“Hey Google.” Power the Next Generation of Green, Smart Homes

There is a common misconception in this interconnected marketplace, that by turning your home into a ‘smart home’ is converting it into a green, sustainable home. This thought bubble is incorrect. However, when building your new Green Home, everyone who wants to ride the way of a connected life should talk to their builder about making it a ‘Smart Home.’

But how does one save energy using more electrical devices? A recent article from The Conversation suggested that in a trial of 46 homes, a majority indicated that they used these smart devices as a chance for a lifestyle change, rather than directly aiming to reduce electricity. The results? Positive! There is a well-known fact that nobody wants to get up and turn off lights/power points throughout the house when watching the Grand Final. Well smart devices, such as Google Home and TP Link Smart Plugs, allow you to do it from the comfort of your lounge.

It is inevitable that homes of the future will be completely integrated with the cloud – whether we like it or not, allowing us to know when we are low on milk or out of cereal. With the global growth and awareness of tech giant, Tesla, has generated a plethora of discussions online regarding the future of electricity and ‘the grid.’ With energy prices on the rise – only to increase in the near future – how does one make sure that their green smart home is equipped with the latest energy saving tools?

The evolution of Google’s assistant from simply giving you directions to telling you about your day, means that over time she will learn your habits, which rooms you spend the most time in, when you turn the kettle on each morning to give you a shot of coffee. But instead of leaving the kettle in standby mode on all night & day, what if you could set it to turn on between 7 – 8 am? With devices such as the aforementioned TP-Link smart plugs, you can do exactly that – however not just limited to the kettle, any power-point controlled device can be remotely shut-off (not put into standby, completely turned off). Not only does this give you complete control over your home from your mobile phone or smart assistant, these plugs allow you to measure the energy output from that specific plug – giving you real time access to see your expenditure.

Green Homes can be Smart Homes. You could build a standard house, and then purchase smart devices, install them and use them – they will assist you in seeing your energy output and automate your life, however you lack the key ingredient. Energy Efficiency at the core of the home to begin with, allowing for your lifestyle to be at the forefront, combine that with the power of smart homes and you will potentially see even further savings, as well as a much more automated lifestyle.