With Earth Day taking place in April, it’s a perfect time to reflect on how we can make a difference in our homes and our environment. Smart homes are no longer just a luxury, but a way to create a sustainable home that benefits both the environment and homeowners.
With the help of technology, homeowners can now manage their energy usage, water supply, and overall environmental impact. Sustainable consumption is becoming more and more crucial, and smart home technology is playing an essential role in creating ‘sustainable homes’.
Warren Husband, solutions architect at Homemation, shares his thoughts helping homes become more sustainable:
* Energy management: In light of South Africa’s energy crisis, homeowners are taking matters into their own hands by fitting backup energy systems. However, it is essential to manage energy usage effectively, especially during backup scenarios, to maximize the available capacity and prevent battery-killing deep cycles. A Control4 smart home system for example, helps to manage the energy usage of homes by shutting down non-essential services. By doing so, homeowners can have a better experience in their homes while looking after their backup system accordingly.
* Rainwater harvesting: Harvesting rainwater is an excellent way to ensure uninterrupted water supply and conserve water for irrigation purposes. By adding a smart home system, homeowners can keep track of their water supply and ensure that the water is used for the right purposes.
* Living greener: It’s easy to forget to turn off lights, sound systems, and air conditioning units when leaving a room. With a smart home system, homeowners can monitor room occupancy and turn off devices when a room is unoccupied. The system can also turn off all devices when the alarm is armed or turn off the entertainment area when retiring to the bedroom.
* Free energy: Managing heating, cooling, and lighting in a space based on the available natural sunlight is becoming increasingly popular. Homemation’s Control4 system enables homeowners to close all blinds in the home on a hot summer day to keep the home cool while opening the blinds and curtains to allow natural light and heat into the room. It can also activate your heating systems – for example can switch on and off your gas fireplace to heat a room can be more cost-effective than using an underfloor heating system, especially when only using the room for a short period.
Smart homes are sustainable homes. Clever systems can monitor the usage of energy and water, providing homeowners with information on how to be more efficient. By reducing energy and water consumption, homeowners are not only helping the environment but also saving money in the long run.
“If you want to do something about conserving the planet’s future, your home can be the most significant place to start,” says Warren Husband, Homemation’s Solutions Architect. “Smart home technology is making it easier for homeowners to make sustainable choices and reduce their carbon footprint.”
In conclusion, sustainable consumption is becoming more important than ever before. Homemation’s smart home technologies are playing an essential role in creating ‘sustainable homes’ by helping homeowners manage energy and water usage effectively.
By managing energy usage, water supply, and waste, homeowners can make a positive impact on the environment while enjoying the benefits of a modern, efficient home.
This Earth Month, let’s take a moment to reflect on how we can make a difference in our homes and our environment.