The world is going through an energy crisis. Most people blame it on the ongoing tussle between Ukraine and Russia, while the majority tag it with the depleting energy resources and climate change. According to recent research, every year, energy consumption increases by nearly 3 to 5%. Based on these stats, energy consumption will increase by 47% in 2025, which is a spark increase compared to the last century.
The most alarming part of the growing energy consumption is that this time, energy will be consumed for residential purposes, compared to when most of the energy was spent on keeping the industries fueled.
Environmental specialists are claiming that unexpected heat waves and climate changes are forcing people to equip their homes with weatherproofing technology along with power generation. To save up, more people are investing in smart home appliances while others are switching to solar homes to harness the power of the sun.
Smart Homes Vs Solar Homes – Why Choose Them?
An ongoing debate in the energy sector is about the effectiveness of solar homes and smart homes. For smart homes, you can automate your home so it can shut things off when they are not in use through seamless communication via the internet. Providers like Spectrum in the US ensure smart home is seamlessly connected with the right internet plan – with support from 24/7 Spectrum customer service – so that your automation systems run smoothly.
On the contrary, with solar homes, you are not just reducing energy consumption but also empowering your home with a complete energy production system. This will allow you to not just reduce the power consumption but also reduce the overall temperature in your home, keep your home cool, and produce electricity on your own. All these collective benefits are convincing more people to shift to solar homes. Take an example of Tesla Solar, which offers solar energy solutions to residential homes in the US.
Comparison of the Best Possible Option
While choosing between solar and smart homes, you need to consider multiple aspects. For technology to help you save more, you need to compare the value for money it offers. You need to consider the installation fee along with the overall cost that you will be saving. Another important factor to consider is the after-effects and their impact on the environment.
With the help of this comparison, we will consider all these factors and see which option is better:
1. Cost Cutting
Cost-cutting is the main goal in both cases, so if you choose the solar home, you will get to save money in the long run. This is not just limited to small devices but also huge appliances. Moreover, if you have a full solar home, the government offers a net metering system that will help you inject the surplus power into the system, helping you reduce the bill and load on the system.
On the contrary, if you choose a smart home, you will save money, and there is no doubt about it. However, the overall power usage will only reduce by a few percent. To ensure that you are saving more, it is advised to find a combo of solar and smart homes.
2. Installation Cost
Smart home devices are very cost-effective. You can get your smart home device in the range of $20-$250. The best part of getting your smart home device is that you get to choose from a wide range of smart devices. You can get something portable that you can easily plug in every home, or something fixed that stays in the same room. Moreover, you get smart devices that can be controlled with mobile apps or remotely as well.
On the contrary, the solar system has very high installation costs, but in the long run, you will be saving a lot of money. The best thing about the solar system is that governments are pushing residents to invest in solar homes at subsidized prices. With the help of solar panels, you get to reduce the overall power consumption in the system.
3. Location Limitations
For the solar home, there is no location limitation. You can be living in a completely remote area, but as long as you have a solar home, all appliances will be powered, and everything will be running. This is the reason that people who choose to live in exotic places generally opt for solar homes.
On the contrary, if you choose smart home appliances, you need power and internet to make sure all the appliances are working, and your internet facilitates communication. This is the reason you will see smart homes only in metropolitan cities or places where there is good internet and power connection available.
4. Eco-Friendly Home
Both smart home appliances and solar appliances are eco-friendly. However, there is always some catch. For choosing between these technologies, you need to look at the cost as well as their overall impact on the environment. It is said that when you choose solar, you are practically capturing the excess heat. However, there is always surplus heat that gets absorbed by the environment, raising the temperature in the nearby area.
On the contrary, smart devices are a good source of saving money, but they are replaced very often. New model, updated version, or better technology, there are so many reasons for the replacement.
Bottom Line
There is no doubt that both solar and smart homes have their importance, and regardless of what you choose, you will get to reduce your power spending. However, it is advised to combine both solar homes and smart homes, so you can save more and reduce your spending to a minimum without putting a load on the power system.
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