By Raimondo Salandra, Business Line Leader for Home Solutions, ABB’s Smart Buildings Division
March 5th marked World Energy Efficiency Day, a global reminder that sustainable living starts at home. But true efficiency requires seamless integration, intelligent design, and future-ready solutions that empower users to act.
Simplicity and interoperability are the cornerstones of a smart home
Smart homes are only as strong as their weakest link. When devices operate in silos, energy waste and complexity multiply. ABB’s approach centers on unified ecosystems – where lighting, HVAC, appliances, and electric vehicles (EV) chargers work together under one intuitive interface.
Our solutions eliminate ‘app overwhelm’ with a centralized control that integrates relevant Smart Home technologies, including Matter and Thread. For example, the Brobyholm development in Sweden showcases how our ABB-free@home® system integrates with Samsung’s SmartThings platform and further partner technologies, jointly enabling residents to monitor energy use, optimize consumption, and even share solar power across the community. This isn’t just tech for tech’s sake – it's a blueprint for replicable, scalable sustainability.
By 2028, the number of smart home users in Germany is projected to reach 39.61 million1. Similarly, the UK’s smart home penetration is expected to surge from 20.5% (6.6 million households) in 2024 to 50.2% by 20272, underscoring the urgency of seamless integration.
Smart homes by design
Energy-efficient homes aren’t a matter of chance – they’re intentional. At ABB, we design systems that adapt to today’s needs and tomorrow’s challenges. From solar integration to EV charging, our solutions balance sustainability with practicality.
Take the ABB-free@home® system: it harmonizes energy management with daily life, offering real-time insights into appliance usage and automated load balancing. This isn’t just about saving energy, it’s about creating homes that anticipate needs, whether through predictive HVAC adjustments or optimized EV charging schedules.
Crucially, our systems are built on an open ecosystem that adapts to emerging technologies and evolving homeowner needs. Whether integrating new devices, upgrading existing ones, or adopting future innovations like AI-driven energy optimization, ABB’s solutions remain flexible and future-proof. This ensures homes stay relevant as technology advances, avoiding obsolescence and empowering residents to embrace change.
Combining aesthetics and sustainability
Homeowners deserve solutions that blend aesthetics and performance. Sustainability, along with design, is embedded in all of our products. ABB’s Busch-art linear® light switch range is designed with minimalist elegance, utilizing recycled materials to reduce CO2 emissions and electronic waste. Supporting both ABB-free@home® and KNX systems, it enables intuitive control of lighting, blinds and other home functions, making it a stylish and eco-friendly addition to smart homes.
Smart installation: making energy efficiency accessible
Smart homes are for everyone. ABB’s Welcome IP door entry system prioritizes simplicity, offering app-based controls and remote access. The system is IP-based, enabling easy integration with existing home automation systems such as KNX and ABB-free@home®. The system also features user-friendly interfaces with widely recognized symbols and functions, making it accessible for all.
Collaboration helps fuel this progress. The integration of our InSite energy management system with Samsung SmartThings and SmartThings Pro delivers advanced analytics and AI-driven insights with ease, helping businesses and homeowners automate energy decisions.
These tools democratize energy efficiency, ensuring even first-time users can optimize consumption and reduce costs.
Building a smarter future, together
When we talk about the smart home revolution, we don’t just mean individual homes, we’re also talking about connected communities. At ABB, we’re building ecosystems where energy is shared, waste is minimized, and sustainability is collective.
From Sweden’s Brobyholm to global partnerships, we’re proving that leaner, cleaner operations start at home. The global smart home market is projected to grow from $149.43 billion in 2025 to $633.2 billion by 2032 – a 22.9% CAGR3. This isn’t just growth; it’s a mandate for innovation that’s accessible, intuitive, and impactful.
By creating living spaces with an open ecosystem that adapts to emerging technologies and evolving homeowner needs, we ensure homes remain dynamic hubs of sustainability. Whether integrating new devices, adopting renewable energy sources, or optimizing energy-sharing networks, ABB’s solutions evolve alongside the people who use them.
A Shared Mission for a Sustainable Tomorrow
At ABB, we’re committed to leading by example, decarbonizing our operations and empowering others to join the journey. As Mike Mustapha, President of ABB’s Smart Buildings division, notes: “Our combined solutions differentiate properties while addressing the rising importance of energy efficiency for homeowners, tenants, and landlords”.
Let’s recognize that the future hinges on collaboration and action. By merging smart technology with human-centric design, we can turn homes into hubs of sustainability –one light switch, one solar panel, and one connected community at a time.
Together, we can make energy efficiency a way of life.
About the author
Raimondo Salandra is the Business Line Leader for Home Solutions within ABB’s Smart Buildings division. The business provides integrated smart home solutions designed to enhance energy efficiency, comfort, and safety in the residential sector. In this role, Raimondo holds profit and loss (P&L) responsibility, overseeing all operations from R&D to sales, globally, and he is based in Italy.
Raimondo joined ABB’s Electrification business in 1996 and brings extensive expertise gained in a global environment across multiple industries, divisions, and cultures. Over his career, he has held leadership roles in supply chain management, logistics, engineering, and operations within large-scale manufacturing facilities in Italy, China, and the U.S. Beyond operational leadership, Raimondo has managed regional end-to-end business operations in Egypt & Central Africa and India, integrating sales and operations to drive performance and growth.
He also played a pivotal role in establishing Global Commercial Operations for ABB’s Electrification Business Area, leading a team of more than 2,000 employees while based in the United Arab Emirates. Raimondo holds a bachelor's degree in industrial technology engineering from Politecnico di Milano and an MBA from SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan.
[1] Germany: smart home number of users 2019-2028 | Statista
