Every homeowner wants to save energy these days, and there are a host of reasons for that. Well, the process of saving energy is not supposed to be complicated. You save energy when you use less. But in real life, energy saving is not as easy as that.
There are smarter ways to save energy. In recent years, smart homes have become a great way to save energy. In this post, we will give you information about smart home energy savings and show you how you can save energy by installing smart devices in your home.
Reducing power consumption
Nowadays, many homeowners are producing their own electricity by using photovoltaic systems. No matter what the weather is like, you will always get enough power. Smart home energy savings can make power easily available for you.
If you install a photovoltaic system, your building services will be controlled intelligently, and unused power will be stored. It helps you not only reduce power consumption but also use power whenever you need it.
When it comes to power savings, turning off the devices completely is the most obvious way. If you have a lot of devices in your home, most probably you do not know which devices are using the most energy. Wall buttons and smart adapter plugs will let you know which device is using how much energy. If your focus is on smart home energy savings, an adapter plug helps you turn on or off your electrical appliances. You can also identify power guzzlers.
The apps you use will let you know whether the devices are properly switched on or off. If they are not, you can remotely turn them on or off. With a simple push-button, you can deactivate the unnecessary devices and appliances.
Reasons for its popularity
Over the last decade, hardware prices have decreased significantly, and home control goods have become affordable. Retailers are now interested in these products. The consumers’ expectations are not the same as they were a decade ago, thanks to the influence of social media.
It is hoped that smart home energy savings will get more popular in the near future. More and more people are getting dependent on their smartphones, and that is part of the reason why people like the idea of controlling their house via a smartphone.
Convenience and security are the main reasons people are attracted to home automation systems. When children come home, you can see them even if you are not present there. If you forget to dim the lights, don’t worry. They will be dimmed automatically. Here lies the key to smart home energy savings. The system never forgets when to turn on or off your smart devices.
Even if you look at the phenomenon from an environmental perspective, home automation has plenty of advantages. You will notice a significant impact if you install a programmable thermostat in your home. The idea of smart home energy savings is based on the fact that most people want to reduce the wastage of energy, and the technology never disappoints them.
Another reason of the popularity of home automation is its ease of use. Most people are comfortable with smartphones, and smart devices are controlled by apps installed on a smartphone.
How it works
Digital technology can save energy in a number of ways. When you are away from home, you can use your smartphone to control your smart home appliances. There are some companies that collect energy usage data and analyze it. When you know how much electricity your smart devices use, you can cut back on the usage of electricity. You can tailor your cooling and heating settings according to your unique needs.
You can take proper steps to waste energy when you know which of your devices are responsible for it. You can optimize the settings when you have smart devices in your home.
You can lower your energy bills further if you have cloud-based services installed in your house. Even during peak times, you can reduce power usage if you have the right utilities. By analyzing cooling and heating equipment, you can figure out how to optimize efficiency.
Smart is not always green
It is important to know that all smart home devices do not save energy. There are certain devices that are designed to reduce the consumption of energy. While some devices can save up to 23%, most devices can not save that much. According to most research works, you can save between 1% and 15% of your energy consumption.
To a great extent, your heating and cooling costs depend on the devices you are using. There is no reason to think that these devices will do a good job for you just because they are connected to the internet. The key is how you are using the devices.
Smart home energy savings depend on several factors. If you really want to know about smart home energy savings, you must know about these factors. Some of the factors are the type of products you are using, the way you use them, and how you used your devices in the past. You will certainly save some energy if you had an ordinary thermostat and then you buy a smart thermostat.
You will not see a huge difference if you adjust your programmable thermostat seasonally. And you will end up wasting your money if you do not enable certain features of your smart thermostat. It is hard to know actually how much energy you can save with a smart thermostat. But as a rule of thumb, smart devices help you save energy in the long run.
Useful tips
You can make your smart home more energy efficient by following some tips. We are going to provide some tips that may help you achieve your goal.
Use smart power strips
Smart power strips, like occupancy sensors, can detect whether you have turned off your devices. May be there are some energy vampire devices in your home, and you often forget to turn them off when you leave home. If you install smart power strips, you will no longer have to worry about turning off your video game and cable box consoles. According to some studies, using power strips, a homeowner can save up to $200 a year.
A smart power strip reduces power usage by managing energy vampires. It shuts down power products and as a result they go into standby mode, allowing you to save both energy and cash.
Use smart thermostats
If you have a smart thermostat in your home, you will no longer have to worry about the right temperature. Smart thermostats will greatly help you with your smart home energy savings mission. In fact, this thermostat will gradually learn your habits. Using artificial intelligence, this thermostat will help you improve your habits and save money. Using this smart technology, consumers can save a lot of money. Above all, this technology can help you reduce your energy consumption.
You can program temperatures according to your needs, and that helps you develop an automated schedule. Your smart home energy savings will greatly depend on the proper use of smart thermostats. You can easily use the energy data provided by the system and, using your smartphone, control your home’s temperature.
By minimizing temperature swings, a smart thermostat can save you a lot of energy. You can not do it with a manual thermostat.
Use smart blinds to block out the sun
Days are long in the summer. During the day, the sun brightly shines. By using smart blinds, you can use the day’s natural light. And when it is too hot, smart blinds will keep out the rays. Smart home energy savings will be easier if you use smart blinds.
You can regulate the heat by using smart window shades. At pre-programmed times; the shades will open and close automatically. Once you have installed smart blinds, you will need less air conditioning. In the winter, the blinds will open automatically and let the sun in, allowing you to save some more energy.
Install smart water systems
You will be able to reduce your water expenses if you install touchless faucets and smart shower heads in your home. But you also have to think about your outdoor usage of water. According to some studies, about 30% of our water consumption is outdoors, and we end up wasting about half of the water we use outdoors. If you have a smart irrigation system, you can easily cut down on wasted water.
Use smart sensors to control your light
Lighting is another big category of energy use. Almost one-third of the usage of lighting is unnecessary. Installing occupancy sensors is a great solution to this problem. These sensors can sense the presence or absence of a person, and make sure that the lights are turned on or off. This is an important part of your smart home energy savings mission.
When you are busy, you may forget to turn the lights off. Once you have installed smart sensors, you will no longer have to worry about it. You can control these LED light bulbs remotely, because they are internet-capable bulbs. Your lights can be programmed to turn on and off at certain times when you are on a vacation.
Compared to traditional bulbs, smart lighting will cost you some more money. But do not be turned off by this cost. This cost will pay back in the long run.
Use smart appliances to simplify daily tasks
There are some smart appliances that can make your daily chores less time consuming. With these appliances, you can simplify your daily tasks and save some energy. For example, a smart dishwasher, with its flexibility, WiFi connectivity and voice controls, can make the task a lot less tedious. Using your smartphone, you can monitor the performance by starting wash cycles. When a wash is finished, you will receive an alert on your phone. Smart appliances can make your smart home energy savings journey a lot easier.
You can also add smart microwaves to your list of smart appliances. They not only reheat your leftovers but also do a lot of other things. With your smartphone, you can control the microwave. And when the food is ready, you receive alerts. If the food is packaged, you can scan the bar code.
You can make your laundry day simple by using smart washers and dryers. If you are serious about smart home energy savings, consider using these devices. These devices give you control over the laundry cycles. Receiving alerts, you can always know the progress of the cycles.