Futuristic Living: What are the top Smart Home features These Days?
It’s no secret, we live in a fast-paced world! With technology ever expanding, we want to do everything we can to make life as efficient and easy as possible, and what better place to automate your time than in the one you spend most… your HOME! We want to help you upgrade your home in a way that’s not only highly efficient, but above all, sustainable.
Here are the most popular high-tech upgrades you can incorporate in your home that are not only cutting-edge, but also environmentally friendly!
1. Smart Home Automation – Making Your Home Smarter
One of the easiest ways to upgrade your home is using smart home automation systems. You can seamlessly integrate multiple devices throughout your home to help enhance energy efficiency, high tech security and comfort. Based on your daily routines, you can incorporate devices such as smart thermostats, lighting controls, timers, and automated blinds to help optimize your energy consumption. There are even smart LED lighting systems that use motion sensors to optimize energy usage, ensuring that lights only stay on when needed, reducing unnecessary energy consumption.
2. Solar Panels – Here Comes the Sun!
By installing solar panels, you can harness the power of the sun to fuel the energy in your home. Solar energy is a clean and renewable power source that can help in the fight against climate change while significantly reducing your electricity bill.
Ten years ago, solar panels were ugly and expensive. Today, the average home in America can install attractive solar panels and conversion equipment for between $10,000-$20,000 depending on the size of your home, its location and annual energy consumption needs. This includes average tax advantages which vary state to state.
The best news is, they aren’t ugly anymore. Tesla and some other manufactures make roofing materials that mimic slate, tile, glass and metal. Even though there are some moderate capital costs, solar saves you money, adds value to the home and reduces energy needs.
3. Water Conservation Technologies
With the global and national fresh water supply a rising concern, many have begun taking individual steps in conserving water by installing water-saving fixtures throughout their homes. Some of these systems include low-flow toilets, faucets, and showerheads, as well as smart irrigation systems that adjust their watering schedule based on upcoming weather forecasts! Any of these options will help reduce water usage, lowering your water bills as well as your environmental footprint
4. What other enhancements can you use?
- Smart Security Systems: Integrated systems that use motion detectors, cameras and smart locks that are monitored and controlled remotely.• Voice Assistants: Use devices like Google Home, Amazon Echo and Apple Home Kit, which controls smart Apple made home appliances.
- Automated Window Treatments: Motorized blinds and curtains which you control remotely. They can be programmed to open and close on a schedule that you set.
- Home Theatre Systems: High quality audio and video equipment that features surround sound, 8k pixel projectors and TVs with streaming capabilities are all the rage. You’ll feel like you’re in the middle of the action!
- Smart Locks: If you lose your front door key, no problem! New keyless entry systems allow homeowners, their children, and guests to lock and unlock their doors using smartphones, a keypad or biometric authentication. Door keys, like type typewriters phone booths, are becoming obsolete.
- Smart Mirrors: New tech mirrors have built in displays that show your daily schedule, weather forecast, headline news, and even fitness metrics as you prep in the morning.
- Robotic Vacuum Cleaners: Do you hate to clean house? New smart robotic vacuum cleaners are equipped with sensors and mapping technology to navigate and clean floors 24/7/365. It’s time to kick back, have a glass of wine and let Robbie robot clean your floors. OBTW, he never gets tired, complains, or calls in sick!
- Smart Faucets: Modern faucets are equipped with motion sensors or touchless controls so when you have gook all over your hands, just touch the faucet handle and voila, water flows! This promotes hygiene and water conservation. It’s great if you have kids or have been gardening and your hands are caked in dirt. Voila! Instant water without making a mess.
- Home Gym Equipment: Do you have a gym at home? Today’s home gyms feature high tech exercise equipment with interactive displays, virtual coaching, and performance tracking features to enhance your fitness regime. If you don’t want to schlep to your local fitness center, having your own private exercise room in your home is what affluent privacy-oriented people require these days.
- Smart Pet Accessories: Over 70% of homes in America have pets? Today’s modern high-tech homes feature automated pet feeders, water dispensers, and toys you can control remotely. If you’re at work and want to take a break to play with Spot or Whiskers, you can do that on special pet apps. If you’re headed to the beaches in Costa Rica for a few days’ getaway, the programs can help keep your pets happy and healthy while you’re having fun on the beach.
- Predictive Maintenance: When was the last time you had a home inspection? Some smart monitoring devices will utilize A-I machine learning to predict equipment failure in your home. You’ll be proactive on any maintenance issues to keep you and your children safe, happy, and healthy. These smart systems will help you prevent costly breakdowns and extend the lifespan of appliances and systems. Did you forget to change your furnace filters last month? No worry! You will receive a text reminder to do it tonight.
- Home robots: if you’re of a certain age, you’ll remember the jetsons TV show from the 60s. They had a robotic maid called Rosie. If you think your Rosie is in the distant future, you’re wrong. Tesla is already testing their Rosie, who they’ve named Optimus. Optimus will be coming to your home in the next few years to help cook, clean, move things, do your gardening, laundry, dust, and clean up after dinner. Tesla
is currently beta testing Optimus’s work in their offices, so no, it’s not long before Optimus will be helping you in your home. - High-Tech Refrigerators: Today’s refrigerators are more efficient than ever! They feature LED lighting, improved insulation, invertor compressors that use refrigerants with low greenhouse gas impact, French door configuration, larger capacities, and more organized and efficient, adjustable shelving. There are also “smart” refrigerators with internet connectivity, a camera to assist with needed grocery items. A few even have a TV screen to help you with recipes and entertainment while you cook.
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