Sustainability and luxury are not mutually exclusive. In fact, a truly smart home is an efficient home. Here are five ways automation reduces your carbon footprint—and your monthly bills.
1. Intelligent Climate Control
Smart thermostats don't just hold a temperature; they learn your schedule. They lower the heat when you leave for work and warm the house just before you return, ensuring you never pay to condition an empty home.
2. Automated Lighting Scenes
Leaving lights on is a common energy drain. Occupancy sensors ensure lights turn off automatically when a room is vacant. Furthermore, daylight harvesting sensors can dim your interior lights when natural sunlight is sufficient.
3. Motorized Shading
In the summer, your AC battles the sun's heat entering through windows. Collaborative automation lowers shades on south-facing windows during peak sun hours, passively cooling your home and reducing the load on your cooling system.
4. "Vampire Power" Management
Many devices draw power even when "off." Smart plugs and power strips can completely cut power to entertainment centers or home offices at night, eliminating standby power consumption.
5. Energy Monitoring
You can't manage what you can't measure. Smart home dashboards visualize your energy usage in real-time, showing you exactly which appliances are costing you the most, empowering you to make smarter decisions.