You may have heard about home automation's incredible benefits, including one-touch to no-hands control of lighting, climate, entertainment, security, and more. However, you may not know that it can also help you save energy and money while reducing your carbon footprint. The best of both worlds!

As a home automation company serving Town & Country, MO, and the surrounding areas since 1988, Elite Technology Solutions has watched technology transform how we live our lives. Today, over 30 years later, we still get excited about the possibilities and the benefits our clients achieve. 

Now that fall is in the air, let’s look at how these systems can save energy during the colder months that loom ahead.

SEE ALSO: 3 Ways to Upgrade Your Home Theater in 2022 

Automated Motorized Shades

In a smart home, automated systems work together to achieve the ideal environment. For example, your motorized shades can raise and lower based on the temperature in a room or the amount of sun entering the windows. 

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), about 30% of a home’s heating energy goes out the windows. To compensate, your HVAC system goes into overdrive to maintain your desired temperature. Smart window coverings, particularly cellular or honeycomb shades, trap warm air inside individual cells, creating a layer of insulation between the window and the room.

We can install sheer motorized shades for windows that welcome the warming rays of the sun. These let the diffuse light of the sun through, warming your home while reducing the harmful effects of direct sunlight on furniture and flooring. We can program the heavier shades to lower in the evenings, keeping the cool air out.

Climate Control

Like many of us, you've probably walked out the door without turning down the thermostat and returned home to a nice toasty home that the dog enjoyed. Smart home automation allows us to program preset scenes that control multiple systems simultaneously. For example, tap the "Away" button on the in-wall keypad as you head out the door, and the temperature adjusts, the lights dim, and the doors lock.

If you’d like to return to a cozy home, set the temperature from your smartphone about 30 minutes before you return. When it’s time for bed, tap the “Good Night” icon on your bedside touchscreen, and the temperature adjusts to the perfect level for sleeping while the shades close, and the lights turn off.

Smart Lighting

Today’s automated lighting solutions offer numerous opportunities to reduce your electricity usage. These can be as simple as turning off when everyone leaves a room to dimming and brightening based on the available daylight in a room. 

The latest highly efficient LED technology also offers lights that transform throughout the day, mimicking the sun's natural glow. The DOE reports that LED lights can use up to 75% less energy than incandescent lighting and last up to 25 times longer. 

At Elite, we provide our clients with the latest customized home automation and audio-video technology, creating homes that are fun and effortless to manage. To learn more about home automation or to schedule a complimentary consultation, contact Elite today.