Smart technology is changing the way we live our lives, and this is particularly true in the home. Thanks to recent breakthroughs in technology, homeowners can enjoy electronics and appliances that are more energy efficient than ever before.
Rooftop Solar Panels
The high upfront costs used to be a significant deterrent for homeowners interested in installing rooftop solar panels. This is no longer the case thanks to government schemes and companies offering much more affordable options. You no longer have to wait several years before you can start enjoying the savings provided by solar panels.
In fact, this affordable technology offers such a great way to save money that most Australians install solar panels purely to save cash on their energy bills rather than to help out the environment. The great thing is that they not only make your home more energy efficient and they also help increase the value of your property.
Smart Appliances
Smart appliances aren’t just about making your life easier. These days, eco-friendly appliances also focus on helping consumers cut costs by offering huge savings in energy use.
There are plenty of appliances that can help you save such as sprinkler timers that automatically adjust their watering schedule to reflect the local weather, low-flow shower heads at-home composters and eco-friendly washing machines that fit more clothes.
Thanks to planned investments in smart grid technologies, expect to see smart grid-enabled appliances introduced in the future that allow consumers to save even more money by operating during off-peak hours when electricity demand and rates are at their lowest.
High-Tech Thermostats
Smart thermostats these days use algorithms, cloud computing and high-tech sensors that know everything about your habits, so they can automatically adjust the temperature to reduce unnecessary energy usage and keep your home at an optimal temperature.
You can even get zone-based thermostats that divide your home up into different zones, allowing individual rooms to be heated or cooled depending on whether or not they are occupied. Motion sensors are used to monitor occupancy and allow for maximum efficiency.
Automated Lighting
Everyone needs lighting in their homes and it still makes up a decent amount of your electricity consumption, which is why so much has been done to help make lighting more energy efficient.
These days, LED lighting is pretty commonplace as it helps homeowners cut down on energy usage and power bills. However, it’s not just light bulbs that have become more energy efficient over the years.
Smart switches are also helping homeowners to reduce unnecessary electricity consumption by allowing them to control lights from anywhere through an app. There’s no need now to worry about leaving the lights on while you’re out.
Home automation technology is still on the rise, making it easier than ever before for consumers to use energy in the most efficient way possible.
Increased uptake and further technological advancements will hopefully lead to reduced carbon emissions and lower electricity bills across the country.