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These 4 Gadgets Will Make Your Home Environmentally Friendly

4 minute read

Long promised to be the next big thing, smart home gear hasn’t just arrived, some of it has already departed for the clearance racks and the deal-a-day websites. The problem with a lot of these products? They’re technology for the sake of gadgetry — meaning they do something kind of cool, but that’s about it. For smart home devices to be truly innovative, they must solve a problem facing consumers. One of those problems ripe for solving: Utility bills.

Here are four ways smart home devices can give you a better handle on how your home uses energy and water, saving not only money, but also precious resources.

Water cool your air conditioner

For years, businesses with massive air conditioning systems have literally been sweating their cooling efforts — by that, I mean they’ve been blasting a veil of cool water around their HVAC units to cool the air before it gets sucked into their ventilation systems. Now, with Mistbox, households can keep it cool like that, too.

Mistbox
MistboxMistbox

 

The $449 solar-powered misting system automatically detects the proper conditions, and when the time is right, prompts its four spray bars (one for each side of your condenser unit) into action. Average users have reported saving 30% on their air conditioning costs each month. As if that’s not enough, the device is also eligible for a 30% federal eco-friendly tax credit, making the device really only cost $315.

Hack your breaker box

If the electrical breaker box is the brain of your home, how come we don’t know what it’s thinking? The mind-reading Neurio sensor helps remedy this long-standing discrepancy by connecting your home’s electrical system to a smartphone app that tells you exactly what appliances and devices are slurping down the most energy. A Wi-Fi-connected sensor installed within the breaker panel (with detailed instructions, though you might want an electrician for this one), the $249 home monitor claims it can reduce energy usage by up to 40% through its real-time monitoring features. It will also detect appliances over 400 watts, like washers and dryers, cataloging when they were last used and how much power they consumed.

Neurio Sensor
Neurio SensorNeurio

Water your lawn wisely

As the entire West Coast is realizing this summer, water isn’t as plentiful as it used to be. Not only that, but it’s getting pretty darned expensive — and we’re not even talking about the fancy bottled stuff. Using the power of the Internet, Rachio Iro helps keep your landscaping liquid in check by managing your sprinkler’s water usage. Basing its smarts on the location of users’ property and the upcoming weather, the company has managed to save more than 126 million gallons of the wet stuff, overall, since Iro was lauched.

 

With an 8-zone controller for $249 or a 16-zone unit for $299, the device is nearly guaranteed to save you money, if not make your lawn care much more convenient. According to the company, the smart sprinkler controller saves most users 30% more than non-net-connected controllers, and since it’s certified by the EPA, it qualifies for rebates. But the smartest thing of all about the Iro is how it plays well with other smart home gear. For instance, the sprinkler system can be configured to turn on when Nest Protect detects a fire in the home, halting the spread of flames to neighboring properties.

Heed your hot water

Next to your home’s heating and cooling systems, hot water heaters hit your wallet hardest when it comes to energy usage. Accounting for as much as 20% of a home’s energy bill, these tanks can be very inefficient if not monitored — and few are. Rheem’s EcoNet line of products add smart home intelligence to water and home heating systems, giving homeowners the ability to manage their tanks beyond just turning a dial.

Raheem EcoNet
Rheem EcoNetFransico De Deus

 

With a Wi-Fi-connected sensor, the water heater can send out alerts to your smartphone or tablet when it detects a leak. It also lets users tweak heating temperatures to optimize cost versus need. Compatible with smart home platform Wink, the system is easy to use and can pop up alongside an array of connected devices like light switches and your thermostat, making EcoNet products easy to manage on the fly. That’s especially great for business travelers and people who own vacation homes.

Top 10 Tech Product Designs of 2014

Nest Acquired by Google in Jan. 2014, Nest Labs wants to turn your home into a smart device. The home automation system includes Internet-connected smoke detectors and thermostats, which have screens and chic, round designs — a huge design boost for devices that haven't really changed in recent decades. Aya Brackett—Nest
DJI Inspire 1 The latest DJI quadcopter retains the simple style that's made their drones so popular, but adds 4K video capability — and the ability to transmit the HD video wirelessly to an on-the-ground devices. A new ground-facing camera also allows Inspire 1 to fly steadily to keep the video footage clean.
DJI Inspire 1 The latest DJI quadcopter retains the simple style that's made their drones so popular, but adds 4K video capability — and the ability to transmit the HD video wirelessly to an on-the-ground devices. A new ground-facing camera also allows Inspire 1 to fly steadily to keep the video footage clean.DJI
iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Bigger is better, or so the critics cried, calling for Apple to make a supersized phone. That was before Apple quieted them with the release of the iPhone 6 Plus in September, the company’s largest iPhone ever. With an alluring 5.5-inch display that makes it feel something like a portable iPad, the phone is is a challenge to Samsung’s larger models. Along with a powerful 8-megapixel camera and longer battery life, the phone is more a statement than an answer.Apple
Osmo Tangram
Osmo Tangram Tired of seeing your kids staring at screens like zombies? This iPad game brings virtual play to life. A reflector equipped with artificial intelligence snaps over your iPad's camera and can sense when objects are moving (or being drawn) on a pad in front of it. Osmo comes with three games, all of which promote creativity and—because it’s best played in groups—social intelligence. The best way to understand how Osmo works is by watching the video of kids who have never played with the device before testing it out for the first time.Osmo
Tesla 2014 Model S Tesla 2014 Model S has been praised both for its luxury feel and high-tech interior. The electric car offers instantaneous acceleration from a stop, a function very few other cars on the market provide. Tesla
Jawbone's Up3 wristband
Jawbone's UP3 Wristband Depending on your view, Jawbone is on the road to making us all super fit athletes or brutally efficient cyborgs who operate by data alone. How many minutes of REM sleep did I get last night? What’s the difference between my heart rate while resting and during a workout? How hydrated am I? How many calories did I burn on my last run? Jawbone UP3 answers all those questions better than any other Jawbone did before. The $179 wearable fits on your wrist and comes in black and silver.Jawbone
Square Stand The iPad holder and credit card reader launched last year with the goal of transforming an iPad into a point-of-sale. The sleek, white stand also offers an enhanced credit card reader, and can be adapted to include a cash register.Square
Nerf Rebelle Rapid Red Blaster
Nerf Rebelle Rapid Red Blaster Last year, Nerf decided to even the battlefield and create a new line of guns, arrows and crossbows specifically for girls. The resulting Nerf Rebelle line takes a cue from the success of The Hunger Games: The box is covered with tweens styled like that series' hero, Katniss Everdeen.Hasbro
Oculus Rift Crescent Bay The latest Oculus Rift prototype, Crescent Bay, marks one step further before the commercial release of the virtual reality handset. Crescent Bay features upgrades like 360-degree head tracking, a lighter weight, and high-quality audio. Lucky participants in the demos recalled the mind-boggling immersion in the scenes they were watching. The consumer version, Oculus Rift, is expected to launch as early as April 2015.
Oculus Rift Crescent Bay The latest Oculus Rift prototype, Crescent Bay, marks one step further before the commercial release of the virtual reality handset. Crescent Bay features upgrades like 360-degree head tracking, a lighter weight, and high-quality audio. Lucky participants in the demos recalled the mind-boggling immersion in the scenes they were watching. The consumer version, Oculus Rift, is expected to launch as early as April 2015.Oculus VR
Qualcomm WiPower Sick of tangled phone charging cables? Qualcomm WiPower allows you to power up your phone without plugging it in — a function that, to most people, is basically magic. The wireless charging pad eliminates the fuss of power chords, while also allowing you to turn everyday furniture like tables and chairs into charging surfaces.Qualcomm

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