The demand by consumers for greater energy efficiency and the advances in the related technology industries seem to be driving forward at an ever increasing rate. When we save money on our energy bills, it frees up money that can be used elsewhere, perhaps for even greater performance. Once you begin to save money and energy it can become an addictive habit as you strive for the best home performance possible. Remember this is a positive habit as you can help your bank balance and the environment at the same time. Here are three areas of your home that you may want to look at for optimal energy efficiency.
1. A Smarter HVAC System
Our cooling and heating needs can use a lot of energy depending on the time of year. It is easy to see a substantial chunk of our energy bills being devoted to this area, so it makes sense to invest in a better solution. Every month it seems like there is a newer, smarter and more energy efficient HVAC system to look at. Even the prices seem to be cheap for the number of features available, take a look at what is available from your local HVAC specialist, you will be glad you did.
2. A Wi-Fi Connected Thermostat Controlled from Your Smartphone
Welcome to the future. We are now entering the era known as the “internet of things” where every digital device is integrated for your convenience. Now we are starting to see home appliances that can be controlled via a smartphone, tablet or laptop. One of the most useful applications for this technology is in the heating and cooling of our homes. There are now several models of thermostats that can be controlled in this way and more are on the way. You can make temperature adjustments manually or set the system up to change the temperature according to your zip code. Monitoring the system is handled within the accompanying app and if you need to go home early simply set the temperature for your arrival. There is no sense in heating or cooling an empty house, and this clever solution will certainly earn its keep in next to no time.
3. An Energy Reducing Air Conditioner
This solution would probably be better suited for business use, but it could be conceivably be put to use in a larger home. In any case, this is an air conditioner that actually reduces the amount of energy that you use. It is known as DEVap which is an acronym for Desiccant Enhanced Evaporative Air Conditioner. The DEVap works bey dividing the hot air in your property into a pair of separate streams. One of the air streams is dried using a liquid desiccant, and the other is humidified. Then the two streams of air are combined together again to create a dry, cool air that has been cooled without the use of a coolant. Using this system will eliminate stale air, reduce humidity levels and remove any stuffiness. In use, it has been discovered that using this system reduced the need for air conditioning by 40% up to 90% depending on the situation and time of year.