On its own, a home automation system has the dexterity to juggle a variety of different tasks. Meticulously engineered and designed by the manufacturer and installed by a home systems integrator, it’s able to dim and brighten light fixtures, adjust the settings of thermostats, provide status reports of household electricity usage, and choreograph the operation of complex home entertainment systems. These, and a wide assortment of other tasks completed by controllable devices, are what the home automation industry refers to as “subsystems.” Without subsystems, a home automation processor’s many talents can go sorely underutilized.
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Savant Home Automation System Connects Two Townhomes Together
With a hidden tunnel and a custom Savant home automation system two homes are able to feel like one.
Most people are more than satisfied when their smart home systems can integrate the various other electronics systems and products in their home. In this article, we see how home automation even integrated two separate homes. Well, the homes were once separate, but some creative construction actually brought two New York City homes together via […]
Get the GuideMonitoring Energy Use at the Outlet, the Surge Strip and the Whole House
Conserving energy in your home begins with an understanding of where it’s being used and overused. Cutting back is good for your wallet, unless you have to shell out a small fortune to buy a monitoring device, pay an electrician to install it, and then spend countless hours getting cozy with a spreadsheet to figure out what it all means.
Thankfully, technology is catching up with consumer desires. Individual systems can now help you root out your 20-year-old fridge as a primary energy culprit, or convince you to unplug a 60-inch TV that’s draining “vampire power” even when it’s off. With more knowledge about your home’s energy usage, you can start to replace energy hogs with energy stars.
There are now three relatively simple, cost-effective ways to pinpoint the power usage in your home:
1. Monitoring individual devices through an outlet
“Traditional” energy monitoring systems connect to your home’s electrical panel–something most homeowners aren’t comfortable pulling apart and fiddling with. Today, simple monitoring switches like the WeMo Insight Switch ($59.99) and the Kill A Watt EZ Electricity Usage Monitor ($39.99) go straight into an AC outlet, safely between the device’s plug and your home’s electric grid.
In real time, the Kill A Watt EZ calculates and projects the cost of continued use of whatever you plug it into: for example, a lamp, a refrigerator, or a window air conditioner. Once you’ve told it your cost per kWh (found on your electric bill), its built-in LED display shows how much it is costing to run that device hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. To get a figure that’s as accurate as possible, especially on devices that use power cycles and standby modes, plug it in for at least 48 hours or up to a week. I plugged my spare fridge in for a week and was not surprised to discover it was costing me $55 a year to run.
The WeMo Insight works on the same principle, only with added Wi-Fi smarts. Plug in the device, download the WeMo app, and get real-time readouts of energy use and projected monthly costs on your smartphone. You can also turn the device off and on remotely or set schedules to do so automatically.
The app provides at-a-glance info about current usage and projected monthly cost; if you want to do a deep dive, it will also send you your 45-day history. I tried it out with my Keurig Coffee Maker, and found out it costs about $11 a year, and my iMac, which at an average of $5 a month costs me $60 annually to run, 24/7 (that’s something I’ll be putting on my tax return next year).
2. Monitoring through a specialty surge strip
An energy monitoring surge strip offers similar functionality to an energy monitoring switch, but with the ability to monitor more devices. These are ideal for calculating consumption of a device-heavy home entertainment center or home office setup.
The Kill A Watt PS-10 ($99) is a power strip, surge protector, and energy monitor all in one. It monitors voltage, amperage, kWh, and current “leakage,” or the power that’s being used even when a device isn’t switched on. It also has a “no load” function to easily identify which devices draw power even when they are off.
I plugged my home media setup into the PS-10. A combination of a home office and home entertainment center with a Wii, Wii Remote charging station, all-in-one-wireless printer, DVD player, cable box, Apple TV, router, modem, and a far-too-large Samsung Smart TV essentially represents nearly every “always-on” device in my home. After three days of regular use, the LED display showed me the system was drawing 29.7 watts on idle and 189 watts on max.
The PS-10 works a little differently than its smaller Kill A Watt sibling in that it doesn’t show you hourly usage; instead, it displays a maximum and minimum draw. It also doesn’t convert its data into dollars—you have to do the math yourself. I calculated that the media center is costing a maximum of $215 a year and a minimum of $11 (assuming I never turned it on). Turning it off completely when not in use—via the big OFF switch on the PS-10—would definitely save me some money.
3. Monitoring the entire house
Smart switches and power strips will help you easily and inexpensively sniff out “problem children,” but if you are looking for a whole-home energy consumption makeover and want not only to monitor, but effectively adjust and adapt your use to save even more energy, then a whole-home solution works best. This type of setup is also useful if you are trying to discern the energy use of systems that affect your entire house, like the water heater and heating and cooling unit.
They do require more expertise than a switch or a surge strip to install —a licensed electrician really is a must. There are quite a few options in this category, but here are two at opposite ends of the feature and price spectrums:
The Energy Detective ($300) will monitor, collect, store, and analyze your electricity data in real time, project your monthly bills, and determine how much electricity certain appliances/activities are costing you. You can also view your data on any mobile device.
The iConserve ($120) is a wireless option that simply clamps on to your home’s electrical supply lines and uses sensors to detect the amount of power passing through them. It won’t supply details on individual appliances, but is an inexpensive option for taking charge of whole-home electricity use. It also comes with an added feature to estimate the carbon dioxide emissions of your home, which is an ideal teaching tool if your energy-saving motives are as environmental as they are economical. Another handy feature is the ability to set overage alarms when you have passed a kWh or CO2 threshold.
As we move toward fully integrated smart homes, the amount of power we consume will likely continue to escalate. Keeping tabs on where it’s going and how we are using it will be increasingly important. Get a head start on your energy monitoring today, so you’ll be ready for the home of tomorrow. EH
Jennifer TuohyÂ: is a tech geek who writes for The Home Depot on the latest smart home innovations. To view more info onÂ: home automation and energy monitoring devices, visit
www.homedepot.com.
Your Smart Home-Step by Step
THERE IS AN AMAZING ARRAY of electronic devices that can be incorporated into an automated home: entertainment systems, dimmable lighting, smart thermostats, electronic door locks, motorized window shades, and the list goes on. Having so many high-tech options for your home is great but it can feel overwhelming at the same time. Which pieces and parts should you include in your home? How much should you spend? Where should you start? Are there certain features and functions that are essential to have right now and others you should postpone?
Get the GuideSensational Spaces
See how electronic components can blend beautifully into every room of the house.
There’s not a room in your house that shouldn’t benefit from the inclusion of at least a few pieces of technology. And thanks to innovative designs by manufacturers and clever installation techniques by home systems integrators, electronic components can be incorporated seamlessly into a variety of environments, whether contemporary media rooms or traditional master suites. Regardless of the style, size, or shape of the space, there’s a way to enjoy technology without it intruding on the room aesthetic. In this section of our Design & Technology issue, we showcase several different room environments that each houses a remarkable array of technology. You may be surprised at how difficult it is to detect some of the electronics that have been integrated.
Get the GuideSimple, Uncomplicated Home Theater Control
The more sophisticated a home theater system is, the more important an intuitive control system becomes; follow our advice to find your ideal controller.
Get the GuideHome Automation: a Luxury Item No Longer?
Home systems integrators agree that automation has officially evolved from a luxury item to one of necessity.
Mainstream necessity and designer-focused are the trends in home automation
Get the GuideMonoprice Debuts Slew of Home Automation and Theater Options at CEDIA
The company had a total of 11 new products on display this week in Denver, Colorado.
The company had a total of 11 new products on display this week in Denver, Colorado.
Get the GuideFeatured Installers – Summer 2014
Featured custom electronics installers who provide infrastructure wiring, lighting systems, security, home automation, a/v systems and more. ALABAMA Interscapes 4740 Woodmere Blvd., Montgomery, AL 36106 334-395-6555 bholt@interscapesonline.com www.Interscapesonline.com ARIZONA VIA – Arizona 16559 N 92nd St., Ste. 115, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 480-483-6900 scottsdale.contact@viahome.com http://viahome.com CALIFORNIA ForTech Solutions Inc. 13444-A Wyandotte St. North Hollywood, CA 91605 […]
Get the GuideFeatured Installers
Featured custom electronics installers who provide infrastructure wiring, lighting systems, security, home automation, a/v systems and more. ARIZONA VIA – Arizona 16559 N 92nd St., Suite 115 Scottsdale, AZ 85260 480-483-6900 scottsdale.contact@viahome.com viahome.com CALIFORNIA ForTech Solutions Inc. 13444-A Wyandotte St. North Hollywood, CA 91605 818-892-2311 Toll Free: 877-854-8324 Fax: 818-892-2322 projects@fortechsolutions.com www.fortechsolutions.com Kaleidescape 440 Potrero […]
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