Imagine if you wanted to change the temperature of your house, get the hot tub going, turn lights on or off, or preheat the oven. The catch is you wanted to do so remotely. There have been major advancements in home automation systems that allow homeowners to access electronics and appliances from anywhere. Users can come home to a house that is warm, welcoming, and bright, as opposed to one that is cold and dark.
One major contributor to remote home automation has been the smart grid system, which is a digitally regulated electricity network. A smart grid works to deliver electricity to consumers through the use of digitally controlled communications technology.
Smart grids are typically known for being very green because they have the ability to remotely control electricity going to consumer’s home, minimizing the need for huge power lines and intrusive equipment. Smart grids utilize much less energy than traditional electricity grids that are typically used to power cities, promoting energy efficiency and even integrating capabilities like renewable electricity.
Smart grids could be integrated with home automation systems to power appliances in order to regulate power use and ultimately conserve energy.
Smart grids could additionally integrate with interactive voice response systems in order to allow users to remotely regulate their appliances in order to maximize energy saving capabilities, remotely from anywhere via a simple inbound phone call.
Forgot to switch off a light? Left the air conditioning turned down way to low or the heat turned up way too high? Forgot to unplug something that is potentially wasting energy?
Smart grid integration with an IVR system would allow users to simply call in and specify which appliance they wanted to control and could immediately reduce their energy use or turn the appliance off completely, no Internet connection or smart phone needed.
IVR-smart grid integration would allow users to consciously control their carbon footprint in a responsible but low-touch way. Improving the ease and accessibility of conservation efforts ensures protracted and consistent use, thus collectively improving the environment as a whole!
