Smart home technology brings the convenience of product control right to your fingertips.It can also help you manage and reduce your energy consumption. Smart home energy management systems perform certain actions automatically, in a way that is designed to reduce energy costs while being tailored to meet your specific lifestyle needs. They also allow users to monitor their energy consumption and identify performance issues. Samsung's SmartThings Energy is the first mass-market smart home energy management system to earn ENERGY STAR certification. Individual smart home products that have earned the ENERGY STAR label, including thermostats, lighting, and various appliances, are recognized for their superior energy efficiency as well as connectivity.
What smart home device is best to start with?
Depending on your budget, there are several smart devices you can start with to simplify energy management and reduce your energy use. From least, to most expensive:
Smart plugs for use on small appliances (like a hair curler or straightener, coffee maker, etc.)
ENERGY STAR certified smart lights
ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostat
Both plugs and ENERGY STAR certified smart lights are an inexpensive way to beginyour smart home journey and are nice compliments to a voice assistant. You can use these devices to schedule or control products, based on your voice command or your location, to save energy when you’re not home. To get the biggest bang for your buck, a smart thermostat that has earned the ENERGY STAR is an extremely effective smart technology for reducing energy use, considering that heating and cooling account for the largest share of energy consumption in households. Smart thermostats offer the ability to monitor and adjust your home’s temperature, even when you are outside of the home. Theyeven detect when nobody is in the house through geofencing, allowing the thermostat to ease off the heating/cooling when the home is empty. As the average American household spends over $900 a year on heating and cooling, a smart thermostat offers convenient comfort for climate control and energy reduction.
Can my smart home products work together?
Yes, but you will still need to check to see which type of connectivity protocols the devices are using to make sure they will work together - or you may need to get some sort of hub or bridge to connect different devices.
The ENERGY STAR program recognizes products and services that are designed to work together to help consumers reduce and manage energy consumption. ENERGY STAR certified smart home energy management systems include service packages that allow customizable scheduling, remote device control, and automated device control based on occupancy.
Smart thermostats offer the ability to monitor and adjust your home's temperature, even when you are outside of the home. They even detect when nobody is in the house through geofencing, allowing the thermostat to ease off the heating/cooling when the home is empty.
A smart home can intuitively control your smart thermostat by learning your daily patterns, so heating and cooling systems won't needlessly run when you're not around. Smart power strips shut down and put attached smart devices in standby mode, so they won't use energy while they're just plugged in.
Yes, smart devices like app- and voice-controlled plugs, bulbs, thermostats, and more can lead to a reduction in energy consumption, and therefore a lower monthly bill during hot and cold months.
They often claim you can reduce or even eliminate your power bill by plugging in their devices around your home. The fact is, there is nothing that you can plug in that will reduce your electricity usage and lower your household power bill.
You can use a smart home system to program your sprinklers, set and monitor your home security system and cameras, or control appliances like your refrigerator or air conditioning and heating.
Smart thermostats can learn your living habits and heat or cool rooms in line with your daily schedule, smart sprinklers can lower your water bill by learning the level of moisture your soil needs and watering accordingly, and smart plugs can kill 'vampire energy' by making sure plugged-in appliances are switched off ( ...
Smart Energy Savings programs use internet technology-supported energy monitoring and management devices and capabilities, commonly known as “smart” tools, designed to save money on member-owners electric bills.
Cut heating and cooling costs with smart thermostats
This prevents heating or cooling an empty home, which wastes energy. Smart thermostats can save homeowners an average of 40% on HVAC energy consumption. In the hot summer months, the percentage of savings from smart cooling can be even higher.
Light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs are considered top-tier in terms of energy efficiency, and their prices have recently become more competitive with other efficient lighting technologies such as compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).
Smart home devices like thermostats and appliances are highly efficient because they can automatically adjust to changing energy needs. Plus, they can detect inefficiencies so electricity, water and gas waste can be minimized. Your energy consumption can be reduced exponentially when smart devices run your home.
Smart homes are often more expensive than their less smart counterpart products, but they offer several benefits that make them worth the investment. With a smart home, you'll have greater control over your home's security, temperature, and energy usage, and you'll be able to save money on your utility bills.
Smart home systems allow you to connect motion sensors, front-door security cameras, automated smart locks, and alarm systems, giving you increased peace of mind when you cannot be at home. These features all connect to your phone, which can instantly alert you to any potential issues if they occur.
For example, smart thermostats enable precise temperature control, adjusting settings based on occupancy and user preferences. And it results in reduced heating and cooling energy consumption. Automated lighting systems ensure lights are only on when needed, minimising electricity waste.
Smart buildings can also provide a solution to the spiralling cost of energy for business and occupants alike. Using sensors to focus energy usage only where it's needed, and reducing consumption in areas not in use (even for specific times of the day), can help save on unnecessary operational costs.
Traditional thermostats rely on manual adjustments, often leading to temperature overshooting and wasting energy. Smart thermostats, on the other hand, can maintain a more consistent temperature by learning from occupants' patterns and adjusting heating and cooling cycles accordingly.
Smart sockets let you know which sockets, and so which appliances, are in use in your home. You can then save energy by using your smartphone to turn appliances off when they're not needed. Similarly, smart lighting makes it easy to set different lighting schedules so that lights aren't left on by mistake.
Introduction: My name is Van Hayes, I am a thankful, friendly, smiling, calm, powerful, fine, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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