06. Nov 2024
Energy consumption costs are a part of every household’s expenditure. More often than not, this expense is considered unavoidable as there is dependence on energy for every household’s day-to-day activities. However, it doesn’t mean that these energy bills cannot be reduced. Smart home energy management aims to enable homeowners to optimise their energy consumption and bring down their expenses.
Smart homes are commonly associated with their automation and control features that bring convenience and comfort to everyday life. But in addition to these features, smart homes can provide homeowners with a detailed view of the energy consumption of their homes. This opens the door for energy management as the first step towards it is the understanding of one’s consumption behaviour. This data is collected thanks to the smart energy meters that act as the foundation for energy management.
Home energy management systems can not only provide insights into how to improve energy efficiency but also automate some of the functions for saving energy. Homeowners can better understand their behaviour based on the system´s information and also be assured that many straightforward actions are taken care of by the smart home itself. For example, a smart system can automatically switch the lighting or heating on / off inside the home depending on its occupancy. Moreover, by having the smart home connected with a mobile phone, the user can always keep an eye on the house’s status and control remotely for any needs. It also helps the system to learn more about the behaviour of the residents to become smarter in its decision making.
While the general smart homes look to optimise the consumption of energy that is being purchased, the smart homes of the next generation are the ones that take energy management to the next level by becoming self-sustainable. Installation of solar panels ensures that most of the energy requirements for a home are generated by the home itself. This can drastically drop the energy bills, and with a battery storage unit, the smart home can almost become independent of any external energy sources.
With a solar panel installation, smart energy storage system, and effective insulation, residences can end up generating more power than usually required. Heating tends to be very costly and with the above systems, the energy use from this application can be reduced drastically. Additionally, households that own electric vehicles can ensure intelligent charging to their cars so that it does not interfere with the energy requirements of the electric appliances in the home while still ensuring the vehicle is optimally charged by the next use.
Smart home energy management is still in its early stages, but it is being adopted at a quick rate. According to the European Commission, domestic usage of energy constituted 26% of the final energy consumption in 2019. If more households become self-sustainable smart homes, it can help have a great impact on the planet’s future while each household can save on the expensive energy expenses.
KNX aims to build a sustainable future for the next generations and has a wide range of solutions that can help in an easy adoption of energy management practices. Check out our varied solutions from smart meters to energy storage or read more about what is energy management.
If you are interested in transforming your home into a Smart Home, you can start your planning with our handy tool: KNX Smart Home Planner. Answer some simple questions about your home and your preferred smart home applications to receive a detailed report. This will help you understand the scope of the project and get closer to building the smart home you desire.
It will take less than 2 minutes to answer these questions and you can contact your local KNX partner with the report who will be able to bring your dream home closer to reality. A myKNX account is needed to complete the planner tool, you can sign up below or at the last step of the planner.