Since confinement began due to the COVID-19 pandemic, those with gardens, terraces, and balconies at home have been using and enjoying these spaces like never before. If this also happens with the arrival of good weather, these spaces become one more room in the house, taking on fundamental importance. In fact, the interest in homes with outdoor spaces has increased considerably, as many families have come to realize their importance for physical and emotional well-being, especially when we are forced to spend many weeks in our home.
To get the most out of the terrace or the garden, technology can become a great ally. According to experts from Loxone , manufacturer of complete solutions to automate buildings and homes, a Smart Home does not end on the walls of the house, but extends to outdoor spaces. “If we make these spaces Smart , we can have more time to enjoy them.” For this, there are 6 key points to keep in mind to have a smart and automated garden.
# 1 Smart irrigation
In many gardens, an automatic irrigation system is already a standard. In the heat of the heat, for those who don’t have an automatic sprinkler irrigation system, this task is quite tedious. Also, as every good gardener knows, watering is not recommended during the hours of sunlight, which means that watering should be done first thing in the morning or at sunset. But what if it has rained? So the automatic irrigation should not turn on, as it wastes water and money.
The meteorological service and the sensors of rain and soil moisture provide information to the Loxone Miniserver so that it gives the most appropriate orders to the irrigation system, making the owner not have to worry about activating, deactivating or changing the irrigation schedule depending on the of meteorological data.
# 2 Tank monitoring
Many people use rainwater from the cistern for garden irrigation, being more ecological and profitable. To find out how much water is in the tank, you have to remove the lid and check it. The pump should not be activated if the fill level is too low because it could be damaged and this makes checking the tank every time quite laborious. There is a solution to integrate the operation of the cistern in the Miniserver through an ultrasonic sensor that measures the water level.
# 3 Ambient lighting
Lighting control is not just a necessity indoors. Lighting the garden in the afternoon or at night provides security and allows creating ambient lighting scenes. The Miniserver uses geographic coordinates to calculate when it gets dark, so smart outside lighting only turns on when it really makes sense. No matter what the garden is like, the lighting can be integrated almost anywhere: lighting of garden paths or house walls, surface lights on eaves or ceilings, spotlights on terraces, pool lighting … In this practical example of smart outdoor lighting you can find all the details for the implementation.
# 4 Perfect audio in the garden
A good audio system is useful for different situations: leisure, security, knowing if there is a knock on the front door …
Especially in summer, the garden is used for barbecues, parties, meetings with friends … and what should not be missing is the music! Just plan an audio zone for the terrace in addition to the audio zones inside the house. The Music Server and speakers guarantee the perfect sound in the garden.
The sound on the terrace also helps security. If an intruder enters the house, an alarm tone is played on all speakers. In this way, the neighbors also notice and the thief rejects the entry.
If someone knocks on the front door, it is often not heard from the garden. Solution: Make the doorbell ring through the outside speakers.
# 5 Automatic sun protection
Sun protection elements such as awnings or pergolas should not be missing in gardens, and even more so if there are no trees or other natural sources of shade. These elements can be integrated simply by installing a motor and adding the relevant actuators. Depending on parameters such as the position of the sun or ambient temperature, the Miniserver takes over. If necessary, the awning or pergola can also be extended manually using the Loxone App, Touch buttons or the Remote Air.
# 6 Air conditioning the greenhouse
If you have a greenhouse and you need the optimal indoor climate for plant care, underfloor heating can be installed. The energy flow in the greenhouse is controlled through Loxone using an actuator that includes a temperature sensor. This protects the plants from heat and frost, throughout the year.
#Extra: Smart Pool
It can also be integrated into the smart system to get the most out of it and speed up maintenance. From the Loxone software you can control the pool cover remotely, by sensors or schedules, control the lighting, the water temperature, the countercurrent function, etc. From home, from the pool with push buttons on the edge or from any other place through the App.
