Energy efficiency, smart homes and the Internet of Things (IoT)
Smart buildings and their automation have become increasingly popular buzzwords in the construction industry. People are looking for the latest cool gadgets with which to “smartly activate” their homes. Home builders and real estate developers are starting to seriously consider adding smart home and smart building features to their new residential and commercial developments. Giants Amazon, Google and even Apple are investing multi-billions of dollars in the industry to make our homes smart. Aside from the WOW factor, what are the benefits and practical applications of technologies in making smart homes?
The Internet of Things (IoT) brought to the household level needs to be economically viable. This means that this expenditure must contribute to the overall household economy. In other words IoT technology must become a profit center and not a cost center for our budget. For example, when the fluorescent light bulb was first introduced on the market, many people were shocked by its cost. It was only when the new fluorescent bulbs ended up consuming only a fraction of the energy of conventional incandescent bulbs, but last several times longer, that the economics of this new technology made economic sense. This new technology contributed to the “profit center” of the household budget, allowing us to save more.
In the smart home and consumer IoT (CIoT) market, there are many connected devices that contribute to the end user’s profit center. While each item itself functions as designed and makes its contribution, the true value of the Internet of Things will be realized as the technology matures and devices are integrated with each other and driven by an “artificial intelligence brain”.
Artificial intelligence (AI) technology will become the ultimate driver of energy efficiency and sustainability in the coming years. Here are some household devices that will make a significant difference in terms of energy efficiency:
- Smart thermostats
- Water heaters/boilers
- Lighting systems
- Window blinds
Smart Thermostats Smart thermostats allow remote monitoring and control of the temperature of heating and cooling systems. The advantage of using a smart thermostat, as opposed to an old-fashioned “dumb” thermostat, is that we can program how we want to raise or lower the temperature remotely. These thermostats will automatically provide analyses of energy consumption and a report to show us how much money we have saved each month.
Smart Water Heaters Smart water heaters allow us to raise and lower the temperature of the water in the home boiler from anywhere with an internet connection. For example, let’s assume we take a shower every evening at 9:00 PM. We can program the boiler to start heating the water at 8:00 PM so that when we get home, the water is already hot. For the rest of the day, the water heater is off! This significantly reduces energy costs. Let’s assume that in the middle of the day, while you are away from home, your schedule suddenly changes and you leave town for three days. With a click of a button, we can remotely change the boiler’s programming, and it will be off until we get home.
Smart Lighting Systems Smart lighting systems have sensors that allow the lights to turn on or off based on the presence of people in the room. These lighting systems allow us to override the sensor programming, for example, to turn on the lights for security purposes. A smart lighting system will notify us via text message if a light has been left on. The energy savings brought over time by a smart lighting system can be very significant.
Modern Window Blinds Modern window blinds are not only used for protection or decorative purposes but also contribute to energy savings. For example, light sensors on the outside of the blinds will automatically open them in the morning to provide natural sunlight, so we don’t need to turn on the lights when we wake up. We can also use thermal blinds that insulate the windows in both hot and cold weather, allowing us to have a much more efficient climate control system. Blinds can be equipped with external solar panels, so we don’t even have to pay for the energy needed to open and close them. Of course, such blinds allow us to open or close them remotely. For example, let’s assume we are out of town for a week and have left the blinds closed to keep the house cool and save energy. After about a day, we realize that the plants in the house will die if they don’t get sunlight for a week! With a simple text message to the blinds: “Living room blinds open,” the problem is solved.
The latest advances in technology have immense potential to benefit people by increasing the energy efficiency of their households. By using the latest IoT technologies for the smart home, we not only save money but also contribute to reducing pollution, which is good for people, the environment, and the planet.
