Will Matter 1.4 finally make smart home management easier?

The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) has announced the latest update to the smart home focused Matter standard, raising this to version 1.4. It introduces better support for more devices and improves support for different ecosystems to make them more compatible with each other.

What they said

“With nearly two years of real-world deployment in millions of households, the Matter Working Group remains steadfast in its commitment to ongoing collaboration across the specification, with a focus on refining software development kits, streamlining certification processes, and optimizing individual device implementations. These efforts aim to strengthen Matter’s role as a unifying force, enabling secure and reliable interoperability and driving the next wave of innovation in connected devices.”

Improvements for device and platform vendors

Enhanced Multi-Admin promises to make it easier to handle smart systems from multiple ecosystem families.

But one of the bigger improvements is the introduction of Matter certifiable Home Routers and Access Points, along with tools to help users save energy with expanded energy management enhancements, and support for several new device types and core enhancements.

Themissing link is video cameras, support for which remains in need of improvement. But what is there sounds great, including enhancements to optimize battery life in connected devices, support for dimmers, and more advanced tools for energy management.

Of course, we’ll have to wait a while for Matter 1.4 to actually appear in products. However, when it does the improved multi-admin support should make managing cross-platform smart homes a little easier.

Right now, it’s not as easy as the people behind the Matter standard originally envisioned. “Multi-Admin is central to Matter’s vision of choice and interoperability, allowing users to connect Matter devices to multiple smart home systems,” CSA wrote. “However, sharing each device individually when managing multiple platforms can become tedious and complex as users expand their smart homes.”

We have to hope it improves. We’ve been hoping it might.

What new devices are supported?

• Solar Power – Existing electrical power and electrical energy support in Matter has been extended to Solar Power device types, including inverters, individual and panel arrays, and hybrid solar/battery systems.
• Batteries – These include battery walls, storage units, and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), capable of discharging energy back into the home or grid, creating “virtual power plants.” Enabled by home energy management systems, they support load balancing, with any controller potentially serving as the management system.
• Heat Pumps – Heat pumps are an increasingly popular appliance for managing temperature in homes, with a growing number of incentive programs for their installation. With Matter’s energy management capabilities, these devices could forecast consumption and adjust usage during peak demand. Heat pumps can shift energy use to off-peak times, such as pre-heating the home, and some feature a “buffer tank” that functions like a battery.
• Water Heaters – Electric water heaters can be set to a preset temperature or percentage, letting users monitor hot water levels. A boost command, which enables rapid heating from multiple energy sources for situations where hot water is needed quickly, allows temporary overrides in the heating schedule, ideal for situations like hosting guests. This gives consumers more control and flexibility. Additionally, the new Water Heater Mode cluster provides users with the ability to easily toggle scheduling on and off, making it simple to adjust heating patterns when normal routines change.
• Enhancements to Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE): EVSE support is enhanced by introducing user-defined charging preferences like specifying when they want their car to be charged, allowing users to choose optimal times for convenience and cost, building on the provisional features from earlier versions.
• Enhancements to Thermostats: Thermostat clusters add support for scheduling and preset modes like vacation and home/away settings. Presets can be triggered through motion detection, integrated with other devices, and even automation based on calendar events.
• Device Energy Management and Mode – With support for Device Energy Management, Matter 1.4 allows energy-consuming devices to adjust start times based on energy usage forecasts and power management needs. This feature is ideal for devices in optimizing their consumption patterns. The new Device Energy Management Mode cluster enables easy toggling between device-specific, local, or grid-wide energy optimization, providing greater flexibility and efficiency for managing power across the home.

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