Top Home Automation Solutions For The Eco-Conscious Household

"Green" is more than a color or an environmental sentiment — it's a lifestyle. If your family is committed to saving the planet, you'll need to do so every day, whether through reusable straws or taking your bikes to work and school.

One easy way to show you care for the planet: home automation! Though it may at first seem counterintuitive (home automation uses energy, after all), the applications of this tech can end up cutting your energy usage in the long run.

Interested in a simple, seamless way to save the planet that also saves you money, time, and stress? Revience is here to provide!

Let's go over a few products we provide that can aid in your environmentally-friendly lifestyle – right alongside making your life easier altogether.

Smart Lighting Control

Smart lighting control enables you, much as its name implies, to be smart about your electrical usage. By centralizing the command of your lighting on your phone, you can quickly flick off your lights remotely, stopping frivolous energy usage with a simple tap. If nobody's home, there needn't be indoor lighting. It's just common sense.

Reduce Light Pollution

Aside from the obvious waste of energy that leaving lights on causes (and that smart lighting control fixes), it can also cause light pollution.

According to the International Dark Sky Organization in Tucson, Arizona, lights left on at night when they needn't have serious consequences on wildlife. From disrupting bird migrations to messing up the rhythm of light and dark that plants need to grow correctly, light pollution is a huge issue.

Smart light control can play a huge role in fixing this widespread issue, not just in individual homes but also in businesses and larger entities.

Smart Thermostats

Considering the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy states that "heating and cooling account for about half of a typical home's energy usage," this is an area of your environmental impact that's well worth looking into if you're looking to go a little greener. In particular, smart thermostats and their associated applications can further your goal of immensely cutting down your carbon footprint.

Ease of Use Energy Savers

Much like their lighting counterparts, smart thermostats connect to a smartphone and thus enable seamless control of your home's temperature. Not only does this allow you to come home to a toasty or pleasantly cool house, but it also allows for worry-free eco-conscious energy usage.

If nobody is home, for example, it'd be okay to lower the ambient temperature until someone arrives, but it's tricky to remember to do that when you head out. With a smart thermostat hooked up to your phone, that's a problem of the past.

Simply open the app, set your temp, and go on with your day feeling good that you're doing your part to save the planet.

Quick Tips for Your Smart Thermostat

Even with the top-rated smart thermostat on the job, there are a few additional ways you can decrease your usage and support the system:

Programming in a preset temperature that will adjust when you're home or away.
Sticking with the recommended temperature of 78 degrees while you're home and 85 to 88 when you leave.
Include additional steps like using fans, using your kitchen or bathroom exhaust to draw out hot air, and doing any cooking outdoors.
Checking for leaks or drafts and getting them repaired to help your thermostat and air conditioner work more efficiently.

Get Reminders When to Replace Your Filter

It's a chore we all forget now and again: replacing our HVAC filter. This device manually captures dust, and other large particles, like pet dander and allergens, so the air flowing into your home is fresh and clean. This not only boosts air quality in your home but also reduces your energy consumption.

Forgetting about this filter means it can get clogged, and your HVAC system will have to work harder and expend more energy to compensate. You'll then experience a spike in your energy bills — not very eco-friendly!

The United States Department of Energy states, "Replacing a dirty, clogged filter with a clean one can lower your air conditioner's energy consumption by 5-15%."

That's a significant impact, considering the same department says that air conditioners alone cost American homeowners $29 billion annually. Your smart thermostat installation can be programmed to remind you when your filter needs to be changed, helping you keep your home green and comfortable.

Automated Blinds

According to an article published by This Is Money, a British financial news site, "drawing the blinds at dusk can reduce heat loss by 13-14% and curtains from 15-17%."

While these statistics solely were found using a sample home, that's handy knowledge to know, as pretty much every house has curtains or blinds — and Minnesota can be vicious when it comes to the cold!

An automated blinds system can make this simple energy-saving hack all the easier to get done. A single button can lower the blinds (whether you’re home or not) and reduce your furnace's energy outputs, which in turn helps keep the world a little greener.

Consider an Electrical Panel Upgrade

Whether you are new to automated features, have an older model, or looking to increase your existing system, your power needs will increase. Upgrading your electrical panel ensures you have enough power to keep your home running smoothly but with greater efficiency, an increase in your property value, Energy Star tax credits, and removes the worry of an outdated system overloaded by the demand and causing problems like surges or, worse yet, a fire.

Revience: Home Automation for a Greener Home & Future

Ready to embrace the convenience, ease, and green lifestyle that comes with home automation? We're here to help. For over 30 years, our focus has been on providing streamlined solutions for a personalized experience that our clients can depend on.

Our team is here to answer all your questions, so contact us online or give us a call today at 763-497-4989.