Share this page
Print this page:
Add this page to:
Smart home technology 'offers significant savings'
22/02/10
Edited by Bob Witham. Using remote devices to control heating, lighting and appliances could offer substantial reductions in both CO2 and energy bills, but their introduction must not seem "big brother-esque", an expert has said.
Andy Stanford-Clark, IBM master inventor and visiting professor at Newcastle University, believes being able to adjust the heat and light in different rooms, as well as programming a home's systems to react to different levels of occupancy, could save a "dramatic amount of energy".
He added that being able to switch off TVs, microwaves and computers remotely rather than leaving them on standby could also significantly reduce energy consumption.
Mr. Stanford-Clark's comments come after builders installed home automation systems in Saarbrucken in Germany as part of a scheme funded by the European Union.
The i2home project allows residents to control appliances using mobile phones and touchscreen interfaces.
Mr. Stanford-Clark said that while he welcomes the trial, there is a "delicate balance" to be achieved in introducing the technology to ensure it is not patronising, hard to understand or "big brother-esque".
