A smart home combines smart technology and home automation to make life easier for its occupants. And smart home tech is certainly convenient—the ability to automate nearly any aspect of a home is one of the best things to come from Vivint.
Smart home devices include lighting which can be controlled with your voice, cameras which can send video feeds to your smartphone anywhere in the world, and intelligent thermostats which can learn your temperature preferences and automatically adjust themselves so your home climate is always perfect.
The common thread of all these devices—and the thing that makes them smart—is their connection to the internet. They also offer convenience—everything is automated. Smart home tech serves a dual purpose, though: in addition to the convenience, a Vivint smart home is also great for the environment.
-
Reduce energy consumption
Smart lightbulbs are often more energy efficient, especially because they’re LEDs rather than traditional incandescent bulbs. Smart thermostats, like the Vivint Element thermostat, can adapt to your temperature preferences and learn when you’re away from home, so they keep things cool using the smallest amount of energy possible. Using less energy isn’t just good for the environment, either—smart home savings can really add up over the course of a year.
Another way smart homes can use less energy is by minimizing or eliminating wasteful use. We’ve all left the house for the day and then realized we forgot to turn an appliance off. At that point, the two alternatives are to let it run all day and use electricity or drive home and burn gasoline—which might be worse than leaving the lights on! With smart control hubs such as the Vivint Lamp Module, you can turn those appliances off right from your smartphone, so you never have to worry about leaving lights, the coffeemaker, or any other appliance running.
-
Reduce fossil fuel use
Another advantage of saving energy through smart home tech is a reduced usage of harmful fossil fuels to generate power. And green smart homes don’t just impact fossil fuel use through reduced energy consumption. Thanks to close ties and partnerships with solar power providers, including Vivint Solar, smart homes can further reduce environmental impact by generating their own power.
As solar power gets cheaper, this self-sustainment is an increasingly viable option for many. Solar panels are definitely still a long-term investment, but they do tend to pay for themselves in time. Right now, that’s between seven years and twenty years, depending on the specifics of the system.
-
Reduce environmental waste
Smart lightbulbs can seem expensive compared to traditional bulbs, but it’s important to remember that they also last much longer. Many smart bulbs are rated at ten years, thanks to the use of LEDs. This means you may spend less in the long run by having to replace fewer bulbs. It also means that fewer bulbs will end up in the trash, reducing the amount of garbage ending up in landfills.
-
Use less water
Smart homes can also reduce water waste. This kind of savings is especially important in areas affected by major droughts. Smart sprinkler systems can help keep water use in check by only watering your lawn when needed. Some of these systems can even monitor weather forecasts and skip a watering when rain is predicted. Now that’s smart.
Smart homes aren’t just about convenience or security. They can also have a positive impact on the environment by reducing waste and lowering energy consumption. So, what are you waiting for? Take your green home to the next level with smart home tech today.
