Smart House – Home automation reduces electricity by 40%

One of our friends (@IanMercer) showed us his home automation project which used 40% less energy than he used to use.

Except this one won't go crazy on you...

He is able to obtain these results by simply creating a home that is smart about energy and gas usage. For example he has programmed his home to shut down lights in an entire zone of the house when not in use. Also his home is able to differentiate between an eventing out and a long vacation and change energy settings to best fit each situation.

Imagine the possibilities: keeping the lights dim depending on the amount of sunlight, shutting down power output to electronic devices when not in use, warming up the water before showers so none is wasted, and much more! Home automation can make things more time-efficient and sustainable for our planet. Go Ian!

[Slideshow: Demo of the world's smartest house (a little slow to load)]
[Source: Ian Mercer's Blog]