EDITORIAI

Get Smart

11 NEW example of "smart house" technolFogy has been incorporated into a Maryland test home built by the National Association of Home Builders and the Gas Research Institute. Anyone involved in making, distributing and selling home and building products should watch this latest turn in the technology revolution carefully. The electronic age is surely upon us and those who ignore or downplay its likely impact upon our industry do so at their peril.

Among the advantages of the "smart house" technology is that it saves money through efficient use of energy while maximizing the benefits of advanced communication and control systems. This includes space conditioning systems, appliances, lighting, electrical outlets and utility meters, as well as telephone, doorbell, intercom and security systems. In the future, a simple telephone call will enable the homeowner to start a meal, reset the thermostat, and listen to phone messages before leaving the office to head home. Additionally, the "smart house" offers the advantages of lower installation costs for wiring and piping as well as saving on heating, cooling and appliances.

In the NAHB/GRI test home, even the family room is "smart." A housewife will only need to use the touch screen of a computer system to control appliances, a space heater or patio grill. A voice recognition sensor can also turn the fireplace on and off. A personal computer can be plugged into an outlet in the bedroom to display the operational status of the appliances. Temperature probes in the grill control cooking time and temperature. Batteries provide a standby system in case of power failure.

If only a minority of these marvels prove commercially feasible, it means materials and products used in the home may be in for some radical changes. For distributors and sellers, serving the home market will call for a familiarity with electronics applications. To those who can't or won't cope, the electronic revolution will be tne watershed event. It will inevitably mark the point at which the scoffers are forever left behind.