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n our last blog post we gave you 5 tips that would make your New Zero Energy Ready home even greener, with an emphasis on building low cost, long-term habits. This week we wanted to turn our spotlight towards green home tech that will help make your Garbett Green home even better. Keep in mind that these products may have a high upfront cost but are very likely to pay for themselves in long-term savings or enhancing the value of your home on resale.
1. Install a Roof Mounted Solar System
Installing roof mounted solar and joining a net metering program is a great way to reduce your electricity bill. With roof mounted solar the energy you consume from the utility company is offset by the electricity you produce and contribute to the grid. This not only gives you the potential to eliminate your electric bill but also means that your new home will be part of the transition away from our nation’s reliance on fossil fuels.
2. Buy EnergyStar Certified Appliances
For consumer electronics, the EnergyStar certification denotes that the EPA and US Department of Energy recognizes that the product uses energy as efficiently as its product category currently can achieve. This means that the product will consume less energy when compared to similar products in its category. The more appliances that have this label in your home, the less energy or electricity you will consume in your home overall. Once again holding the potential to reduce what you spend on your utility bills and making your home better for the planet.
3. Use Smart Lightbulbs
Smart lightbulbs don’t just compliment the fully automated home experience; they can be a key tool to reduce the electricity that your new home consumes. In addition to the ability to turn your lights on or off from your phone, tablet, computer or smart home hub, you may be able to monitor how much energy is consumed or even set time limits on how long a lightbulb is turned on. All of this information will allow you to consume energy more intelligently making your home more energy efficient overall.
4. Use Smart Plugs
Similar to smart lightbulbs, smart plugs allow you to control whether an electronic device plugged into it receives power through your phone. Some brands of smart plugs will also monitor their electric consumption and output, helping you keep informed about just how much electricity each device is using. Allowing you to make informed decisions about how you are using your electricity, further optimizing your ability to live the greenest life possible.
5. Use Leak Detectors
Utah is the second driest state in the nation, and the Mountain West is experiencing an extreme drought. Water conservation is not only a great way to be a good neighbor, but also an increasing necessity to life in the Salt Lake Valley. Leak Detectors are a great way to use technology to up your water conservation game. These small Bluetooth or wi-fi enabled devices are placed by sinks, refrigerators, and other devices that utilize water in your home. Upon encountering water they set off an alarm or send a message to inform you of the leak so that you can quickly address the issue and mitigate the accompanying water waste.
This is only a selection of green home tech solutions that you can implement to make the start of your new chapter in the Salt Lake Valley, a green chapter as well. Your new energy efficient home is the starting point, however Garbett Homes looks forward to seeing what you do next to take your new home from amazing to fantastic. To learn more about what Garbett already does to make our homes so amazing click here.
