Five Ways to Automate Power Savings - Part I

There is nothing better in than being able to spend a little effort once (and just once) and then be able to reap the rewards for years to come.

Actually, most of the projects and projects I've talked about fit that definition - some effort once, benefits for years. But today I'm going to look at five simple ways in which you can not only automate energy savings, but also automate your home - and save money in the process. Better yet, these five solutions also may also improve your life in other ways - providing security or improving the simplicity of your day.

We'll kick things off by covering the first two ways in which you can automate power savings. See Part II for the remaining three ways to save.


The first two ways to automate power savings are:

1. Motion Sensors (aka Occupancy Sensors).  Installed in the right places they insure lights only turn on when needed, and automatically turn off.  Some motion sensor switches can be installed in place of a regular switch - excellent for households with children who forget to turn the lights out.
2. Smart power strips.  I've already discussed these several times, but 'smart' power strips can monitor a particular outlet and enable or disable other outlets based on whether the monitored outlet is in use.

Motion/Occupancy Sensors

Occupancy Switch

As mentioned above, there are a number of useful places where you can install a motion/occupancy switch in your home, including bathrooms, closets, pantry, and garages.  There are a number of easily installed occupancy sensor switches available on the market, but it is important to read the fine print.  Some are fully automatic, and some require manual turn-on.  Some may not work well with CFLs. 



The factors to consider are:

• Does the switch only manually turn on, or will it turn on when motion is sensed?
• Those that only manually turn on may be suitable for a bathroom, closet, or pantry.  These types will automatically shut off after an amount of time.
• Those that automatically turn on are great for areas where your hands may be full when entering or exiting the space.  I use a fully automatic switch in my garage since I often am carrying things in and out.  
• Does the switch detect light?  Most switches that detect light will not turn on if adequate light already exists.
• Does the switch allow for customizable durations for which it will stay on?  No one wants to be sitting motionless on a toilet and have the switch shut off.  Some switches allow for selection of 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, etc.
• Field of view.  You generally want 180 degrees field of view.
• Does it work with CFL light bulbs?  Many don't.
• Use outside.  Motion sensors outside can sometimes be subject to leaves and branches blowing and other unanticipated disturbances unless they are passive infrared detectors (which detect body heat).  For outdoor applications it is generally best to use a sensor designed for outdoor use that has adjustable sensitivity.  Occupancy switches are not designed for this use.

My choices for best occupancy switches are:

1. Manually turned on: Leviton IPP15-1LW Decora
   
2. Automatically turned on: Unfortunately I have none to recommend at the moment. the model I use, Cooper Wiring Devices model 6105, works fine w/ CFLs in my home, but is no longer available. Cooper Wiring Devices makes other motion sensor switches, but the results with CFLs seem to vary from person to person.

Be aware that if you live in an older home with a non-Decora style face plate for your switches, you may need to purchase a new face plate to fit.

As always, safety is paramount when working with electricity. Be sure to cut power at the circuit breaker before beginning any work.

Smart Power Strips

As mentioned above, smart power strips monitor whether a "control" outlet is drawing power or not, which determines whether power will be shut off to other outlets.  These are perfect for home entertainments systems and computers - if you switch the TV or computer off, it can automatically shut off all peripherals.  Not only does this insure the devices are off, but it saves you money by preventing vampire power from being an issue.

These considerations should be taken into account when purchasing a smart power strip:

• Does it have surge protection?  Most currently on the market do, but I wanted to mention this because surge protection is highly recommended for any expensive electronics.
• Does it have "always on" outlets?  Occasionally there are devices that should be left on all the time.  For me, my DirecTV DVR is one such item because it takes 6 or 7 minutes to boot up and find the satellite after power-on.
• Does it have spacing to allow for "wall warts"?  Wall warts are those black transformers that many electronics use.  (If it doesn't have room for wall warts you can always purchase Power Strip Liberator cords
• Does it have a remote control?  Some smart power strips use a remote control instead of a "sensing" outlet.

My recommendations are:

• Outlet sensing: Smart Strip SCG3 (7 outlets) or a Smart Strip LCG3 (10 Outlets)
• Remote Controlled: Belkin BG108000-04

Stay tuned for part two where we'll cover the remaining three ways to automate power savings - and they are good ones!  In fact, I may even include a bonus sixth way!