How to save using smart home technology: thermostats and lighting control
The residence on Elton Road in Miami Beach is a house of 300 square meters and valued at 2.2 million dollars, which not only saves energy - it produces it for itself, and at the same time sells surplus to local public utilities.
This piece of architecture has gained platinum status in the LEED rating, a national certification program that supports eco-design and construction standards in the United States.
The smart stuffing at home was organized by a team of engineers from Florida-based MultiMedia Innovations (MMI), headquartered in Miami. Energy savings were organized using the Control4 system, which MMI developed in conjunction with the Florida Green Home Design Group and their SKLARchitecture partners.
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As a result, this house, capable of providing itself with energy, received the highest LEED rating to date. Energy saving and optimization are facilitated by lighting the house, which is produced using LED lamps, the use of which gives a large number of LEED glasses, as well as Q-Motion motorized curtains and blinds, Jandy pool water purification system, audio and video sensors and Eragy electricity consumption monitoring system .
It is not difficult to guess that given the stated ability to reproduce energy and the location of the house, it is equipped with solar panels on photocells, which are also controlled by the Eragy and Control4 systems. All information on the operation of the systems is displayed on the touch panel and also on the iPad of the owner of the house.
Energy saving algorithms that provide these systems, maintain an optimal level of comfort in the house and save the owner from unnecessary running around and fuss with the inclusion and adjustment of appliances. Thus, a certain part of the lighting is automatically turned on and off in accordance with astronomical time. The system never turns on the lamps at full power, which in itself saves a lot of energy. Automatic blinds are closed in order to avoid overheating of the room with the bright Florida sun, in connection with which the geothermal cooling system of the house works in moderate mode.
Such a structure is a flagship of green technologies and a technological showroom with a demonstration of the possibilities of modern integration of smart home systems, a masterpiece of engineering thought that is not only expensive, but also not only pays off, but also brings profit - if, of course, maintenance costs and replacement of equipment this profit will not be eaten. But even this will already be good, because the initially set standards of comfort will be maintained in the house thanks to a system that feeds itself.
Although a common masterpiece of engineering and architectural thought from an ordinary user is more likely to remain in dreams, this does not mean at all that we cannot afford the technology of a smart home to save energy in everyday life.
This method allows you to forget about the following small moments of our everyday life, which cause a lot of inconvenience:
The “Turn Off All” command can be transmitted both from the owner's device and from the motion sensor, which controls the absence of people in the house at the moment.
The easiest way to implement this technology - LED lamps with built-in motion sensors. Despite the fact that they themselves will be more expensive, you need to consider that:
If you add on-off to this small expense only when the light is needed - you can recoup the equipment of your house with LED lamps throughout the year, depending on your needs.
Perhaps the most elegant solution for the forgetful is the Belkin WeMo® Insight Switch device. In fact, it looks like a timer to turn on the lights in the aquarium - these are already used in aquaria more than a dozen. With the only difference that it is controlled by wi-fi, and also considers the power consumption of each particular device.
Perhaps this is one of the fastest ways to re-equip your home in a smart way being a simple homeowner.
For this purpose, the Belkin WeMo line allows you to replace switches with smart ones, and then connect them to your smartphone.
This section of the economy is common in the United States, where homes are equipped with climate systems by default. In our country, saving on heating is more difficult in apartment buildings, but at the same time, technology can be introduced into private homes if you know about it in advance and allow for its use.
Previously, the case with smart thermostats was very bad: an unfriendly user interface and the need to set the parameters manually fought off any desire to do so. Now everything has become much more convenient. For example, the NEST thermostat does not just look like an element of an expensive design. For some time, he collects information about your preferences, after which, on the basis of this data, he builds the necessary schedule to maintain a cooler temperature when you sleep or are away from home, and warmer when you are at home.
Surprisingly, it can be connected to the Jawbone UP24 bracelet, which the thermostat will wake you up after the temperature is optimal for waking up. And the technology that Mercedes-Benz uses in its cars can transmit to the thermostat data about when you will be at home, so that it will start to warm or cool the house by your arrival.
By the way, the combination with the Jawbone bracelet is also planned in the new version of iRidium 3.0, the launch of which has already been reported to the developers .
According to manufacturers, this thermostat can save 10-12% of electricity for heating and about 15% for cooling rooms. Algorithms for maintaining temperature levels, as a rule, are created for each specific project located in different geographic areas. If the Smart Home is located on the Mediterranean coast, its requirements for energy saving are very different from the requirements of the house, located, for example, on the Baltic Sea coast. In addition, the requirements of the owner of the house are also purely individual. Someone is comfortable at home at a temperature of +22, someone is hot, someone is cold. All these parameters are closely monitored by NEST and learns those patterns that are optimal for the owner.
Many modern thermostats give a lot of additional information - for example, about the weather, and they can also be “trained” in certain patterns of maintaining the climate in a house. Therefore, it is good to know the basic parameters for evaluating such devices when choosing them. They can also send data to the server, such as, for example, it can be implemented in the new version of iRidium 3.0 - a system for managing a smart home - which allows you to store data on the server and process it accordingly.
Most thermostats are easily connected via Wi-Fi. However, not all. There is also Z-Wave technology, for which you need an independent hub. When choosing equipment, look at this option, and if you are a beginner, then maybe you should stick with Wi-Fi.
Immediately indicate the range of devices that will be connected to your thermostat and their parameters. Note that if you later replace or add devices, you need the thermostat to still fit into your home's ecosystem. With smartphones, the problems are much less, rather than with the compatibility of devices with each other. See requirements.
All smart thermostats are equipped with this feature. Some of them can work with only one type of operating system - either Android or iOS. Therefore, pay attention to this aspect. If you have, for example, BlackBerry, then, perhaps, unfortunately, you will have to start by changing your gadget in this case.
What could be the extra options in the thermostat? Self-study, patterns of behavior in case of your long absence, geographical zones, sensors, the function of monthly reports - this is not a complete list of possibilities. It is clear that manufacturers are trying to present their particular set of features as the best, but look at it with a cold look and choose the set of possibilities that meets your needs.
Modern smart thermostats do not need to think where to hide. They are created beautiful and attractive - as they say, do not be ashamed to hang on the wall. If you don’t like the way the device looks, then perhaps it makes sense to look for something prettier, since the choice is great now.
If you do not replace the old thermostat with a new one, but install it from scratch, it may be worthwhile to turn to a professional. However, many of the thermostats are suitable for self-installation, since they are initially thought out to a wide audience.
In short, elements of smart home technology and high standards of energy saving are not something transcendental. It is quite affordable for the average user of the technology, in fact, it is the modern market of smart home gadgets, which we will talk about in more detail in our next article.
This piece of architecture has gained platinum status in the LEED rating, a national certification program that supports eco-design and construction standards in the United States.
The smart stuffing at home was organized by a team of engineers from Florida-based MultiMedia Innovations (MMI), headquartered in Miami. Energy savings were organized using the Control4 system, which MMI developed in conjunction with the Florida Green Home Design Group and their SKLARchitecture partners.
')
As a result, this house, capable of providing itself with energy, received the highest LEED rating to date. Energy saving and optimization are facilitated by lighting the house, which is produced using LED lamps, the use of which gives a large number of LEED glasses, as well as Q-Motion motorized curtains and blinds, Jandy pool water purification system, audio and video sensors and Eragy electricity consumption monitoring system .
It is not difficult to guess that given the stated ability to reproduce energy and the location of the house, it is equipped with solar panels on photocells, which are also controlled by the Eragy and Control4 systems. All information on the operation of the systems is displayed on the touch panel and also on the iPad of the owner of the house.
Energy saving algorithms that provide these systems, maintain an optimal level of comfort in the house and save the owner from unnecessary running around and fuss with the inclusion and adjustment of appliances. Thus, a certain part of the lighting is automatically turned on and off in accordance with astronomical time. The system never turns on the lamps at full power, which in itself saves a lot of energy. Automatic blinds are closed in order to avoid overheating of the room with the bright Florida sun, in connection with which the geothermal cooling system of the house works in moderate mode.
Such a structure is a flagship of green technologies and a technological showroom with a demonstration of the possibilities of modern integration of smart home systems, a masterpiece of engineering thought that is not only expensive, but also not only pays off, but also brings profit - if, of course, maintenance costs and replacement of equipment this profit will not be eaten. But even this will already be good, because the initially set standards of comfort will be maintained in the house thanks to a system that feeds itself.
Although a common masterpiece of engineering and architectural thought from an ordinary user is more likely to remain in dreams, this does not mean at all that we cannot afford the technology of a smart home to save energy in everyday life.
Turn off all
This method allows you to forget about the following small moments of our everyday life, which cause a lot of inconvenience:
- The need to constantly remember to turn off the lights in those rooms from which you exit.
- Forgotten (or not?) Plugged irons, curling irons and other fire hazardous devices.
- Left included music, computer and other appliances.
The “Turn Off All” command can be transmitted both from the owner's device and from the motion sensor, which controls the absence of people in the house at the moment.
The easiest way to implement this technology - LED lamps with built-in motion sensors. Despite the fact that they themselves will be more expensive, you need to consider that:
- LED lamps serve very, very long indeed.
- A 60-watt incandescent lamp can replace an LED lamp with a power of just 8 watts.
If you add on-off to this small expense only when the light is needed - you can recoup the equipment of your house with LED lamps throughout the year, depending on your needs.
Perhaps the most elegant solution for the forgetful is the Belkin WeMo® Insight Switch device. In fact, it looks like a timer to turn on the lights in the aquarium - these are already used in aquaria more than a dozen. With the only difference that it is controlled by wi-fi, and also considers the power consumption of each particular device.
Perhaps this is one of the fastest ways to re-equip your home in a smart way being a simple homeowner.
For this purpose, the Belkin WeMo line allows you to replace switches with smart ones, and then connect them to your smartphone.
Smart thermostat
This section of the economy is common in the United States, where homes are equipped with climate systems by default. In our country, saving on heating is more difficult in apartment buildings, but at the same time, technology can be introduced into private homes if you know about it in advance and allow for its use.
Previously, the case with smart thermostats was very bad: an unfriendly user interface and the need to set the parameters manually fought off any desire to do so. Now everything has become much more convenient. For example, the NEST thermostat does not just look like an element of an expensive design. For some time, he collects information about your preferences, after which, on the basis of this data, he builds the necessary schedule to maintain a cooler temperature when you sleep or are away from home, and warmer when you are at home.
Surprisingly, it can be connected to the Jawbone UP24 bracelet, which the thermostat will wake you up after the temperature is optimal for waking up. And the technology that Mercedes-Benz uses in its cars can transmit to the thermostat data about when you will be at home, so that it will start to warm or cool the house by your arrival.
By the way, the combination with the Jawbone bracelet is also planned in the new version of iRidium 3.0, the launch of which has already been reported to the developers .
According to manufacturers, this thermostat can save 10-12% of electricity for heating and about 15% for cooling rooms. Algorithms for maintaining temperature levels, as a rule, are created for each specific project located in different geographic areas. If the Smart Home is located on the Mediterranean coast, its requirements for energy saving are very different from the requirements of the house, located, for example, on the Baltic Sea coast. In addition, the requirements of the owner of the house are also purely individual. Someone is comfortable at home at a temperature of +22, someone is hot, someone is cold. All these parameters are closely monitored by NEST and learns those patterns that are optimal for the owner.
Many modern thermostats give a lot of additional information - for example, about the weather, and they can also be “trained” in certain patterns of maintaining the climate in a house. Therefore, it is good to know the basic parameters for evaluating such devices when choosing them. They can also send data to the server, such as, for example, it can be implemented in the new version of iRidium 3.0 - a system for managing a smart home - which allows you to store data on the server and process it accordingly.
Technology
Most thermostats are easily connected via Wi-Fi. However, not all. There is also Z-Wave technology, for which you need an independent hub. When choosing equipment, look at this option, and if you are a beginner, then maybe you should stick with Wi-Fi.
Compatibility
Immediately indicate the range of devices that will be connected to your thermostat and their parameters. Note that if you later replace or add devices, you need the thermostat to still fit into your home's ecosystem. With smartphones, the problems are much less, rather than with the compatibility of devices with each other. See requirements.
Mobile access
All smart thermostats are equipped with this feature. Some of them can work with only one type of operating system - either Android or iOS. Therefore, pay attention to this aspect. If you have, for example, BlackBerry, then, perhaps, unfortunately, you will have to start by changing your gadget in this case.
Additions
What could be the extra options in the thermostat? Self-study, patterns of behavior in case of your long absence, geographical zones, sensors, the function of monthly reports - this is not a complete list of possibilities. It is clear that manufacturers are trying to present their particular set of features as the best, but look at it with a cold look and choose the set of possibilities that meets your needs.
Design
Modern smart thermostats do not need to think where to hide. They are created beautiful and attractive - as they say, do not be ashamed to hang on the wall. If you don’t like the way the device looks, then perhaps it makes sense to look for something prettier, since the choice is great now.
Installation
If you do not replace the old thermostat with a new one, but install it from scratch, it may be worthwhile to turn to a professional. However, many of the thermostats are suitable for self-installation, since they are initially thought out to a wide audience.
In short, elements of smart home technology and high standards of energy saving are not something transcendental. It is quite affordable for the average user of the technology, in fact, it is the modern market of smart home gadgets, which we will talk about in more detail in our next article.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/369043/
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