redirected to heat up the water tank, and when solar energy is low the devices run in energy-saving modes.
The smart home also adapts to the residents’ habits. For example, it learns when they usually come home on certain days of the week and pre-heats or pre-cools the building. This can also be supported by geo-fencing data which detects when residents are on their way home.
This smart feature also controls other appliances as well as EV-charging. The system learns user patterns to predict when the EV is going to be used again, charging it in time. As part of the interconnected system, EV batteries enable residents to earn money by participating in the energy market.
Smart home considerations
A project like Brobyholm is only possible due to multiple companies collaborating through open technology. In this instance, ABB free@home integrated to other vendor solutions via open API and the Matter industry standard. This makes installation more straightforward as all the smart technology speaks the same language, while also providing a more seamless experience for residents.
The first step in installing the smart technology in a building like the ones at Brobyholm comes at the initial wiring stage. A traditional building just uses wires to carry power, but a smart building has an additional bus cable that carries all the control signals for the smart devices. This type of structured wiring is more commonly associated with large commercial or industrial installations but will become more common for domestic buildings as the new UK Future Home standard rolls out.
Structured wiring future proofs a building as it provides additional flexibility as new devices are added over time. Despite a slightly higher initial cost to install a bus cable, the lifetime cost is reduced because it avoids the need for any additional work at a later date when smart technology is eventually added or changed.
By considering interoperable tech that speaks the same language and using structured wiring, electrical installers in the UK can be better prepared for the next generation of energy-efficient, smart buildings.