The technology used to automate some processes in “smart” homes has the potential not only to bring more convenience to the domestic routine but also to help us reduce expenses and our carbon footprint.
A Fast Company and the The New York Times show how the artificial intelligence combined with sensors, it can contribute to the rational use of electricity, gas and water, avoiding surprises when the bill arrives and contributing to the sustainable consumption of natural resources.
Automatically turns on and off
The automated home manages energy use by turning appliances on or off as people move between rooms. To improve, replacing traditional light bulbs with LEDs saves energy because they are more efficient and economical — and the brightness variator (or dimmer) gives people the possibility of regulating the amount of light emitted.
Bath control
Another automation that helps with household bills is the shower that heats the water to a certain temperature and then turns everything off until you get into the shower. With a complementary app, residents can check water usage at each point: shower, toilet and taps. “If you see that your child is taking a 25-minute bath, you can talk about it,” Mark-Hans Richer, director of marketing and innovation at manufacturer Moen, explains to Fast Company.
Leak detection sensors
When the water bill is much higher than average, it is almost certain that there is a leak occurring somewhere in the house. Although there are some techniques for check for leaks (as Sabesp teaches here), everything can be easier with the support of technology.
It is now possible to buy leak sensors to be installed near water points (sinks, toilets, washing machines). They emit warning signals, such as an alarm or cell phone notifications, as soon as water touches them.
There are also sensors installed directly in the main plumbing that can, for example, measure water pressure and make the decision to cut off the supply before the damage is greater.
Intelligent temperature adjustment
In automated homes, the smart thermostat saves energy by automatically adjusting the internal temperature according to the habits of those who live there and the time it takes to heat or cool the space.
For those who don't have one of these, but rather fans or air conditioning devices spread throughout the house, there are products with presence sensors that only work when someone is in the room. These appliances can be integrated with other devices, such as a thermostat, to make your home the way you like it with the lowest possible energy consumption.
End of energy spent on stand by
Even when they are turned off, electrical appliances that are plugged in continue to consume energy. The commonly used solution to this problem is to opt for a power strip, which turns all devices connected to it on and off at once.
But there is already a smart version of this product, which monitors the energy consumption of each piece of equipment and is able to cut off the power to equipment that does not need to draw electricity while it is not being used.
Another option is to keep devices connected without wasting energy. To do this, you need to have some smart sockets to perform this function of cutting and reconnecting the power supply at that specific point with a simple command, whether the person is present in the room or not.
