Written By Denilson Saavedra
Smart devices are here to stay and can now be used to increase home affordability.
What is one way we can fix the affordable housing crisis? By transforming our homes into more adaptable, convenient, and efficient shelters with smart devices.
Smart devices, ranging from refrigerators and thermostats to air conditioners and light bulbs, are now being made at an affordable cost. By utilizing these sophisticated pieces of technology, we believe we can transform the older housing stock in the city into low-cost housing. Lowering energy costs and increasing convenience will be incredibly beneficial for communities.
To prove that smart is the way to go, we did research on typical household appliances such as water heaters, light bulbs, ceilings fans, washers, and dryers. We compared smart and energy-efficient appliances to the standard appliances found in a household. We found the results we were looking for and developed three packages of appliances and devices that can be implemented in new or existing homes.
We did extensive research on appliances by using data and metrics from ENERGY STAR and sites such as the Department of Energy website.
The following are our takeaways from our research.
Smart devices, ranging from refrigerators and thermostats to air conditioners and light bulbs, are now being made at an affordable cost. By utilizing these sophisticated pieces of technology, we believe we can transform the older housing stock in the city into low-cost housing. Lowering energy costs and increasing convenience will be incredibly beneficial for communities.
To prove that smart is the way to go, we did research on typical household appliances such as water heaters, light bulbs, ceilings fans, washers, and dryers. We compared smart and energy-efficient appliances to the standard appliances found in a household. We found the results we were looking for and developed three packages of appliances and devices that can be implemented in new or existing homes.
We did extensive research on appliances by using data and metrics from ENERGY STAR and sites such as the Department of Energy website.
The following are our takeaways from our research.
Target the Largest Energy Consumers
According to the US Energy Information Administration, space heating accounts for almost half of the total annual energy usage in a typical household, while lighting and appliances are a close second with 30 percent of the total energy consumed.
When buying smart or energy-efficient devices, it would not be a wise choice to invest in refrigeration or even air conditioning because even if the devices cut down energy usage by 20 percent, the impact will be minute compared to a 20 percent reduction in space heating and lighting energy usage. Targeting the biggest consumers, the biggest problems, efficiently cuts down costs.
When buying smart or energy-efficient devices, it would not be a wise choice to invest in refrigeration or even air conditioning because even if the devices cut down energy usage by 20 percent, the impact will be minute compared to a 20 percent reduction in space heating and lighting energy usage. Targeting the biggest consumers, the biggest problems, efficiently cuts down costs.
Adapt to the Limitations
There are very few options when it comes to smart space heating. There are very few options when it comes to smart central air conditioning. These limitations should be considered when deciding what to spend your money on. Do you want to spend hundreds maybe thousands on revitalizing your home’s entire HVAC system? The households in the communities we researched will probably not even have that option; however, smart thermostats such as those produced by Nest and ecobee will be enough to cut down energy costs by up to 23 percent, according to their estimates. And these small devices only cost a couple hundred dollars.
It might be the cheapest alternative to upgrading your heating and air conditioning systems, but that does not mean it is the worst choice.
It might be the cheapest alternative to upgrading your heating and air conditioning systems, but that does not mean it is the worst choice.
ENERGY STAR Certified Might Be Good Enough
We did research on how much smart appliances can save over a decade of use, but earlier on we also considered ENERGY STAR certified appliances in our comparisons. We noticed that sometimes the ENERGY STAR appliances performed better than the smart devices. Smart devices, despite their lower price now, are still more expensive than standard energy-efficient devices. So, if energy-efficient devices are cheaper and perform better than smart devices, why is this blog about smart appliances?
Many of the devices we researched had energy saver modes in addition to the ability to turn power on and off only when it is needed. Smart devices can be programmed to fit your life. Lights can turn on when you enter a room; they can be programmed to turn on at sunrise and turn off at sunset while mimicking the color of the sun. Air conditioners can turn on a half hour before you even step in your house to make sure the temperature is adequate when you arrive. Standard devices, even if they are energy-efficient, do not impact the way they are being used, and our research and calculations do not take that into account due to the way the metrics are set up.
Maybe ENERGY STAR certified appliances are a better way to lower housing cost on paper, but we believe smart is the way to go.
All the features that are packed into each smart device connect the home together into an almost living and breathing structure which makes the case that the Internet of things is an element that can now be used to design affordable housing.
Many of the devices we researched had energy saver modes in addition to the ability to turn power on and off only when it is needed. Smart devices can be programmed to fit your life. Lights can turn on when you enter a room; they can be programmed to turn on at sunrise and turn off at sunset while mimicking the color of the sun. Air conditioners can turn on a half hour before you even step in your house to make sure the temperature is adequate when you arrive. Standard devices, even if they are energy-efficient, do not impact the way they are being used, and our research and calculations do not take that into account due to the way the metrics are set up.
Maybe ENERGY STAR certified appliances are a better way to lower housing cost on paper, but we believe smart is the way to go.
All the features that are packed into each smart device connect the home together into an almost living and breathing structure which makes the case that the Internet of things is an element that can now be used to design affordable housing.
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Denilson Saavedra is a Project Associate at Urban Equities and a contributing editor for the Bulletin Board. In his off time, Denilson enjoys listening to music, watching videos on YouTube, doing anything involving basketball, and working on art.
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