Arrow Electronics: Home Sweet Home

(MENAFN- 3BL) Home sweet home: Habitat for Humanity and Arrow

A group of new homeowners is living more securely, comfortably, and confidently thanks to a powerful collaboration between Habitat for Humanity and Arrow Electronics.

Smart tech transforms life for Habitat homeowners

As a busy mother of four, first-time homeowner Gladys knows it's impossible to be everywhere at once. Luckily, her new Habitat for Humanity home is equipped with a slew of smart home features that have provided Gladys with a new set of eyes and ears.

When the certified nursing assistant is at work, she can monitor her front porch and caution her children about opening the door when a stranger approaches. When one of her children left a bathroom faucet running, her home's water leak detector sent an alert to notify her of a possible problem and the water leak shut-off valve automatically turned off water to the house.“If we did not have that, maybe we would have had big damage,” said Gladys.

Asma, a neighbor, whose home boasts the same devices, echoes Gladys' praise for the water sensors.“It's like having angels for your pipes, honestly,” said Asma.

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Asma and Gladys are residents of Habitat for Humanity of Metro's Denver's new Mountain View Community Homes. Located in Aurora, Colo., the community is the first affordable smart home development in Habitat's network, featuring 20 homes with a comprehensive suite of smart home technology products.

Arrow Electronics orchestrated a coalition of customers and suppliers to outfit the homes with a bundle of smart home devices designed to enhance security and safety, save energy, conserve water, improve air quality and reduce both energy costs and potential maintenance costs. The products range from Honeywell Home smart thermostats that offer climate control to First Alert Video doorbells for greater security (both provided by Arrow customer Resideo Technologies) to Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controllers that automate watering.

Homeowners weren't charged for the equipment and won't face any hidden fees related to operating the devices.

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As an example, studies have shown that when users of the Honeywell Home thermostats employ the product's recommended scheduling feature consistently, they can save energy in both heating and cooling their homes, resulting in estimated annual savings of $204.

That's a meaningful number for the new homeowners at Mountain View, many of whom are learning how to budget for utility bills for the first time.

“I got my first (energy) bill, and I was like, 'oh no, do I want to open it?'” shared Adrienne, who moved into Mountain View with her adult son, Devon.“I looked at it, and I thought, 'well, that's not too bad.' I was expecting more, so it worked out.”

Adrienne is also surprised by the sense of safety she feels in her new home, thanks to the First Alert video doorbell and First Alert cameras that were installed in every Mountain View property. Both can be managed using the First Alert app either on a smart phone or via the iPads provided to homeowners by Arrow supplier Silicon Labs.

“It gives me peace of mind to know what is going on outside,” said Adrienne, who often uses the cameras to watch her grandsons playing in the yard.

Yonas and his wife, Shewit, also rely on the cameras to help them keep an eye on their children.

“We can see the whole street!” Yonas noted.

Yonas says one neighbor even reached out after checking the cameras when they were out of the country, because they noticed a door was left open.

The convenience factor provided by the smart home solutions at Mountain View was cited by several homeowners. Asma likes having the ability to change the temperature in her home on her way home from work. Her husband enjoys the fact that if it rains, the sprinkler system will automatically adjust the watering schedule. After living in a smoke-filled apartment building, Yonas and Shewit rest easy knowing their home has an air treatment system that reduces odors.

They may seem like small things, but combined, these features should make the homes at Mountain View easier to manage and maintain and will allow residents to enjoy a higher quality of life.

While this model of affordable home building is not widespread, Habitat is weighing the possibility of employing the same kind of integrated smart home solution in future projects.

Image Mountain View Community Homes: At a Glance

What: Affordable smart home community featuring 20 three- and four-bedroom duplexes with 1.5 – 2.5 baths

Where: Aurora, Colo.

Groundbreaking: November 2023

Completion: November 2025

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Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver
Leased the land where the homes were built through a land lease agreement and sold the homes with affordable mortgages through the nonprofit's homeownership program.

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Arrow Electronics
Collaborated with Habitat to incorporate a comprehensive smart home technology solution into the Mountain View Community Homes development. To bring the project to life, Arrow built a coalition of customers and suppliers who contributed vital hardware, technical expertise and sweat equity to help ensure the project's success. Arrow employees also contributed nearly 700 hours building the project.

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Resideo Technologies
Contributed a full suite of connected, smart home products to each Mountain View home, including products to conserve water and prevent leaks; energy and security devices and technology to enhance health and safety.

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Rachio
Donated Smart Sprinkler Controller and Smart Hose Timers.

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Silicon Labs
Provides wireless technology to help smart home devices communicate with mobile phones and virtual assistants. Donated iPads to each household pre-loaded with the First Alert app.

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