Did you know that only 10% of the energy from a traditional incandescent bulb is light? The other 90% of the energy used is wasted as heat. If you have these kinds of bulbs in your house, you may struggle to stay cool during warm days, especially since these bulbs require a lot of energy and money to operate. A simple swap is all you need. Try an LED light, which is cooler than incandescent and fluorescent lights. For example, an incandescent halogen bulb measures at a whopping 327°F, a Philips Par38 CF1 operates at 167°F, and a Cree LED light at only 107°F. Once you think about how this heat is multiplied by all the lights in your home, you may begin to understand why your home feels so hot when all the lights are on. Leave the warmth to your heating systems instead!
Our number one recommended upgrade to your home is a smart thermostat due to its compatibility with the rest of your home’s automated solutions. Smart thermostats are readily available and do the majority of work in creating a comfortable home environment. Do you want to set cooler temperatures during the day while the sun is out and transition it a degree or two higher as the night falls? Some smart thermostats can automatically self-regulate their temperature based on the weather forecast. Furthermore, you can set your smart thermostat to energy-saving mode when your family is out of the house for work or school.
Everyone loves to fill their home with natural light, but there can be drawbacks. Your home may experience a rise of 20°F with sunlight coming through your windows, which could be helpful on cooler days. However, on the warmer days, you’ll be forcing your AC to work twice as hard to cool your home. Automated window shades are the perfect solution to block sunlight and minimize heat intensity during the sunniest parts of the day. And it can all be done from your phone so you won’t have to leave your couch or desk. When these shades are integrated with your smart thermostat, the shades can close when external temperatures rise above a certain point to keep your home within a comfortable zone. Now you’ll still be able to enjoy the morning light and the beauty of changing colors outside your window.
On days with lingering heat, your ceiling fan is the easiest way to dissipate the stifling warmth! Smart ceiling fans take their capacity a step further by allowing your thermostat to be set 4 degrees higher than your ideal temperature without sacrificing your comfort. Some fans come with motion sensors and will automatically run whenever anyone enters the room. Others can adjust their speed based on their humidity and temperature sensors. Because they integrate with your thermostat and can be controlled via mobile device, you can adjust any of these settings so your house is cooled only when it needs to be on the last warm days of the year.
