Home Automation DIY

SuRF boards

People Power, a green-tech start-up based in the heart of the Silicon Valley, recently introduced a kit it calls SuRF, for Sensor Ultra-Radio Frequency. SuRF helps connect household appliances and gadgets to a wireless network in your house.

“What that means is that you could monitor your microwave, Playstation and coffee machine in real time, check their levels of energy consumption, and make apps to control how they behave. Ultimately, that could lead to substantial savings of energy and money” writes Wired.

Or it could lead to a self-aware network of gadgets that will try to take you (the owner) out of equation, a la Skynet. Just kidding!

Seriously, this is a promising new technology that would need some serious backing from the device and appliance manufacturers to really take off. And when it does it might make our lives better, saving us some energy and money in the process. Sounds good to me!

On a technical note… (continue reading this article and leave comments here…)

Onzo display and sensor

Onzo, the global designer of domestic energy management systems, today reveals the images of the hardware components of its smart energy kit; the display and sensor. These will provide consumers with an unprecedentedly wide range of compelling information to help them understand and manage their energy use. The sensor measures and stores data on household energy use, and securely transmits this wirelessly to the in-home display.

Commenting on the release of the images, Joel Hagan, Chief Executive of Onzo said: “We are delighted we can now share the appearance of our first products. Their combination of usefulness, ease of installation and attractive design make them unique. They will have a lasting place in the home and for the first time will really put people in charge of their energy use”.

The Onzo display breaks new ground by being designed from the outset with the needs of the user in mind. Every interaction is designed to be easy, engaging and useful. Its innovative features include:
• Versatile positioning, with a reversible back that will enable it to be free-standing, attached to a refrigerator or hung from a wall;
• A clear, simple display showing the most useful, actionable information;
• Intelligent EnergyTools with eye-catching symbols;
• A soft rubber surround to make the device tactile and increase its sturdiness;
• Easily rechargeable batteries. (continue reading this article and leave comments here…)

Lights are a staple in every home, but that doesn’t mean your switches should be like everyone else’s. With a few simple tweaks, the fixtures can do more simply illuminate your home as a bit of lighting control. They can curb your energy use, evoke ambiance, and protect your home, for example. Here are 10 simple ways to realize your lights’ full potential.

Read the rest of the article by Lisa Montgomery on Electronic House magazine’s web site.

Most of us, homeowners, are accustomed to a routine of turning the outdoor lights on for the night and turning them back off in the morning. Now remember how many times did you forget to turn those lights off in the morning while rushing off to work? Not so green, huh?

How could we fix it? Here are two easy DIY solutions for you… (continue reading this article and leave comments here…)

Just a couple of weeks ago I have enrolled in a SmartAC program offered by my local utility company – PG&E. What this program is about? It’s about saving energy.

This Saturday morning I had a couple of PG&E guys at my place retrofitting my old (but still pretty decent) 4-wire Lux TX1500E thermostat to a new, 5-wire, Honeywell UtilityPRO. (continue reading this article and leave comments here…)