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How to create your own 'Smart Home' by looking at all of your options
Contributing Editor: Will Johnston
A "smart home" is a home which uses computers and technology for monitoring and managing home resources and automating appliances and home infrastructure. Examples include turning lights off which aren't being used, directing a solar panel toward the sun or suggesting a recipe based on what's in your refrigerator.
For many years the promise of 'Smart Home' technologies and products has been with us, but the delivery has been overpriced and overhyped. We are excited to see a new breed of manufacturers and technologies which are creating products which are not only smart, but can contribute to living in a sustainable manner.
First, anyone considering making their home smart should start by looking at energy efficiency. There are a number of smart tools for monitoring your energy use. Blue Lines makes a smart power monitor which tells you exactly what your current electricity use is at the meter. This can heighten your family awareness about electricity use by having everyone pitch into to keep the digital read out as low as possible.
The next consideration for those wishing to make their home smart would be to install light monitors which sense of someone is in a room and turn the light off if they're not. These types of devices can be installed fairly easily and will pay for themselves in a reasonable amount of time.
If your home doesn't have a thermostat then it's definitely not smart. By installing a simple electronic thermostat you can save not only a lot of money, but reduce your CO2 footprint. The type of thermostats which are available go far beyond the basic thermostat to include room specific thermostats and remotely managed.
By installing an on-demand hot water system your home is producing hot water only when it's required. This real time approach to hot water is another cost saver and CO2 and will pay for itself within a couple years.
If your home and family use a lot of electronic devices you can add some smarts to your computer work stations and home entertainment center by installing a 'smart strip' power strip. These eliminate phantom power from being drained by idle devices.
Another consideration for a those wishing to have a smarter home is to install a solar kit. By installing an affordable solar kit and charging deep cell batteries, you can get your family and your home off-the-grid. This is the smart way to lower your home's energy cost and make your lifestyle more sustainable and socially responsible.
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