What is this guidance about?

Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) are best practice documents developed by Standards New Zealand along with EECA, industry, and other experts. This best practice guidance will help you, as a consumer, understand the concept of a smart home and help you make your home smarter and more energy efficient.  

Whether you’re considering installing solar panels, upgrading your appliances, or automating your home’s energy use, this information can help you select new smart home devices or retrofit existing devices with smart capability. 

This guidance also provides advice and support for the development of smart home technologies and demand response and flexibility guidance.

Benefits of a smart home  

Smart home technology can: 

  • Save money on power bills by optimising energy consumption and integrating with renewable energy sources.  
  • Automate energy management by controlling appliances like hot water cylinders, solar panels and EVs with minimal input. 
  • Provide a “set and forget” approach to energy management. 
  • Reduce strain on the electricity grid by managing demand and shifting energy use to off peak times. 
  • Help the environment by supporting cleaner energy solutions reducing energy waste. 

Key features of smart home products 

As explained in the PAS, to get the most out of your smart home look for products that: 

  • Integrate easily with existing devices and systems 
  • Have proven energy efficiency to lower energy use (look for energy rating labels to help) 
  • Are user friendly, with simple apps or controls that suit household needs.  

Tips for creating a smarter home 

  • Start small — you don’t need to overhaul everything at once. 
  • Do your research — look for products that meet the technical specifications (outlined in Appendix B of the PAS). 
  • Plan for the future — think about how the devices you choose now can work with other smart products you might add later. 

Ready to get started?

The first step is to understand the way you currently use technology in your home, how open you are to adopting new technology, and how important energy efficiency is to you. Appendix A of the guidance will step you through these questions and provide guidance specific to your situation on what to do next. 

Check out the detailed guidance here. This link will take you to the Standards New Zealand website where you can download the PAS at no cost.