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7 energy-saving technologies to reduce your home's carbon footprint

The Paris climate agreement, recently signed by 195 countries, was a momentous occasion in the fight against global warming. Our salvation, however, cannot be left to a covenant that contains no concrete action steps and no reasonable deterrents to failure. We must act ourselves.

Ryunosuke Satoro said that “Individually, we are a drop. Together, we are an ocean.” If each of us can do our little bit to reduce our impact on the world, the cumulative effect will be great.

The following energy-saving technologies (along with a few other energy hacks) 5 Smart Hacks to Save Electricity in Your Smart Home 5 Smart Hacks to Save Electricity in Your Smart Home) The trick to saving electricity is to know where most of your energy is consumed. your energy. Read More we've covered) can be introduced into our homes to reduce our environmental impact. Not all of them will be affordable for you yet. However, I hope that they will all become the norm in the near future. But you'll be able to introduce others with barely a dent in your wallet.

Use smart power strips

Many electrical devices continue to consume power even when they are turned off. Those bright standby lights don't just work in the air, you know. Some of the main culprits include DVD players, printers, televisions, and computers. What smart power strips do is completely cut off power to these devices when it is detected that they are not in use. This can save between 5% and 10% of your total energy bill.

Some models, like the Smart Strip 4941, can also be used to detect when, for example, the TV is off and will automatically cut power to your DVD player and game console. There are plenty of individual smart plugs 6 Non-Belkin WeMo Smart Plugs 6 Non-Belkin WeMo Smart Plugs Read More you can choose from too.

Install solar panels

By taking energy from the sun What is solar energy and why was it not removed? What is solar energy and why hasn't it been removed? What is the problem with solar energy? If it really is as important and necessary as many claim, why hasn't it taken over the energy industry yet? Read More To ensure profitability, in the northern hemisphere they face them due to the south. In the southern hemisphere, facing them to the north. Obviously, this technology works best in sunny climates, preferably with little cloud or shade cover.

Panels used for solar thermal energy generally come in two types:evacuated tube collectors and flat plate collectors. In general, these are only used for heating water . If you also want to use solar energy for your central heating system, solar thermal energy can be used in conjunction with some combination boilers or biomass heaters. In effect, these panels concentrate the heat captured by the sun into a series of water pipes which are then used to heat water inside a hot water tank.

Solar photovoltaics (solar photovoltaics), on the other hand, is solar technology that is used to generate electricity . The solar panels (modules) used are made of solar cells. The cell that receives the least the amount of sunlight determines how much power the entire series can produce. Once the electricity has passed through an inverter, it can be used in your home.

Electrochromic smart glass

Electrochromic technology allows a material (in this case glass) to change color when an electrical current is applied. This can be done manually through a smartphone app, or set to automatically modify.

The variable tint applied to the glass controls the light and heat that passes through it, allowing you to save substantially on air conditioning costs while keeping the glass clear and minimizing glare.

See, the company behind some of these tech claims, “Savings on lighting, electricity, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning can amount to 23% at peak times.”

Although electrochromic smart glass is currently many times the price of standard glass, the cost will drop substantially in the future.

Monitor your energy

By installing a wireless energy monitor in your home, you'll gain a better understanding of how and when you're using energy. The insights you'll gain will enable you to make decisions to reduce that usage overall.

With a smart energy meter, you can now see your gas and electricity usage in real time. Many energy companies already offer a basic monitor, but there are more impressive options out there.

The Efergy option, the Smart Socket and the Ego app (video above) is a great kit. This monitoring system lets you know which devices are currently on, current and past power usage, as well as the ability to remotely turn them off via the system's iOS app. You can even use the Ego as a replacement for smart power strips using the built-in timer features. Used in conjunction with a smart thermostat Looking to buy a smart thermostat? 5 nest alternatives looking to buy a smart thermostat? 5 Nest Alternatives When it comes to controlling the temperature in your home, the Nest Smart Thermostat is king, but there are plenty of options out there. Here are 5 to consider if you're looking to buy. Read More

Build a cool or green roof

In warmer climates, your roof could be draining your bank account faster than you think. After all, on the hottest days, your roof will be the hottest part of your building, forcing you to keep your air conditioner on longer than necessary.

Based on the idea that light colors reflect light and heat, cool roofs have a high solar reflectance, bouncing both light and heat away from your home. The resulting cooler temperatures inside the home can substantially reduce air conditioning costs, and some research suggests that cool ceilings can reduce energy use by 10-15%.

Not only this, but cool roofs also reduce an effect known as urban heat island. Aquí es donde la actividad humana hace que el aire en los entornos urbanos sea varios grados más alto que las áreas rurales circundantes. Al reducir la cantidad de materiales oscuros en las áreas urbanas, se reduce este aumento de la temperatura del aire..

Los techos verdes se basan en ideas similares. Al cultivar la vegetación en un sistema especial de suelo en la parte superior de un edificio, se reduce el calor transferido al interior, lo que significa que su CA se utilizará menos.

Bombas de calor geotérmicas

Si desea aprovechar al máximo el ahorro de energía, podría considerar instalar una bomba de calor geotérmica. Estos sistemas geotérmicos recolectan calor desde debajo del suelo para usar para calentar su casa. También pueden revertirse en el verano para guay tu casa.

Los sistemas geotérmicos cerrados son relativamente similares a los sistemas térmicos solares mencionados anteriormente. Sin embargo, las tuberías de agua que recolectan calor están bajo tierra, en lugar de en su techo.

Otra opción es un sistema abierto, donde el agua subterránea caliente se bombea desde el suelo a través de una bomba de calor ubicada en o cerca de su casa, y luego regresa al suelo.

La batería solar de tesla

En mayo de 2015, Elon Musk anunció la Tesla PowerWall Home Battery, que cubrimos en detalle. ¿Elon Musk nos salvó de los combustibles fósiles? ¿Elon Musk nos salvó de los combustibles fósiles? Read more . Estas baterías de 7-10 kWh se pueden montar en el interior o exterior de su casa y proporcionan una forma mucho más eficiente de almacenar la energía solar que nunca..

Desde hace un tiempo, el crecimiento de la energía solar se ha estancado debido a la inadecuación de muchas baterías en el mercado. Lo que ofrecen las baterías de Tesla es un suministro de energía más confiable en la noche, así como una mayor confiabilidad durante los cortes de energía. A medida que más personas empiecen a usar baterías como estas, habrá menos preocupaciones respecto a la confiabilidad de la energía solar, ya que estaremos seguros de que tenemos suficiente energía almacenada para cubrir cualquier emergencia..

¿Qué más podemos esperar??

El acuerdo climático firmado en París ya ha generado miles de millones de dólares destinados a proyectos de energía renovable. Muchos de estos proyectos se centrarán en mejorar algunas de las tecnologías mencionadas anteriormente. Pero también se nos presentarán proyectos y tecnologías de las que nunca hemos oído hablar. Ni siquiera imaginado. Estos serán los proyectos que agradeceremos en el futuro por reducir drásticamente nuestros efectos en el medio ambiente..

Este es un momento emocionante e increíblemente importante para todos nosotros, gobiernos, corporaciones e individuos, para hacer nuestra parte. Puede comenzar mirando a su casa y ver dónde puede reducir su propio consumo de energía..

¿Qué otras tecnologías pueden ayudarnos a reducir la huella de carbono de nuestro hogar? ¿Qué le has presentado a tu casa? ¿Y qué vas a presentar a continuación? ¿Y crees que es incluso tu responsabilidad reducir tu huella de carbono??