Powering the dream lifestyle for your customers
A smarter kind of holiday home
Creating an idyllic and relaxing holiday home or bach is the Kiwi lifestyle dream. Many have saved for years, and this slice of paradise is their labour of love. And yet, while many customers think of how to optimise the design for the views, or the sun, many pay little attention to how they could use electric home design and smart home technology to optimise the control and efficiency, and even enable better access and convenience to their holiday home.
We spoke to local New Zealand Wiser expert and former electrician Kelvin Hart from the Schneider Electric Bay of Plenty team, to discuss some of the great ways PDL Wiser can open the door for more enjoyable vacations for your customers.
In this article (part 1 of 2) we will look at how a holiday home can become more welcoming and efficient, in part 2 we will focus on security for when you are
not around.
Arrive to a comfortable environment
Being able to turn the heat pump on and off remotely is a simple yet easy convenience you can include for your customers. Having the home warm in winter and cool in summer when they arrive is the perfect way to start their relaxing holiday the right way.
Using the Wiser IR Convertor with a Wiser Hub enables remote access and control through the Wiser by SE app. It is also possible for the IR Convertor to control the TV and HiFi systems too.
Reduce the risk of water damage
While insurance can cover your customers when the proverbial hits the fan, how about if you could help your customers to prevent or minimise damage from leaks?
By setting up a Wiser Water Leakage Sensor in areas that might be at risk, it can let your customer know if there is an unexpected leak. This would send the customer an alert, and then they could take action manually to solve the issue.
Or as Kelvin suggests, you could take it to the next level where “If a leak is detected, you could in collaboration with a Wiser Micro Module Switch control a solenoid to shut the water off, helping to reduce the chance of any further damage. This could all be set it up as an Automation in the system, so no manual intervention is required from the customer, and the risk of damage is also kept under control. This is great for people who are quite a distance away from their holiday home.”
The water leakage sensor could also detect internal flooding, as it is simply looking for water contact – which could also be handy for those in coastal or low-lying areas at greater risk of water ingress.
Only use hot water when needed
Sustainability and power costs are on many people’s minds and being able to remotely control and choose when to power on the hot water cylinder could make a big impact to your customer’s overall holiday home power bill. Kelvin suggests controlling the hot water cylinder by using a Wiser 10A mechanism along with a Wiser Hub. “This will allow your customer to turn their hot water cylinder on and off remotely through the Wiser by SE app. They still have the convenience of hot water when they need it, and saving on power costs when they don’t.”
Increase the warmth, cool or reduce UV rays
The Kiwi sun can be a blessing and a curse. Used in conjunction with the Wiser Temperature/Humidity sensor, you can automate the holiday home to respond to environmental conditions, such as if the temperature in the home gets to 23 degrees close the blinds to help
keep the house cool, or even at 6pm at night close the blinds to help keep the heat in the house. You can even use this feature on hot sunny days to save the interior furnishings from harsh UV
rays, with Lux Level controls in the Wiser motion sensor.
There are numerous ways you can use the PDL Wiser system for your customers with holiday homes to give them more control, comfort and access to their investment. If you would like to know more visit https://www.pdl.co.nz/wiser/electrician, and don’t forget to look out for part 2 in the next Marketplace Magazine.
To become a Wiser Approved Installer visit: https://www.pdl.co.nz/wiser/approved-installer
Please note: Only one Wiser Hub is needed per home.
These solutions are suggestive only and meant as a guide. Review of the home’s electrical needs is suggested before determining the right solutions to use.
Wiser IR convertor is not compatible with all heat pumps/TVs/HiFi systems. To check compatibility please refer to the Compatibility Tool here: https://www.pdl.co.nz/products/detail?CatNo=PDL501401&itemno=PDL501401&tab-document-1=0
Some solenoids run off 12VDC, whereas the Wiser micromodule is powered from 240V. A relay may be required to isolate the 240V.
