smart technology home energy efficient

How Smart Technology Can Make Your Home More Energy-Efficient

Photo by Kevin Martin Jose on Unsplash

The eco-conscious movement recently found its way into the residential sector. You may spot solar-paneled roofs, electric cars, and rainwater harvesting systems in American suburban neighborhoods. These forms of green technology work to shrink one’s carbon footprint, protect the environment, and decrease the cost of utility bills.

Adding smart technology to your home can also increase its value. Modern consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products than their environmentally degrading counterparts. To remain competitive in the market, your home should contain energy-efficient, eco-conscious technology.

The Importance of Energy Efficiency

Increasing the energy efficiency of your home can do more than lower the price of your utility bills. It may also help protect the planet against a global crisis. In the U.S., nearly 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions derive from residential energy use.

When we rely on a high volume of non-renewable energy, we contribute to atmospheric degradation. The greenhouse gases emitted through power production accumulate in the environment, trapping the sun’s energy. The Earth naturally utilizes this process to maintain a life-sustaining global temperature.

As humans interfere with this planetary function by pumping excess pollutants into the air, the atmosphere changes. It converts the sun’s energy into heat faster than it releases it, raising the global temperature over time. When the planet’s temperature exceeds the “Goldilocks Zone,” the ecosystem suffers.

To limit the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and protect the global ecosystem, individuals can install smart technology in their homes. You may add smart thermostats, sprinklers, garage door openers, lights, energy monitors, and outlets to your home to shrink your carbon footprint, conserve the environment, and lower the price of your utility bills.

Smart Thermostats

Smart thermostats are energy-efficient devices designed to keep your home at a consistent temperature. They work to reduce environmental impact by lowering the temperature of your house at night when everyone is asleep and increasing it in the summer. The devices also detect motion to turn the heat or air conditioning off when the home is vacant.

You can connect this thermostat to your smartphone to control the temperature from anywhere. If you leave for vacation, you can conserve the energy from your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system by turning it off from your phone. You can also program the device to turn back on right before you arrive.

Over time, this smart device can save the homeowner on their electricity bill while reducing their environmental impact.

Smart Sprinklers

Many homeowners waste energy and water by using a flawed sprinkler system. Residents waste between 30% and 60% of their freshwater through their lawns. Poor timing and application processes also contribute to this water waste.

You can install a smart sprinkler on your property to conserve both water and energy. These systems track weather patterns to maximize watering efficiency. They also connect to your phone to report leaks and track your lawn’s sun exposure.

Based on the data collected, smart sprinklers properly water your lawn without losing resources to evaporation. The system’s advanced sensors also track plant growth to ensure your yard is full and green.

You can increase the curb appeal of your home, reduce your utility bills, and shrink your carbon and water footprints when you utilize a smart sprinkler.

Smart Garage Door Openers

If you are looking to increase your home’s energy efficiency, it is essential to evaluate energy escape routes. Much of the temperature-controlled air produced by HVAC systems leave homes through open doors and windows. The largest door in your home may be causing sustainability issues when it comes to energy conservation.

Your garage door should always remain closed to maximize your HVAC efficiency. If you have an unreliable door opener that occasionally fails to shut, your utility bill will increase. Installing a smart garage door opener can eliminate this problem.

These systems automatically close your garage door after a pre-programmed number of minutes to eliminate air release. They also contain LED lights to illuminate the inside of your garage. Each of these features works to conserve the homeowner’s energy use.

LED lights use 75% less energy than a traditional bulb, and they last 25 times longer. They also illuminate your garage as well as any other bulb on the market. You can also utilize these lights throughout your home.

Smart Lights

Smart lighting combines LED and Bluetooth technology to maximize your home’s energy efficiency. The system connects to your smartphone so you can turn off the lights when you leave the house, even after you’ve left. You can also set your lighting to a range, so the lights turn on depending on how far you are from home.

The lights also use motion detection to turn on or off depending on whether residents are present in a room. LED energy conservation paired with an automatic shutdown system makes for optimum lighting efficiency.

Energy Monitor

To effectively track and alter your energy use, you can install a smart power monitor. These devices connect to your electricity meter and collect data on your energy use. They can detect what devices, regions of your home, and times of day use the most electricity.

Energy monitors connect to your smartphone through Bluetooth to relay the data back to you. The device converts the information into charts and graphs to effectively evaluate your most significant energy-consuming features. Once you obtain this information, you can reduce the amount of electricity you use daily by installing smart devices and changing your energy consumption patterns.

Smart Plugs

Similar to energy monitors, smart plugs evaluate a device’s electricity use. When the device is inactive, the plug eliminates its access to electricity. Many appliances continue to draw energy from conventional outlets even when they are not actively being used.

You can also use smart plugs to charge devices. When you charge your phone at night, it pulls energy from the outlet all night long. Smart plugs turn off the electricity source once your device has full power.

Grow Your Green

When you install smart technology in your home, you can save big on your energy bills. As you increase your finances, you also shrink your carbon footprint. Limiting your home’s greenhouse gas emissions can make a significant impact on the environment.

If you are ready to increase the value of your home by lowering its energy use, start by evaluating your utility bill. Track which devices use the most energy and examine which smart additions could act as a green alternative. Once you purchase and install your power-efficient technology, you can watch your savings increase.

1 Comment

  • Regina

    Current environmental conditions require us to make some changes in our lives. These are good suggestions for that!

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