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Top 3 Ways to Create a Greener Home and Save Money with Home Automation
We live in a time when the stuff of science fiction and “futuristic” movies is coming to life all around us. New devices can not only make communications easier, but they can make our lives easier and more efficient.
In fact, they can save you money as well by adding a capability for efficiency that simply never existed before. This certainly benefits your wallet, but it also benefits the environment.
What are we talking about? Home automation. And to show you exactly how these systems and advancements can be a wise investment, we’ve put together the top three examples for you to consider. Take a look below to see how they work and how they can help you to save in practical, everyday ways.
1. NEST
What if your home’s thermostat could learn from you? And by “you,” we mean become familiar with your rhythms, patterns, and preferences.
This is so much more advanced and user-friendly than the clunky, programmable thermostats that are on the market today. NEST is a system that requires no pre-programming, but rather can be turned up or down right on your wall (or with the corresponding app). After a few days, it learns your preferences and simply adjusts itself so you don’t have to.
In turn, the NEST system can lower your heating and cooling bills by as much as 20%. Little energy is wasted because it identifies what you need and when you need it. This provides incredible savings for you and a responsible, green way to keep comfortable.
2. Automated Shades
Have you ever noticed how warm a room can get when the sun is shining directly in the window? Or, conversely, how cool a space stays when the shades are pulled?
Why not capitalize on this natural heating and cooling method?
Automated, motorized shades, like those offered by Lutron and Somfy, offer a green solution for maintaining and managing the temperature in your home. Through either pre-programming or manual control with an app on your device of choice, you can dictate where and when your shades open and close. If it’s wintertime and you want to take advantage of the limited hours of warm sunlight, your shades can automatically open for a certain time period while you are at work.
If, on the other hand, you want to block the heat during the peak of summer, why not set your shades to automatically close when the sun is at its height? This provides the added benefit of saving elements in your home (like artwork, furniture, or electronics) from harmful UV rays that can cause fading and damage.
All of this works together to maximize the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems, saving you money and creating a greener, more modern home.
In addition, Lutron offers incredible style and quality. All of the materials used in their construction are also from sustainable, responsible sources.
3. Lutron Radio Ra2 Lighting
The lighting in your home offers not only functional benefits that keep you from stumbling in the dark, but also adds ambience, style, and even safety. The key is to manage your lighting in a way that adds the most benefit while also using the least amount of energy (and time) possible.
The Radio Ra2 automated system from Lutron does all of the above with ease, while also offering you the following:
Energy Savings
Occupancy sensors will ensure that light greets you when you walk in, and that the room goes dark when you leave.
Safety
You can program specific areas in your home to be illuminated at certain times. This adds the peace of mind that comes from having predictable, comprehensive lighting for the places that are most important.
Security
Remember those routines and settings that you have in place? You can program your automation system to continue those patterns when you are away on vacation, creating the illusion that you are still home. This cuts down drastically on the risk of burglary. As an added benefit, you also can program your shades to stay down in rooms that contain any valuables, effectively cloaking them in privacy.
Enhanced Entertainment
With just one remote you can control not only the volume on your home theater but also the amount of lighting that finds its way into the room. Raise and lower your shades, dim the overhead, brighten it for a popcorn break, or even adjust the temperature, all without leaving your favorite chair.
All of the reasons above highlight savings, convenience, and safety. Those are all important considerations! At the same time, this kind of automated system also tremendously enhances the efficiency of your home. This means that you are creating less of an impact on the environment, and stepping into the future of responsible home care and maintenance.
Bringing it Together — Total Home Automation
Now that we’ve taken a look at these fantastic ways to minimize wasted energy, let’s step back for a view of the larger picture.
A complete home automation system from industry leaders like Crestron or RTI can help you to combine all of your tools into one convenient, neat, and user-friendly package. You can control the automated features of your home manually, or pre-set them according to your ideal specifications so that saving money over the long-term becomes automatic.