The history of the smart home is still very young. Almost 60 years ago, networked living developed largely from the commercial sector. From the very beginning, it was important for a networked building to be based on open technical standards standards, that it had to be easily expandable and future-oriented.
Table of contents Smart Home history
1939: Electric house of the future
The idea that a house should take over functions and act automatically and independently has been around for some time. In 1939, for example, an article appeared in Popular Mechanics Magazine about “The electric house of the future”.
The author, George H. Bucher, describes a networked house in which doors open automatically, guests are greeted personally by the house via an intercom system and the lighting changes according to the needs of the residents.
1963: First smart industrial buildings
The origins of truly networked buildings can only be found in the 1960s. At that time, fault reporting systems were first implemented in larger building units via the conventional electrical installation.
1973: Building with PLC central computer
The programmable logic controller (PLC) came onto the market in 1973 and has been used to control smart homes ever since. It relies on a central unit that controls all the connected peripherals.
1991: EIB - independent standard for houses/apartments
The open EIB/KNX bus standard was founded in 1991. In 2002, a binding and manufacturer-independent KNX standard was adopted. This interdisciplinary networking of heating, cooling, ventilation, shading and lighting was initiated by Berker, Jung, Gira, Merten and Siemens. Open means that devices from different manufacturers can be networked with each other.
In the early 1990s, especially from 1991 to 1994, the division between the manufacturers was as follows: Berker mainly produced KNX switches, while Gira brought both KNX switches and KNX actuators to the market. The companies Jung, Merten and Siemens also focused on KNX actuators and KNX push-buttons.
From the outset, the aim of the collaboration was to create a manufacturer-independent system for networking and controlling any building – both commercial buildings and private homes. At that time, there was no Internet to speak of, although remote control was already possible via telephone lines and the first modems.
2002: First upscale and luxury homes with KNX
In 2002, the EIB standard became the KNX standard. At that time, luxury houses and villas in particular were being equipped with KNX technology at high prices. Initially, only basic functions for controlling heating, ventilation, blinds/shutters and dimming lamps were available. The KNX software ETS2, which ran under Windows XP at the time and was not always stable, also dates from this time.
2005: House of the Present in Munich
Due to its flexible use and networked control system, the Haus der Gegenwart, which was built for the Federal Garden Show in Munich-Riem in 2005, was a true evolution of a conventional house. All electronic processes in the house could be controlled centrally for the first time.
For me (Frank Völkel), this was a benchmark both technically and in terms of architecture, my private house – see also “Dream of a house as a machine” – in this way on the outskirts of Munich.
With complete networking via the KNX bus system, discerning building owners increasingly wanted to be able to take over the complete control of their home via graphic interfaces (visualization) on a touchscreen on the wall.
From a technical point of view, there was the Gira Homeserver 3 and the Enertex EibPC, which were able to meet the high demands of a very special clientele. At that time, “smart home” was still a foreign concept in house building for most people and not even in sight.
2008: House V in the district of Munich
The house with its striking futuristic shape is almost self-sufficient in terms of its energy balance and is geared towards the needs of its residents. It is packed with technical refinements: These include a central technology shaft that contains all the pipes – the nervous system of the house – for electrics, controls, heating, ventilation and cooling.
In the cold season, the windows remain closed automatically, while a living room ventilation system ensures a good climate throughout the house. Blinds provide shade in summer and additional insulation in winter.
From 2006 onwards, a very small group of private individual builders in the German-speaking area (DACH region) built their first KNX Smart Homes. As there was no know-how or support from either architects or tradespeople, the number of buildings erected was very small.
Companies such as ABB, Berker, Gira, Siemens and Theben already had a wide range of components and products for real smart homes on offer at the time. The newly released KNX software ETS3 brought significant improvements compared to its predecessor ETS2.
2015: Smart home with KNX for all generations
In 2015, there were already more than one million networked buildings in Europe. The market now offers more than 7,000 products from over 400 companies for networking homes/buildings. Older houses can also be converted and upgraded to a smart home.
Most networked houses are programmed with ETS4 (until 2012) and later with ETS5 software.
2023: Over 2 percent of single-family homes in new construction
Due to the sharp drop in prices for KNX components, the even greater choice among manufacturers and strong acceptance among builders and developers, the smart home with KNX has now also established itself in the mid-price segment of house construction.
In contrast to proprietary systems from individual manufacturers (such as Loxone, LCN, Busch-Jaeger free@home etc.), KNX is the only system for manufacturer-independent and long-term planning in new buildings and the renovation of old buildings.
As in previous years, many builders lack an overview of the possibilities for smart homes in new builds. This is why, despite the existing technical solutions and the cross-trade KNX standard, many homes are still being built without being networked and without future viability in terms of extensions, updates and customization.
Electric doors/gates: everything integrated and controllable
In the past 5 years, more has happened in the field of smart homes for new builds than in the previous 25 years! Every area in a building/house can now be connected and controlled via the central control system. This includes doors, windows, gates and even outdoor areas such as the pool, carport and garden with plants and trees.
High-end smart homes 2025: houses and apartments
In the upmarket and high-end segment of new-build and refurbishment projects, KNX has established itself as the bus system and the DALI system as the complete lighting system.
Encrypted radio transmission for retrofitting older buildings
With increasing networking in the smart home, security requirements are rising. More and more devices and components with the “KNX Data Secure” standard are now appearing on the market. This standard prevents manipulation of the transmitted information through encryption.
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