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Tips for Reducing Energy Costs
Summer is here, and home and business owners across the Northeast are feeling the burn when it comes to the expense of keeping your premises comfortable and cool. With many of the warmest weeks of the year still ahead of us, a modern home automation system offers a “smarter” way to beat the heat.
Motorized Shades
When properly installed, an integrated climate control system complete with motorized shades can reduce solar heat gain by as much as 50%. As the intense summer sun beats down on the windows of your residence or place of work, motorized shades and blinds are set to automatically adjust to deflect the warming rays during the times of day they’re at their strongest. These specially designed window treatments not only serve as an effective sunscreen, but also provide an additional layer of insulation that keeps cool air from escaping.
Smart Lighting
Smart lighting installation not only provides a new level of modern sophistication and convenience in a whole-home or business system controllable by smartphone or hand-held device. It also aids in lowering summer utility bills with the ability to create customized settings for specific rooms and program smart dimmers to automatically adjust lighting intensity based on personal preferences, the time of day, level of activity and other factors. Add in the use of long-lasting incandescent and halogen bulbs that extended the lifespan of lamps and give off less residual heat, and the savings realized in reduced energy consumption and material costs can reach as high as 90%.
Smart home systems are completely automated and controllable from virtually anywhere you can access the Internet, allowing you to:
- Set shades and blinds to adjust throughout the day to defend against heat gain while providing the maximum amount of natural light
- Monitor, analyze and control your thermostat and climate system in real time to improve home efficiency
- Utilize smart lighting to compensate for reduced natural light during the day with minimal impact to your electricity bill
- Create customized single-touch settings for specific rooms, days of the week or times of year
- Control shade settings and turn off lights at any time, from anywhere in the world whether you’re at work, on vacation or laying in bed
Leave a comment below for more information on home automation and how smart home systems can help you conserve energy and save money.