The term “smart home” conjures up lots of images of a near sci-fi future, where everything is automatic and chores are a thing of the past.
Unfortunately, we’re not quite there yet. But smart home design can help solve a lot of your problems, including how much home electricity you consume and how you use it.
If you’re looking to save money on your electric bill and want to automate your house with some cool tech, keep reading to learn what your home electricity options are.
What Is a Smart Home?
A smart home is a home system of networked devices. Sometimes these devices can be controlled from a central hub, or remotely. Smart home devices can do everything from control and address security issues to adjust your home’s heating and cooling (more on that in a bit).
Smart home technology is also known as domotics or home automation.
Smart Thermostats
Smart thermostats are programmable thermostats that allow you to adjust your home’s temperature remotely, or even program it to automatically adjust depending on the time of day.
Not only are smart thermostats convenient, but they can save you money by only heating or cooling your home when you want. For example, you could use an app on your smartphone to adjust your thermostat to raise your home’s temperature prior to leaving work.
Smart Lighting
Smart lighting lets you create a specific mood or atmosphere for any room in your home, at any time of day – but only when you want to, further saving you electricity. Smart light bulbs can be automated to turn on and off without even touching a light switch. You can have them set on timers, or adjust them on your own via a smartphone app.
Smart light bulbs also come in a range of colors and hues. Many of these can also be adjusted via an app, allowing you to change the ambiance of any room within seconds.
Solar Panels
One of the best ways to save money and the environment is to get your energy from a renewable source. That’s where solar panels come in. Solar panels harvest the sun’s energy and convert it into usable electricity.
Solar panels are popular options in sunny climates like Florida, as seen by the success of Blue Raven solar panels. But did you know that solar panels can work in colder climates too? It’s because they harvest the energy – not the heat, of the sun.
Not only can solar panels reduce your initial energy costs, but they save you during tax time too. Many states have incentives for switching to solar power, but even if you live in a state without tax incentives, there is a federal solar tax credit that you can claim.
Solar panels are popular with all kinds of homeowners, including those who choose to live off the grid, not connected to public utilities.
Choose Smart Home Electricity Options
Smart home design is perfect for harnessing and controlling your home electricity. While there is an upfront cost in terms of time and the initial financial investment, in the long run, you can reduce your energy consumption and save money with home automation.
Don’t forget to check out similar articles in our Tech section for more on home automation and energy savings.
