By Jean-Jacques DeLisle, contributing writer
As I grew up in areas that polite society calls “rural,” the concept of integrating complex technology into the home was more than alien to me. However, working in an industry — namely wireless — that provides an enabling method of networking complex smart home technology made me think that it could be worthwhile to investigate what the hype with smart home technology was about. And it most certainly was. As an advocate of home automation and smart home technology, here’s how you can enjoy practical savings and value with the latest in home technology.
Image source: Pixabay.
Smart thermostats
When I first heard that smart thermostats can dramatically reduce power bills, I thought it was a bogus claim. Traditional thermostats can be quite accurate, and there have even been complex learning and programmable thermostats out for over a decade. So I thought, “How helpful could a wirelessly connected smart thermostat be?” As it turns out, the learning algorithms, weather awareness, and integration with other smart home technology can be much more efficient than a simple temperature-triggered thermostat.
It took some getting used to, but after a brief acclimation period, my smart thermostat saved money just from the convenience of adjusting the temperature and programming the system with a convenient app. Areas with pretty erratic weather — isn’t that what climate change is all about? — may benefit the most from the easy ability to adjust the thermostat, not to mention the learning algorithms. Also, my wife likes to have the windows open as much as possible, and being able to quickly adjust the thermostat for comfort and convenience has saved some peace of mind.
Smart lighting
Let’s not focus on heating and cooling alone, because lighting is also a big drain on resources. Because my home has high ceilings and wide spaces, the recommended lighting fixtures are floodlights. Talk about energy hogs! I did some back-of-the-envelope calculations and determined, with all factors considered, that a smart lighting system could pay for itself in just a couple of years. This is because difference in energy usage between the high-powered flood bulbs and the LED bulbs is a factor of 10.
Being willing to explore, I dove in and changed all my bulbs and installed a hub, or bridge, system that communicates between the Zigbee bulbs and the home Wi-Fi. It wasn’t easy to justify this few-hundred-dollar investment until I was able to demonstrate to my wife that being able to dim specific lights and adjust whole-house lighting from our phones was possible. Also, the dimming functions and whole-home lighting control help to ensure that we actually remember to turn off all of our lights.
Though I didn’t understand this feature when I first installed the system, some smart lighting hubs can even work with motion sensors, autonomous control, and voice-activated hubs to provide additional timing, motion, and hands-free control. With an infant and always on-the-go lifestyle, these features alone pay for themselves in convenience.
Security is a must
The amount of money and precious memories invested into a home, not to mention the time that modern Americans stay away from their homes, can lead to an anxiety-rich paradox. We have to be out working so that we can pay for everything in a home that we cherish, one that we must be away from. This is where smart security systems help to bring our homes closer to us.
As I travel a lot and have a newborn, home surveillance became a priority. After doing extensive research and buying smart security cameras, I was hoping to be able to see everything that was going on in and around my home from my phone or computer in real time and the recent past. This was doable, and on top of that, I was also able to set up zone-based notifications, know when to pick up packages before they get swiped, and keep an eye on my son while he is being babysat. Though I haven’t scared the pants off of any would-be burglars and home invaders, the built-in speakers and microphones of our smart cameras have been saving us trips, along with our vocal cords, while communicating room-to-room — not to mention making it easier to track down our phones when they sneak off.
Solar panels and battery backups
Though these systems come with price tags far beyond other smart home technology, solar panels and battery backup systems can also offer cost savings over time. As there are still many state and federal tax incentives for installing solar panels, those who own a home could see payoff of a solar power system cut down by a factor of years. When incorporating a battery backup, which can store extra solar for nighttime use or be programmed to charge from the grid when utility costs are lowest, the payoff could also be accelerated. This appears to be Tesla’s justification with the purchase of solar panel installation services and battery backup systems. As it turns out, it’s likely that these systems not only pay for themselves, they are becoming attractive features for future home buyers.
Other knick-knacks
I have experimented with many other smart home and home automation systems, smart sprinklers, smart entertainment systems, smart vents, smart locks, and even smart car technology. Though often cool, these systems didn’t have the same level of life-altering benefits that the prior technologies presented and weren’t nearly as easy to integrate. I would like to give a special mention to voice-activated smart-hub technology, as many of these systems can provide another method of interfacing with other smart home technologies. Also, augmenting the built-in capabilities of smart home services, and many others, can be performed with services such as IFTTT. This adds a whole new level to the customization and features of off-the-shelf smart home and home automation technology.
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