What do you want from your smart home? A robotic fridge that delivers you ice-cold beer when you’re watching the footy? A house that’s so energy efficient that you have no bills. The answer to both these questions is almost certainly ‘Yes!’.
This Energy Matters article will ask you to hold that beer for a second and think about the advances in solar energy houses. We’ll take a look at systems designed to help you save money by controlling and monitoring your home’s power use. And one of the leading technologies is the PowerPlay energy monitoring system.
How can we monitor energy use and cost?
A house with no bills? The mantra is repeated endlessly in the media. But what is the reality? With rising energy costs, is the smart home the key to a bill-free future? Or is it just a house full of gadgets we don’t really need?
There’s no question that smart homes are booming. The Telsyte Australian IOT@ Home Market Study 2018 showed the average Australian household now has 17.1 connected devices up from 13.7 in 2017. They’re not all solar devices, but it’s a good indicator that connected living spaces are on the rise.
A recent AEMC report revealed annual electricity bills for the representative residential customer from 2017 to 2018 increased across Australia by amounts ranging from $110 to $316 per year. The only exception was South East Queensland, where bills fell by $70.
Building an energy-saving future
According to ImpactforALL.org, rising energy demand for many buildings could be a huge problem. Due to rapid urbanisation, rapid energy demand in buildings could increase by 50 per cent by 2050.
To attempt to stop this, many locations around the world have implemented examples of net-zero buildings. These produce as much energy as they consume. It is hoped that Sustainable Sydney’s 2030 goal of reducing CHG emissions by 70 per cent will inspire new builders to go for a net-zero approach.
This needs to happen, as rising energy costs make solar all the more vital. It’s all part of a general trend. The Clean Energy Council reported that with gas prices in some cases triple what they were, this has created “unprecedented demand” for renewable energy products. And these projects are just the tip of the iceberg, as agricultural operations, small businesses, and many more look for ways to increase their energy independence and reduce their bills.
The PowerPlay energy monitoring system
All this makes a case for energy-saving devices in the home or at your business. Flex, Energy Matters’ parent company, developed PowerPlay, a system that monitors your home’s power use and sends you feedback and tips for saving power.
The app lets users simply switch between appliances and automatically control power loads from their smartphones.
Optimisation solutions like this will be essential for users to get the most out of their solar system and reduce electricity bills.
The ideal solar energy system
Ideally, a solar energy system consists of three elements:
- Solar panels
- Home battery
- Solar inverter
What makes PowerPlay so special is that it monitors and records power use as it travels through your house. But it also tells you how much power you are using from the main grid.
It analyses the way you live and suggests ways to help, like prompting you to take action when it spots an opportunity to save. Being energy efficient has never been this effortless.
There’ also no lag in the monitoring system: when the fridge is turned on you can see the energy it’s using immediately.
PowerPlay works with smart technology enabled appliances. You can program PowerPlay to turn your lights on when it gets dark and off when it’s light. You can remotely control your air-conditioner and control your TV and sound systems.
As long as the appliance has Wi-Fi connectivity, you can monitor or control it with PowerPlay.
Smart solar solutions for a smart home
Flex has been innovating in the smart energy systems space field for a long time. PowerPlay not only shows you in real time exactly how much energy you’re generating, but allows you to automatically optimise your energy to reduce your usage.
The system does all the thinking for you. When the sun is out and you’re generating more energy than you can use, it can automatically turn on or off appliances based on pre-configured rules. It is also possible to control your connected applications anytime, anywhere, with a tap on your phone.
Smart thermostats for ambient control
There are a whole range of smart thermostats out there. Programmable thermostats let you program the best temperature that fits your lifestyle. They can automatically detect ambient conditions in the environment. They adjust the temperature setting based on your actual usage patterns.
Learning thermostats such as the one produced by Nest also learn from your past actions and usage patterns. Base the temperature controls on your movements. For example, turning up the heat when you get out of bed, or switching on the AC when you’re driving home.
With a smart thermostat, you also can control your home’s temperature remotely via your smartphone. It lets you see your energy consumption in real-time, too. A smart thermostat can significantly reduce your energy consumption and save you 10-12 per cent on heating and 15 per cent on cooling.
Rising prices, falling bills?
To conclude, with energy prices rising more and more and with the cost of building damaging the environment, there’s never been a better time to invest in smart home devices so save on bills and maximise your energy consumption. Intelligent thermostats can learn how you use your energy at home or in your business, and can fit your energy needs to your lifestyle. Along with a host of Australian innovations, Flex products are worthwhile additions to the home of the future.
