Once upon a time, conservatories and orangeries were a space saved for summer. Reserved for lazy afternoons when the sun was shining and skies were clear.

Not anymore. Modern technology has helped turn these once seasonal living spaces into rooms that can be used any time of year. Rooms where you can live, relax and even work in comfort in the height of summer – or the depth of winter.

Smart solutions are making it even easier and more enjoyable to sit in your conservatory at any time of year. But not everyone is aware of the options they open up. This is where we come in.

Here at KLG Rutland, we know how much joy there is to be found in a conservatory in every month of the year. So we’ve put together this introduction to smart conservatories to help you discover this too.

We’ll explain some popular smart conservatory solutions, covering heating, lighting and security. We’ll discuss the benefits they can bring and help you decide which you need (and any you might not!) to get the most from your conservatory.

Smart Solutions For Your Conservatory

Smart Heating Solutions

Gone are the days when your conservatory could only be used when the sun was shining. Now if you don’t add a heating source to your conservatory, you’re missing out. Losing the chance to use the most appealing living space in your home on the days you need it most, like sun-soaked winter days when it is still too crisp to be outside.

Being able to heat your conservatory can turn it into a pleasant place to be all year round. There are a variety of heating solutions available but underfloor heating is definitely the most popular. This makes sense as finding wall space to mount a radiator can be difficult in a room with mainly glass walls.

Plus many conservatories follow a minimalist design. Bulky radiators can stand out a lot, and clutter the bright, fresh style of an otherwise clean space – not to mention breaking up the sightlines outside.

With underfloor heating, you don’t have these issues. Instead, you get to keep your conservatory warm and create a sleek, modern look for your space by having all your heating hidden.

But while underfloor options give you a neat and practical way to heat your conservatory, heating a room you aren’t using is a waste. Of money, of energy, and even of the environment.

Smart thermostats can help you make sure you only heat the rooms you need when you’re using them – this is particularly important for conservatories.

With smart heating, you also get maximum efficiency from your heating. As well as managing which rooms are being heated, it gives you remote access to your heating. This is helpful for a room like a conservatory, that you may use more occasionally. You don’t need to heat it ‘just in case’ to ensure it is always warm when you want it.

Smart Blinds

Big glass walls and a glass roof can be your conservatory’s best feature. They’ll keep the room flooded by the most natural light possible, keeping it bright, beautiful and warm.

However they can also be its biggest flaw, and even stop it being used as a year round living space. On particularly sunny days, they can expose the room to intense heat, leave furniture at risk of sun damage, and sacrifice any privacy the space might have.

With smart blinds, you get the benefits of all those windows without having to endure the drawbacks because that hot sun can be cut off anytime you need. And you don’t even need to move to do it.

Choosing voice or app controlled blinds means you can control the shade in your conservatory with the least amount of effort possible. No need to struggle with hard to reach cords or stretch round awkwardly placed furniture.

Instead, with a swipe of your phone or even a spoken word, you can make sure your conservatory is saving energy by reducing heat loss, blocking out the strongest sun rays in the summer months and generally making your conservatory as usable as possible.

Lighting Automation

As well as controlling the light that gets into your conservatory, smart conservatory solutions can help you control the light created inside it too.

Smart lighting allows you to customise the brightness, tone and even colour of the lighting in your conservatory to match your mood. If you’re looking to carry out something fiddly at night, when even your conservatory will struggle for natural light, smart lighting can help you work through the twilight hours without any inconvenience.

The ability to switch tones with smart lighting also allows you to recreate the cool colours of natural light so you can use your conservatory any day of the year, regardless of weather.

Climate Control and Ventilation

Perhaps one of the most particular and effective uses of smart conservatory solutions is automated ventilation.

Relaxing in your conservatory is about being as close to the outdoors as you can. Large glass windows and doors give you clear views out across your garden, while the sun streams down on you through the glass roof. And opening your windows to let fresh air flow through just increases those feelings.

But in the UK, the weather is ever changeable. Even being inside is not going to save you from sudden chills – or even unexpected downpours especially if you have skylights or overhead windows open. Smart windows could though!

Some modern smart windows can be set to respond to temperature, humidity or weather changes using sensors. They will close automatically if your conservatory starts to cool, or if rain starts to fall. 

Equally usefully, they can be set to open if the sun gets too strong and your conservatory starts to hot up. This can make sure your conservatory is always usable when you want it, rather than having to cool it down to use it.

As well as the convenience of predicting your needs, smart windows can also save you having to clamber or contort to reach out of the way window handles, or struggle with tools to open any overhead ones.

Smart Security

Many intruders will assume a conservatory is a weak point. But if you handle the security of your conservatory correctly, they absolutely won’t be.

There are necessary choices to secure your conservatory such as using double-glazed glass throughout and making sure all locks used meet a high-standard. However, smart security options can take the protection for your home to the next level.

Motion-activated cameras or sensors can track any unexpected (and unwanted) movement around your conservatory, while remote management lets you quickly address any triggers. They allow you live monitoring, so you’re always able to assess how safe your home is.

Smart locks are another option some homeowners use to boost conservatory security and give themselves complete control.

As well as bringing you peace of mind and keeping your home safer, these smart security solutions can even help you save money. Some home insurance policies recognise how much safer these choices make your home and reward you with lower premiums.

Energy Monitoring

Insurance isn’t the only way you can save money from using smart technology. It can seriously help you keep your energy usage more cost-effective too.

We’re all aware by now how smart meters can help you track energy use across your home, but you can also track your conservatory energy consumption with smart plugs in that space, or through smart home apps. 

This lets you see how much energy  heaters, lighting, or other devices in your conservatory are using. And to spot any particular energy drains.

If you do see anything that needs addressing, there are plenty of ways to do so. You can add timers to devices such as lights or heaters to cut down wasted use. You can even install reactive temperature sensors to help your conservatory monitor itself.

Designing a Future-Proof Smart Conservatory

Smart conservatory solutions are not the only modern enhancements available to make your conservatory the best it can be.

One of the most important things to consider in any conservatory is how insulated it is. The large proportion of glass used in these rooms used to leave them a weakness in the energy efficiency of your home – but as we’ve mentioned before, technology is changing this.

Picking thermally efficient glass like double or even triple glazing will help. In fact it can bring year round benefits by keeping it warm in winter and helping stay cooler in summer too. 

You could also consider a solid or tiled roof option. With the use of lanterns and skylights, a solid conservatory roof doesn’t have to span the whole conservatory. But a partially solid design can massively reduce how much heat it loses, without compromising your home design or the practical benefits your conservatory brings.

A conservatory as smart as the rest of your home

When it comes to smart technology, it’s easy to focus on the benefits for your living room or kitchen. But actually, your conservatory could see big advantages from smart support too. 

Here at KLG Rutland, our conservatories are designed with excellence in mind. This includes accommodating all kinds of smart integrations.

So whether you’d like a stunning double-hipped conservatory or an opulent orangery, our team can offer expert advice on how to get the best from your conservatory. 

Contact us today to find out more or get a quote.