Nutdanai Apikhomboonwaroot / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

SmartGrid GB & US

In the United States, the Smart Grid is moving forwards at pace and other Western governments such as the United Kingdom are investing time and money in developing this into a reality. SmartGrid GB, the UK equivalent was launched in June 2011 and is working with the UK Government to implement smart grid technology claiming that it is ‘of critical importance to the UK’s future’.

Not everyone is keen, however.

Questioning motives

A recent press release from hacker expert David Chalk suggests that the last thing Western populations should be doing is sitting back and allowing smart grid technology to take over our power networks. Connections into the home with smart metering and digital technology allows those corporations with power over our power, so to speak, the ability to invade our privacy in the same way that the Internet can be used to intrude into people’s private lives.

What is more scary however, is the possibility that the smart grid could be hacked and our power supply hijacked and taken down, says Chalk. Ultimately, according to Chalk, this could have consequences that would be akin to, if not worse than, all-out nuclear war.

The fear of large corporations plotting to take over the world through control over every aspect of our daily lives is nothing new. It could be said that whenever new technology is released, developed and integrated into the everyday lives of ‘ordinary’ people, there will always be someone who is willing to question the motives behind its introduction. It is the stuff of conspiracy theorists.

100% downtime

Democratically elected Governments should put in place safeguards against corruption and large corporation influences and power. Whilst this may not be enough to prevent Chalk’s predictions that in 3 years the entire electrical distribution network will be taken down by hackers 100%, the very ideals behind the technology seem admirable.

The powers that be already have accumulated great levels of access into our private lives; Internet monitoring, CCTV and countless Government departments and corporation server rooms filled with data about us that we’ve probably forgotten about ourselves. How realistic is it that, even if it were true that we are being manipulated beyond our imaginations, it will lead to a more devastating effect on human society than nuclear war?

Self-publicist?

If this is paranoia, it is of the worst kind. However, the point that should be taken seriously is that we recognise the importance of using good technology to reduce energy usage, generate financial savings and reduce environmental impact with our eyes open. Questioning authority is fine, so long as it is for a valid purpose. If David Chalk’s press release is about self-publicity, it carries no more integrity than the system he purports to be mankind’s enemy.

Master isolated images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What do you think?

Need we be worried about the smart grid and accusations of insidious corporations in bed with Western Governments determined to feather their own nests.

Or should we simply accept that with all technological advances designed ultimately to benefit us, there will be a less ‘glamorous’, intrusive and risky side?

Or is this mindless fearmongery?

Further resources

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120412005992/en/Hacking-Expert-David-Chalk-Joins-Urgent-Call

http://thepowerfilm.org/

http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/network/network.aspx

http://smartgridgb.org/

http://www.smartgrid.gov/

http://www.citizensforsafetechnology.org/

http://www.davidchalkinc.com/

Here are reasons why smart home energy management and home automation can help with reducing energy costs.

Smart home energy hubs

With a smart home energy hub it’s possible to collect data on energy consumption from smart appliances and automate their use accordingly, helping the user to decide which appliances and electronic devices require heavier energy consumption to function and to adjust accordingly to save money. This can be achieved by allowing the smart home energy management systems to manage and report on energy usage.

Behavioural changes

Looking after a smart home doesn’t necessarily mean that everything has to be down to technology. One of the most highly intelligent creations on the planet is the human brain, and so it is within reason to expect that a change in behaviour from homeowners can perhaps contribute to the single most effective means of reducing energy consumption and in turn help protect against high energy costs.

There is a wealth of advice available online for those wishing to change their energy using habits of which one of the most comprehensive websites belongs to The Energy Saving Trust.

Security and reliability

The use of automated smart home technology will allow for domestic energy systems to be more secure through early fault detection within appliances and electronic equipment. Many goods that are powered by electricity may still operate however, any electrical fault could cause additional energy consumption, and in the long term, may even prove dangerous.

Resources

The Energy Saving Trust

Which? – Home Automation Guide

Intellect – Representing the UK Technology Industry

Image: chanpipat / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Although we’re repeatedly told that crime in England is on a steady decline, it still good practice to have a secure home. Unfortunately the days of leaving your door unlocked are over and the recent Christmas period has seen several people have their presents stolen, even whilst loading the car. Many homeowners do try to secure their properties though.  Many houses have locks fitted to doors, or integrated into UPVC doors, which although sufficient for a passing chancer, can often be quickly broken by a professional criminal. However, at what point to you draw the line? Burglar alarms are a good start, but can often be tiresome in practice and the fake ‘deterrent’ style boxes can be easy to spot for those who know what to look for. Although we should feel safe in our homes it’s not always practical to carry a set of keys like a jailer and a happy compromise is needed. Here are some practical suggestions for securing your home without it having to feel like Fort Knox.

Alarms and sensor placement

There have been various alarm systems available to the domestic market for many years. They have come a long way since the first twitchy systems that would go of in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. The newer systems have much more reliable sensors and a visible alarm on the outside of the house is still an excellent deterrent. However it’s important to make sure you have the sensors in the key locations throughout the house, which includes all obvious points of entry. Downstairs windows, doors and importantly don’t forget the garage, as many thieves know that there could easily be stealable items such as bikes or lawnmowers in there.

Locks, locks and more locks

It might seem obvious to add locks to doors and windows, but in many cases the locks being used aren’t up to the task. Some people believe that a adding substantial locks to single glazed windows can be a waste as the glass can be broken. However breaking glass causes a great deal of noise and this is something most criminals will want to avoid. Before looking at adding a lock it’s important to thoroughly check the door and window frames to make sure that it won’t crack or splinter if forced.  In the case of doors, if possible use a combination of mortice deadlocks and Yale locks which again makes the door harder to push through. Security door chains and identification spy holes are another measure to make sure you’re not unintentionally letting undesirable visitors enter the property.

All areas where locks are fitted can be considered as a weak point in terms of security. This is doubly apparent in garage door systems with visible locks. For ultra security and to protect your second most expensive purchase, we recommend using a roller garage door with an automated shutting and locking system which will not contain an obvious point of entry or a weak point where a crowbar could be used.

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Gates and Gravel

Any gate at the entrance to a property again is a potential deterrent to a thief. Thieves will not want to run the risk of opening a squeaky gate at night as it could arouse suspicion. By the same token properties with long driveways with a locked gate at their end will mean that burglars cannot roll their cars up near to the house, making removing items all the more difficult and time consuming. For those that find getting out the car to close the gates a chore, there are several automatic offerings that work in a similar way to an automatic garage door, but as with all electronic devices make sure to buy from a reputable supplier to ensure the correct safety measures are in place. Gravel drive ways and paths also provide a good barrier to crime, as they make a lot of noise when walked over, which can alert the homeowners.

If you employ just some of the above ideas your house will be all the more secure. The more homes that recognise the need to have sufficient security, the less incentive there will be for first time criminals.

Costs Can Go Through The Roof

As many of us know heat rises and this basic principal certainly applies to the home. You might know people who live in flats and the owners of the top flat often have to pay less in heating as they can enjoy the combined rising heat from the flats below. However if you’re a home owner it’s important to try and trap the heat inside the home, instead of letting it escape into the roof. Loft insulation is relatively easy to fit into place and can be purchased from any number of DIY centres. The trick is laying it safely and that means wearing gloves and a dust mask to make sure you don’t get any fibreglass fibres onto your skin. Once in place the insulation will be able to reflect heat back into the home, keeping the upstairs rooms warmer.

The Door Swings Both Ways

Any gaps or cracks in doors can both let precious heat out and at the same time let cold air from the outside in. This is magnified when there’s a strong wind and many of us have been in a living room to feel a chill from even the smallest of drafts. It’s not just external doors either as closing the door when you’re in any internal room will help keep the heat locked inside. Most drafts can be stopped by using UPVC doors, but if you have traditional wooden doors you have to look for other tried and tested methods. The most common and effective way to insulate a door is to firstly ensure the doors a tight fit in the frame. Many wooden doors can be chipped around the edges creating gaps and having these repaired can make a difference. Draft excluders which fit along the bottom edges of the door are also hugely effective. Inside the home you can use moveable or fixed draft excluders. Often the moveable ones are cylindrical in shape and be slid into place temporally.

Through the Keyhole

Although Yale lock owners won’t find this an issue traditional mortice locks actually let a great deal of air pass into the home. If you look at a mortice style lock closely, it’s essentially a hole directly into the house. If you’re not looking to change the lock to a Yale style, a simple fix can be to use a metal key flap. The circular metal flap can be fixed just above the key hole and slide to one side when you want to use the lock.

A Window To The Soul

Much like doors windows also need to be properly insulated. Many of the UPVC style double glazed windows are excellent at repelling cold air and retaining heat but the older traditional style single glazed sash windows can do quite the opposite. The problem with single glazed, large pain glass windows is that the glass retains the cold and emanates it directly into the room. There are some plastic style coverings that can help cut down this effect but they can also make the windows look unsightly. A combination of blinds and heavy material curtains will certainly help. Using the blind as the initial inner barrier, the curtains hang directly behind that, so when closed it’s the curtains you see. This system helps to trap as much cold air as possible behind the curtains without letting it into the home. It’s also important to make sure that there aren’t any cracks around the window frames as they will also need to be filled in order to repel drafts and the cold.

Cars Need Warmth As Well, Sort Of

Last then is the garage area. If you don’t have a garage connected to your house then this will not apply, however if you do then it’s an area often wrongly overlooked. Many people have garages on the side of the house with bedrooms directly above. As many garages aren’t heated it can affect the warmth of the rooms. While heating a garage isn’t cost effective there are some simple methods you can employ to help keep out the cold. Firstly ensure that the garage doors facing the outside are fitted correctly and don’t have large gaps. If you have a traditional wooden door that opens into two doors, make sure to use draft excluders along the bottom of each door. You might also need one in the centre if there is a gap between the doors themselves. If you have a pull down garage door make sure that it’s fitted flush. Many people choose the pull down doors as they are more convenient and some choose the pull down doors or roller garage doors with remote opening which is better for winter as you don’t have to leave your car untill you’re under shelter. If you do choose a garage door with a remote automation, ensure you fit one with a quality and safety approved motor to avoid potential accidents. The door from the garage into the home should also be insulated with draft a excluder and if applicable a metal mortice style keyhole flap.

Although some of the above ideas seem obvious it’s amazing how many properties still have little or no effective insulation. Not only is sleeping in a cold and often damp environment bad for general health, it’ll also be costing considerably more money to heat the house, due to escaping energy.

Resources

For further resources, visit:

http://www.diy.com
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/

Master isolated images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As a result, the smart home automation market has seen substantial growth over the last decade and the potential for businesses to evolve with the mainstream smart home market has never been greater. This was noted in recent research by technology market researcher Sam Lucero of ABI Technology.

Mainstream home automation

In his article, published on Hidden Wires, Lucero points out that until recent times, home automation has been the domain of the super-rich or the geeky home technologist. It is also fair to say that much of the smart home automation market has focussed around entertainment, including the installation and wireless linking of Internet, music and TV systems.

What businesses now need to do, according to Lucero, is to realise the fiscal importance of this market by homogenising it with the mainstream. Successful businesses invariably manage to do this at some point in the evolution of a product – and appealing to those who aren’t DIY technologists and who don’t have £1000s to spend on a fully customised, integrated smart home system could be one of the wisest moves a company could make in this sector.

Technology and innovation

John Kasawa / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

However, the seeds of the mainstream smart home revolution may have already been sown. In a BBC article published in January this year, the use of induction heating technology (something that has been available in cooking appliances for years) was reported as having the very real potential of being fitted around the home in various surfaces. This would, in effect (providing that specially engineered appliances were used in conjunction with the technology), mean that power could be found anywhere in the home where these surfaces were installed. Take a kettle for example; it wouldn’t matter on which surface it was placed or where on that surface – it would be capable of boiling the water safely and directly with maximum efficiency.

Fulton Innovations, the wireless power technology company are making real waves in the domestic arena with this kind of technology as well as researching and developing other ingenious power solutions that are energy efficient and carbon sensitive, such as SplashPower.

The smart homes of the future needn’t stop there, the report continued. Businesses such as Green Structures and Nano Solar are stepping in to research and develop techniques to create and harness more of the energy we use through efficiency technologies like ‘passive heat recovery systems’ and ultra thin solar panels that could offer ‘parity’ to the National Grid.

UK Government strategy

Idea go / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Many of these businesses have spotted an opportunity to thrive in the UK because of the Government’s continued adherence to a policy which aims to ensure that all new build domestic homes will be carbon free by 2016 and the same for all public buildings by 2019. It seems that in the current gloomy economic climate, there is some money to be made through real innovation which UK businesses and technologists have been keen to explore. Some, such as the ‘anti-Green’ lobby may be cynical.

However, those who are not convinced by the ‘Green’ argument and see it simply as a means to market to and then ‘fleece’ those who are, might do well to sit-up and take note of such innovation. It makes little sense to deny the world the advancement of some potentially incredible technologies, simply because they have are deemed to have ‘green’ benefit and are sold as such.

Thrift made easy

The real benefit in all the examples mentioned here and the one that will ultimately drive economic success is the demand of the consumer to accept, adapt and incorporate technology into their homes – making life easier. If this can be done whilst satiating the arguments of environmentalists, then that is certainly an added bonus.

And anyway, who says energy efficiency through smart home automation shouldn’t be something to aspire to? In a way, smart homes of the future satisfy the very traditional value of ‘thrift’ – making the very most out of the resources to hand efficiently and economically.