How to add green tech to your home: tips and tricks
As concerns about our planet and its future grow every day, we know that we all need to take steps to lower our negative impact on Earth. In this article, we've gathered together ideas of small changes you can make in your tech life, that you can incorporate at home to reduce your environmental footprint.
Use smart energy devices
- Smart plugs
Smart plugs will help you to control gadgets that use a lot of energy at home, such as TVs, cable boxes, coffee machines, electric kettles, etc. They consume energy just by being plugged in, and smart plugs connect to your smartphone and allow you to switch them off whenever you don't use these devices. Another cool thing about them is that you can program them to switch on a specific time, for example, to get your tea or coffee ready at 8 AM.
- Smart programmable thermostats
Smart thermostats help to control the temperature at home, and you can program them the way you like. Control the amount of energy you use even if you are away by lowering the temperature when no one's home and saving some energy.
- Smart light bulbs
Smart light bulbs might seem like an obvious solution, but they work! Smart bulbs use 30% less electricity and provide the same amount of light as regular bulbs. You can program them via your smartphone or tablet, so if you have forgotten to turn the lights off when leaving home, you can still switch them off remotely. Another cool fact about them is that you can dim them and not only have a relaxing light at home but also save even more energy. And of course, we should all be using LED lights by now, but if not, don't forget to make the change!
Start streaming and stop using cable
If you still use DVRs and cable boxes, get rid of them. They are energy vampires that have to stay plugged in all the time to record your favorite shows. With streaming TV, you have all the content saved in the cloud, so there is no need to consume extra energy. Try Roku, and Apple TV, combine them with smart plugs, and let go of the cable. If you want to go further, simply download the movies you want to watch and delete them later.
Switch to solar chargers
Plenty of solar chargers are available on the market, so why not use them? If you drive to work, you can charge your cell phone on the way, or ideally, if you have a balcony with good exposure to the sun, you can charge your computer and other gadgets that need more energy. Another advantage of a solar charger is that if you ever go on a solo trip into the wild, you won't have any problems charging your phone and staying in touch with your loved ones. The X-Dragon foldable portable solar panel with 40W power output or the BigBlue seem good options energy-wise and money-wise.
Upcycle your old gadgets
When your devices get old and lose part of their functionality, don't rush to throw them away, but try to repurpose them. Read our article about how to turn your old phone into a security camera or a media remote, your old laptop into a media center, and your tablet into an e-reader or a digital photo frame. Another piece of advice: check the digital recycling stations close to your home to help the planet a little more.