HOME AUTOMATION FOR ENERGY SAVING
In today’s more environmentally responsible world, no one wants to be accused of unnecessary wastage of any of our precious resources.
However, despite our best intentions, we all waste power every time a light or an appliance is left on in an empty room.
Studies suggest that up to half of the amount of energy consumed for lighting in both residential and commercial properties, is actually wasted by inefficient lighting or careless consumers.
We all need to ‘do our bit’ and remember to switch lights off, but as we know human behaviour cannot always be relied upon to live up to those good intentions. Fortunately, with today’s technology, the introduction of simple but fully automated controls as part of the home automation system can ensure our ‘good intentions’ are carried out!
HOME AUTOMATION & DIMMING THE LIGHTS
Home automation allows lighting to come on only when needed, and to switch off when natural light is sufficient, or when a room is vacated.
Simply dimming lights in certain areas or at certain times can significantly reduce energy use. For example, where home automation programs lights to be dimmed by 25%, electricity consumption reduces accordingly but also has the effect of quadrupling lamp life. In many cases, dimming lights by up to 25% is hardly noticeable to the human eye, but has significant benefits as shown. Just dimming a light by 10% can double the life of the bulb, as well as produce 10% power savings. All this is easy within the programming of your home automation system.
HOME AUTOMATION & SENSOR TECHNOLOGY
Most families with children can probably imagine the potential energy savings if lights, air-conditioning, and other energy using devices turned off automatically when a room was vacated. Using sensors connected to the home automation system can significantly reduce the amount of time lighting, heating, etc is left on in an unoccupied area. Hall lights left burning all night can be a thing of the past – in the ‘wee hours’ the home automation sensor is programmed to detect movement and then to turn on lights to a low level, allowing safe pathway to bathrooms etc., but without disturbing the rest of the household.
As well as movement sensors, there are other types of sensor that send information to the home automation system about temperature, moisture levels, light levels, and so on. Your home automation system can be programmed to irrigate the garden while you are away – but only if it hasn’t rained!
HOME AUTOMATION TO MAXIMISE NATURAL LIGHT
Studies have shown there are benefits to our health & wellbeing, as well as benefits in energy saving, when artificial lighting is used only when it is needed to supplement natural light levels. During daylight hours it may be unnecessary to artificially illuminate many rooms in your home. The home automation system, with information on natural light available from the lux level sensor, can dim artificial lighting down, or turn it off completely, when sunlight alone is sufficient.
HOME AUTOMATION & TIMECLOCKS
Many families have a regular daily routine:
Weekdays – everyone may be up, showered, have had breakfast, and be on their way to work or school by 8 am. Quite possibly the return home may be more staggered, with family members arriving between 4 and 7 pm.
Weekends – a more leisurely start perhaps, then off to sporting activities, shopping etc.
Incorporating timeclocks into your home automation system can assist the household to run more smoothly and also produce energy savings.
Heated towel rails and underfloor heating in bathrooms can be programmed to turn on & off at set times. The home automation system can ensure that when the family leaves, the heating, lights, air-conditioning and other non-essential appliances, are all turned off – turning on again in time to welcome the family home at the end of the day.
