by Karl Driessen

Some people may have heard about harnessing the heat stored in the earths crust, in places like California, Nevada, or Iceland. Such geothermal fields are often located around places with volcanic activity. When you see hot springs or geysers, there is definitely something geothermal going on. And this can be tapped for clean energy: the Geysers, located north of San Francisco, has a capacity to generate 900 megawatts of power without fossil fuels, using the steam coming out of the ground.

But geothermal heat in Forest Hills? Really? It turns out that there are some neighbors that are using the heat stored in their backyards to heat and cool their homes. In fact, I am one of those, as some people in the neighborhood found out when they noticed a big drill rig in our backyard, wondering if perhaps we were hoping to strike oil.

With gas furnaces being phased out in new construction in some jurisdictions, our construction plans prompted the question of whether we could cut the gas pipe and decarbonize our heating and cooling. Was it even possible to do this in DC? How long would it take? How much would it cost? A whole bunch of unknowns when we started.

No volcanoes here. Residential geothermal doesnt require the boiling temperatures used by geothermal power plants. Instead, it leverages the near-constant temperature of the ground underneath us (around 50 degrees Fahrenheit). A device called a heat pump extracts heat from the ground in winter and uses it to warm the house. Conversely, in summer the heat pump removes heat from the house and buries it in the ground.

How does that work? In a nutshell, a heat pump is like a refrigerator. Most of us will have noticed that the back of a refrigerator can get quite warm, while inside, milk and vegetables are kept cold. The neat trick of a heat pump used for heating and cooling is that this process can be reversed by flipping the so-called reversing valve. If it is hot inside, dump the heat outside; if it is cold, dump the heat inside.

A popular and economical type of heat pump exchanges the heat with the surrounding air. This looks very similar to a standard air conditioning compressor, with the added functionality of generating heat in winter.

Geothermal systems instead use water-source heat pumps, exchanging heat through a closed loop with coolant buried deep into the ground. For more details, check out the Rocky Mountain Institute explainer on geothermal heat pumps.

Why in the world would anyone go to such depths (literally!) to install a geothermal system? There are a few important advantages. It is environmentally friendly, as it does not produce greenhouse gases. It is very efficient in heating and cooling, using up to 50 percent less energy. This is because it moves heat, it doesnt burn fuel to generate heat. While it is relatively costly to install, in the long run it is cost effective because of its low energy use and the expected lifetime of the infrastructure (50 to 100 years or more) and equipment. It is also less noisy than outdoor compressors.

By the way, the Inflation Reduction Act has made geothermal installations eligible for a 30 percent tax credit, helping offset the high initial costs.

Our geothermal journey has not been short. We had received a couple of quotes before Covid-19 struck. When we picked up the thread in 2022, one geothermal contractor had stopped doing business in DC, and the other a local HVAC contractor saw the driller it worked with retire. It took some time to find a drilling company most regional companies choose not to operate in the District because the typical urban lot size is too small. Obtaining the soil boring permit took a few months; perhaps a bit longer than usual because the application was pending right at the time that the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) was being split up into the Department of Building (DOB) and the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP).

Drill, baby, drill for environmental sustainability! The permit kicked off a noisy multi-day drilling spree (thank you again neighbors for your forbearance!) to prepare for the installation of the geo loops. Given the size of the drill rig think fire engine access to the property from the alley was not easy, but the truck just managed to squeeze in. An enormous frack tank was placed in the backyard to collect any groundwater that might erupt during the drilling. (Thankfully, that did not happen! Other neighbors apparently werent so lucky and hit a spring that is now used to water their garden.)

The crew proceeded to drill wells between 240 and 320 feet deep, and inserted pipes through which the coolant will circulate. This video shows the drill grinding away, with a crewmember shoveling away the rock dust that comes up.

Next up is the fusing of the loops into one long circuit, and then bringing those coolant-filled lines into the house to connect to the heat pump.

Urban residential geothermal is a reality, and the District could include it as part of its Climate Ready DC plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Our lot was barely suitable for geothermal, but it is possible to scale up geothermal heat pumps to heat and cool entire neighborhoods, as is done for example in a 400-home development in Texas.

In Washington DC, much of this would involve retrofitting existing housing when natural gas distribution is terminated. I can imagine Washington Gas being re-baptized Washington Gas & Geo, with geo wells drilled 20 feet apart in every alley and street.

Related

Original post:
No geysers? No problem. Geothermal energy is heating and cooling ... - Forest Hills Connection

Jennifer Soukhome| Holland Board of Public Works

HOLLAND Did you know summer air conditioning is one of the largest energy demands in your home? But there are a few things you can do to reduce cooling costs, saving energy and money this summer.

According to the Department of Energy, about 76 percent of the sunlight that falls on a standard double pane window enters to become heat. To prevent unwanted heat, keep your blinds or curtains closed, so direct sunlight cant come in. If you have horizontal blinds, turn the vanes upwards. This will deflect the heat toward the ceiling, keeping the space below cooler.

The DoE further states: You can save as much as 10 percent a year on heating and cooling by simply turning your thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees for eight hours a day from its normal setting.

So, use your programmable thermostat when you're away from home or asleep for more than eight hours. Keep in mind, the greater the temperature difference between the inside of your house and the outdoors, the more it will cost to run the cooling system.

If you dont have air conditioning or want to reduce your energy bills, there are alternate cooling methods.

On cool nights, you can utilize the stack effect if your house has multiple floors by opening windows on both floors. Warm, less-dense air will rise and leave through the open windows on the upper floor, creating a drop in air pressure that will pull in cooler air through the windows on the lower level.

If the stack effect doesnt work for your house, try cross-ventilation. Install a box fan in a window on one side of the house to blow cool air inside and another in a window on the opposite side to blow warm air outside.

Whole-house fans combine these two energy-saving approaches: vertically expelling warm air and pulling in cool air with a (big) fan.

Also remember, air conditioners require regular maintenance to function efficiently. Neglecting maintenance can result in performance decline and increased energy use, costing you money. An air conditioner tune-up by a professional keeps your system in top shape. During May and June, Holland BPW customers can receive a rebate of $50 double the usual $25 rebate on an AC tune-up.

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If it's time to replace your AC, consider purchasing a heat pump. Not only will a heat pump cool your house more efficiently, but it'll also provide heating. Holland BPW has $500 and $1,000 per-ton rebates for heat pumps.

For more information on rebates available through Holland BPW, visit hollandbpw.com/rebates or call 616-355-1534.

Jennifer Soukhome is the community energy services specialist at Holland Board of Public Works.

About This Series:MiSustainable Holland is a collection of community voices sharing updates about local sustainability initiatives.This Weeks Sustainability Framework Theme: Smart Energy: We need to use both conservation and efficiency measures to manage our resources to provide access to reliable and cost-effective energy.

Read the original post:
MiSustainable Holland: Hot tips to help cut summer cooling costs - HollandSentinel.com

By Dan Rafter, CTW Features

Be ready for any weather this summer by properly insulating the home, doors and windows.

Ed Mulderrig has seen more than his share of poorly insulated homes. The problem areas are usually around doors or windows, especially in older homes.

That can result in a huge loss of hot and cool air, said Mulderrig, owner of Mulderigg Builders in South Hampton, N.Y.

Youd be surprised at how much air can slip past poorly insulated windows or doors.

Mulderrig is far from alone. Contractors across the country can swap horror stories of homeowners whose heating and cooling bills soar because their homes arent properly insulated.

The problem is this: insulating a home isnt as simple as it seems. Homeowners have to decide which type of insulation to use, and whether to install insulation on their own or with the help of a professional contractor.

Proper insulation, though, is the key to an energy-efficient home. said Mark Ziegert Sr., brand and marketing communications manager for insulations systems with Johns Manville.

Ziegert that homeowners can reduce their heating and cooling costs by as much as 20% with a properly sealed and insulated home.

Ziegert also cited a study by the Appraisal Institute, and said for every dollar homeowners save in annual utility costs, they add $20 to their homes market value.

What follows is a quick look at the types of insulation available to homeowners.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, blanket insulation is the most common and widely available type of insulation.

Blanket insulation is available at home improvement stores in large rolls. This type of insulation is installed between a homes studs, joists and beams. Homeowners can install it themselves, as long as its placed in obstruction-free areas.

Homeowners can spray, inject or pour liquid foam insulation into the smallest of spaces.

Because of this option sprayed foam usually provides a tighter seal for a home than does traditional blanket insulation. It is also more expensive.

Homeowners will often rely on insulation companies or other contractors to install sprayed foam.

The Department of Energy said that homeowners can use foam insulation boards which are rigid panels to insulate any part of the home, from the roof all the way to the foundation.

In addition to preventing hot and cold air from escaping, foam boards can add structural strength to a home. They are an ideal choice for the DIYer.

The Department of Energy said insulated concrete blocks can provide extra insulation to walls throughout a home. The cores of these blocks are filled with insulation. The downside? Installing concrete block insulation requires masonry skills that most homeowners lack.

Homeowners should remember to insulate their whole homes.

Robert Brockman, marketing manager for CertainTeed Insulation, said homeowners tend to forget certain key areas of their residences.

Under stairwells, around plumbing fixtures and along cathedral ceilings are some of the most difficult areas of a home to properly insulate, Brockman said.

Cracks and openings near windows and doors are also notorious for making home heating and cooling systems work harder to regulate indoor temperatures, he noted.

Read the original:
My walls are sealed - The Bucks County Herald

Thomas Breen photos

Not energy efficient enough for Texas? ACs piled high inside the newly built, opened, and HVAC-giant-leased Building A at 50 Ives Pl.

Truck driver Dennis Brown pulls up for a Monday morning drop-off.

Texas-built air conditioners are stacked high inside of anew 42,000 square-foot warehouse off of East Streetthanks to an international HVAC giants lease of anewly built emblem of New Havens deliveryeconomy.

Those boxes and many more shelves and stacks of contractor-ready home heating and cooling equipment are now in place in Building Aat anew two-warehouse development at 50 Ives Pl.

That nearly 4.4acre propertywhich was once home to the H.B. Ives manufacturing plantis bounded by East Street, Chapel Street, South Wallace Street, and IvesPlace.

50 Ives Pl. on Monday morning.

Its owned by Richard Cuomo of the North Haven-based Elm City Industrial Properties. His company bought the then-long-vacant industrial land for $750,000in May 2020 and subsequently built two new high-bay storage warehouses and an asphalt expanse for trucks coming off the nearby I91 highway and looking to load up on consumer goods in need oftransit.

As of April 1, the 42,000 square-foot Building Aat 50 Ives Pl. has its first tenant: Daikin Comfort Technologies, an affiliate of the Japanese multinational conglomerate that is the worlds largest maker of air conditioners and that has amassive manufacturing plant and stateside hub in Waller,Texas.

Warehouse developer Richard Cuomo with architect Jim Reilly on Friday.

These are the most modern warehouse buildings in New Haven County, Cuomo said with pride on Friday afternoon while standing in the truck lot outside of Building Aalongside the developments architect, JimReilly.

He and Reilly described the pre-cast warehouses 30-foot-plus ceilings, multiple loading docks, early suppression and fast response fire protection systems, high pile storage capacities, large areas for trucks and easy access to the I91 highway, and soon-to-come solar panels for the buildings roofs as all making these two warehouse buildingsunique.

While supply-chain-delayed switch gears prevented the buildings from taking in tenants as soon as construction was finished in January, Cuomo said, theres alot of demand for warehouses like theseas evidenced by the multi-year lease he recently inked with the Daikin affiliate. (Building Bdoes not yet have atenant signedup.)

Cuomo and Reilly with city arts director Adriane Jefferson, development deputy Steve Fontana, and Site Projects' Laura Clarke and Jolyne Brown.

Also gathered in the early afternoon sunshine were city Deputy Economic Development Administrator Steve Fontana, city Director of Arts, Culture and Tourism Adriane Jefferson, and Laura Clarke and Jolyne Brown of the local public art nonprofit SiteProjects.

Fontana, Jefferson, Clarke, and Brown were on scene primarily to talk with Cuomo and Reilly about anew mural Site Projects has planned for the Chapel Street side and, potentially, the East Street side of Building As large street-facing concrete walls-turned-canvasses.

Air conditioners aplenty inside Building A.

Goodman territory sales manager Tim Winosky, with a Daikin made gas furnace and energy-efficient heat pump.

While the group gathered indoors in Building As conference room to hash through the artist and design details, this reporter meandered through the cavernous warehouse space with the HVAC-equipment-deciphering help of Tim Winosky, aterritory sales manager based out of the East Hartford offices of Goodman Manufacturing, another affiliate ofDaikin.

Winosky explained that Daikin and its affiliates manufacture awide range of heating and cooling equipment, including gas furnaces and energy-efficient heat pumps and outdoor air conditioning units and air handlers, at its plant in Texas.

The company then sends 53-foot trucks to trek up to supply houses like its newly leased New Haven warehouse on Ives Place, where licensed contractors can then come to buy and pick up such equipment, which is then delivered and installed directly in customers homes. Homeowners get a turnkey job from their hired licensed contractors with this equipment, he said, while were just thedistributors.

But before the contractors pick the goods up and bring it to their customers, those HVAC supplies sit in place on the shelves, and on the floors, of the 50 Ives Pl.warehouse.

Winosky pointed out that hundreds of boxes of outdoor air conditioning units currently piled high in the newly leased New Haven warehouse have been brought up from Texas to New England en masse thanks in large part to achange in federal energy efficiency regulations that recently went intoeffect.

As of Jan. 1, the federal Department of Energy has put in place new rules governing the allowable seasonal energy efficiency ratio, or SEER, of residential and commercial air conditioning and heat pumpproducts.

While air conditioners manufactured at alower SEER level can still be installed in the North region, where Connecticut is, such products that do not now meet the higher SEER2 energy efficiency level can no longer be installed in the South and Southwest regions, where Texasis.

The upshot: Lots and lots of air conditioners that were not built to the new higher energy efficiency standard now required for products installed in the South and Southwest have made their way North to places like Connecticut where the feds still allow them to be sold andused.

Looking east from the warehouse property towards East St. and English Station.

Thus the boxes upon boxes of older SEER-level Texas-built air conditioners that have been trucked to New Haven and are currently sitting in the 50 Ives Pl.warehouse.

Winosky pointed out that these are fully legal to install in Connecticut, still. And he thinks there will be plenty of customers for them because of their lower price point. Well be able to sell them, hepredicted.

Cuomo told the Independent he thinks the new Daikin lease should result in five to ten jobs created at Ives Place Building Awarehouse building. He said that the tenant is using the property not just for the storage and distribution of HVAC products, but also for on-site training of licensed contractors on how to use thesematerials.

While there werent any trucks parked in one of 50 Ivess bays on Friday, truck driver Dennis Brown was in the lot with his vehicle backed up to Building Aon Mondaymorning.

Brown, who lives in South Carolina, said he had driven this haul of Daikin-made products up from Orlando, Florida, starting on Friday. He said he had plenty of time to make the trip by Mondaymorning.

He didnt know what products exactly were in the back of the truck he drove from south to north. What he did know: that hed be heading on the road soon after drop off Monday morning, likely heading back to Florida, or SouthCarolina.

Brown said hes been atruck driver for 38years. How does he like it? It used to be fun, he said with atired smile. Now its just ajob.

Read the original here:
New Warehouse Fills Up With Texas ACs - New Haven Independent

UK: TheBuilding Engineering Services Association(BESA) is offering 400 free places in its latest phase of heat pump installation training courses.

The new course blends practical training and online learning and is the next phase of a programme that BESA runs in partnership with MCS and heating equipment manufacturerWorcester Bosch.

The first phase of online training was completed by 1,000 installers. Now a further 400 places are being offered free of charge.

BESA was one of the organisations to benefit from the 9.2m of funding provided bythe Department for Energy Security and Net Zero following its recent Home Decarbonisation Skills Training competitionto support heat pump and energy efficiency training across England.

The Associations share will allow it to deliver free training for qualified plumbing, heating, refrigeration, and air conditioning engineers looking to upskill, and provide the technical competence for businesses to be guided through the MCS-accreditation process.

This new hybrid course is being delivered through the Associationsonline training Academyand will run until the end of July. It includes a two-day practical element as well as five hours of online theorywhich can be completed in bite size chunks at the convenience of the student.

The two days practicaland final assessment will take place at oneof BESAs approved local colleges or training centres. On completing the training, students will be able to correctly specify and install low temperature heating systems, accurately size components, commission, and handover systems properly, as well as carrying out lifecycle maintenance.

To register your interest in the trainingclick here.

More:
BESA offers free places on heat pump course - Cooling Post

Venus Nappi strolled through a community center in South Portland in early April, chatting with vendors at Maine's annual Green Home + Energy Show about electric heat pumps, solar power, and the discounts that aim to make these and other technologies affordable. A worker in an oversized plush heat pump costume waved a gloved hand nearby.

Nappi heats her Gorham home with oil, as do 60% of Mainers more than any other state, as The Maine Monitor reported in the first part of this series. She finds oil to be dirty, inconvenient and expensive. Her oil costs this winter, she said, were "crazy, absolutely right up through the roof."

This story was originally published byThe Maine Monitor, a nonprofit civic news organization.To get regular coverage from the Monitor, sign up for a free Monitor newsletterhere.

Nappi joined a record-breaking crowd at this expo because she's ready to switch to heat pumps, which can provide heating or cooling at two or three times the efficiency of electric baseboards and with 60% lower carbon emissions than oil, according to Efficiency Maine.

"It's good to have incentive to try to go somewhere else rather than just the oil," Nappi said. "Even gas, propane, is actually a little expensive right now, too. The heat pumps are kind of in the middle."

Government rebates of up to $2,400, with new tax breaks coming soon, help with up-front heat pump installation costs that can range above $10,000. These incentives have helped put Maine more than 80% of the way to its 2019 goal now a centerpiece of the state climate plan of installing 100,000 new heat pumps in homes by 2025, and many more in the years after that.

"This is a real highlight of our climate action," said state Climate Council chair Hannah Pingree. The state aims to have 130,000 homes using one or two heat pumps by 2030 and 115,000 more using "whole-home" heat pump systems, meaning the devices are their primary heating source.

But Maine lags much further behind on a related goal of getting 15,000 heat pumps into low-income homes by 2025, using rebates from MaineHousing. At the end of last year, it had provided just over 5,000 heat pumps to the lowest-income homes.

These homes face particular barriers to maximizing the benefits from this switch from poor weatherization, to navigating a daunting web of incentives, to fine-tuning a blend of heat sources that can withstand power outages and actually save money instead of driving up bills.

As fossil fuel costs remain high, the pressure is on for advocates and service providers to expand access to heat pumps and other strategies for reducing oil use, especially for people most often left out of the push for climate solutions.

In Maine and beyond, it's clear that heat pumps are having a major moment heralded in national headlines as a crucial climate solution that successfully weathered a historic cold snap.

But the technology is not new. It's long been used in refrigerators and air conditioners.

"The problem was, when you design a heat pump to primarily provide cooling it is not optimized for making heat," said Efficiency Maine executive director Michael Stoddard. "So everyone concluded these things are no good in the winter. And then around (the) 2010, '11, '12 timeframe, the manufacturers started introducing a new generation of heat pumps that were specially designed to perform in cold climates. It was like a switch had been flipped."

Maine has offered rebates for heat pumps ever since this cold climate technology emerged. Even former Gov. Paul LePage, a Republican who frequently opposed renewable energy and questioned climate science, installed them in the governor's mansion and told The Portland Press Herald in 2014 that they'd been "phenomenal" at replacing oil during a cold snap.

Heat pumps provide warmth in cold weather the same way they keep warmth out of a fridge by using electricity and refrigerants to capture, condense and pump that heat from somewhere cold to somewhere warmer. Simply put, they squeeze the heat out of the cold air, then distribute it into the home.

The current generation of heat pumps will keep warming your home even if it's around negative 13 degrees out.

Heat pumps are less efficient in these colder temperatures, requiring more electricity to make the same heat. With outdoor temperatures in the 40s and 50s, today's typical cold-climate heat pumps can be roughly 300 or 400% efficient tripling or quadrupling your energy input.

As temperatures drop into the teens, heat pumps are often about 200% efficient. And in the single digits or low negatives, heat pumps can be closer to the 100% efficiency of an electric baseboard heater. Costs at this level are closer to that of oil heat, which usually has about an 87% efficiency rating.

This means heat pumps often generate the most savings and are most efficient when temperatures are above freezing, or when used to provide air conditioning in the summer something Mainers will want increasingly as climate change creates new extreme heat risks.

"During the shoulder seasons, you can definitely use a heat pump. When it's wicked cold out, then you'd probably turn on your backup fuel. That's not the official line of Efficiency Maine Trust, but a physical and engineering reality," said energy attorney Dave Littell, a former top Maine environment and utilities regulator whose clients now include Versant Power which, along with Central Maine Power, now offers seasonal discounts for heat pump users.

This is a relatively common approach among installers, such as ReVision Energy, a New England solar company that also sells heat pumps. They don't recommend heat pumps as the only heating source for most customers, especially those who live farther north, unless the home can have multiple units, excellent insulation, and potentially a generator or battery in case of a power outage a costly package overall.

"(Heat pumps) do still put out heat (in sub-zero weather), but less, obviously, and they have a lot more cold to combat in those conditions," said Dan Weeks, ReVision's vice president for business development. "Generally we do recommend having a backup heating source."

These blends of heating sources are nothing new in Maine many families combine, say, a wood stove with secondary heat sources that rely on propane, oil or electricity. Experts say heat pumps are a powerful addition in many cases, adding flexibility and convenience.

Heat pumps will add to your electric bills but also reduce another expense thats eating up a lot of household budgets heating oil. Instead of spending hundreds to fill your tank just as winter starts to wane (a full 275-gallon tank would run more than $1,000 right now), you might be able to switch entirely to your heat pump in early spring. Vendors say a heat pump will be much more cost-effective than fossil fuels for the vast majority of Maine's heating season.

One study from Minnesota which has lower electric rates and more access to gas, but has made a similar push for heat pumps found the greatest savings from using a heat pump for 87% of the heating season, switching to a propane furnace only below 15 degrees.

Electricity costs also change less frequently than fossil fuel prices. And the advent of large-scale renewable energy projects, like offshore wind, aims to help smooth over rate hikes that are now driven by the regional electric grid's dependence on natural gas, said Littell of Versant Power. (While Maine has little gas distribution for home heat, New England power plants use a lot of it to make the electricity that's primarily imported to Maine on transmission lines.)

This will also mean the electricity that fuels your heat pump will be even lower-emissions than it is now. The emissions comparison between heat pumps and oil is based on the current New England electric grid's carbon footprint, which is set to continue shrinking.

Paige Atkinson, an Island Institute Fellow working on energy resilience in Eastport, pitches heat pumps as a good addition to a home fuel mix. But she said all these cost comparisons can cause anxiety for people unsure about switching. Oil costs, though rising and prone to fluctuations, can be a "devil you know" versus heat pumps, she said.

"Transitioning to an entirely new source of heat creates a lot of 'what-ifs,' " she said. "There's a lot of uncertainty about how to best use that system will it meet my needs?"

The best way to guarantee savings from a heat pump is likely to work closely with your contractor about where to install it, and when and how to run each part of your home's fuel mix.

"Our job is to educate (customers) on proper design, proper sizing, best practices for installation," said Royal River Heat Pumps owner Scott Libby at the South Portland expo. "I always tell people to use the heat pump as much as possible. If you are starting to get chilly, that might just be for a couple hours in the morning when the temperature outside is coldest, so maybe use your fossil fuels just to give the system a boost in the morning, for even an hour."

The condition of your house is another big factor in the heat pump's performance.

"Weatherization is a great tool. It is not necessary to make a heat pump work but the heat pump will work better if the house is well weatherized," said Stoddard with Efficiency Maine. "When you have those super, super cold days, it won't have to work as much."

The need, ideally, for updated insulation and air sealing as prerequisites for heat pumps may help explain the slower progress on getting them into low-income homes. (We'll address heat pumps as a potential benefit for renters later in this series.)

"I think a lot of the homes especially that (qualify for rebates from) MaineHousing require a lot of upgrades, just sort of basic home improvements, to get to the next step," said Hannah Pingree of the state Climate Council.

Bob Moody lives in the kind of house Pingree is talking about in Castle Hill, a tiny town just outside Presque Isle. The ramshackle clapboard split-level totals four stories, set into a wooded hillside. Moody grew up down the road, and his family built this place in the 1980s using much older scrap materials from the former Loring Air Force Base in Caribou.

On a snowy day in March, Moody was visited by a small team from Aroostook County Action Program, or ACAP. It included his next-door neighbor, ACAP energy and housing program manager Melissa Runshe. She and her colleagues were there for an energy audit, a precursor to weatherization projects all paid with public funds through MaineHousing.

"Weatherization is at the very top. If your heat isn't flying out of your house, it's going to save you money," Runshe said. "We have a lot more winter here (in Aroostook County) than in the rest of Maine, so it's really important to make sure that the houses are energy-efficient so that they're not burning as much oil, so that they're not spending as much money on oil."

ACAP officials said they don't push any technology over another when meeting new clients, but instead describe the options and benefits savings, comfort, a smaller carbon footprint. This all typically happens after someone has called for heating aid or an emergency fuel delivery or, in Moody's case, an emergency fix for their heating equipment.

Moody's health forced him to retire early, and he now lives alone on a low fixed income. He's gotten energy assistance and upgrades from other state and county programs before, but first called ACAP late last year when his main heat source, a kerosene furnace, suddenly died. ACAP got him a new, more efficient oil furnace, then signed him up for a weatherization audit.

"If it hadn't been for assistance, I would have been really in trouble," Moody said as he filled out paperwork at his kitchen table. A sticker on the wall proclaimed Murphy's Law anything that can go wrong, will. "Murphy has been settling in very heavily on me," he laughed.

Moody's ACAP audit included a blower door test, which depressurizes the house to expose air leaks. They showed up on a thermal imager as cold seeping in through window seams, power outlets, hairline cracks in the walls, and most of all, an uninsulated exterior-facing wooden door that was down the hall from Moody's new furnace, sucking heat from the rest of the house.

"He has, roughly, a (total of a) one-by-two-foot-square hole that's wide open in the house," said energy auditor BJ Estey. "It's basically like the equivalent of having a window open year-round."

The inspection showed weatherization could save Moody $1,230 a year on oil. New windows and doors would help even more but the weatherization program doesn't offer those, and there's a 900-person waiting list for ACAP's program that does. Instead, the staff told Moody to try a federal option for home repair grants and loans, and promised to help him with the forms.

For people who dont receive MaineHousing-funded upgrades, Efficiency Maineoffershealthy rebatesfor air sealing and insulationperformed by contractors. Last winter italsoadded a small new rebate for do-it-yourself home weatherization, such as plastic wrap for windows, pipe wraps and caulk,which has sinceexpired.

Groups like ACAP also offer free heat pumps for low-income residents using MaineHousing funds. The rebates feed the state's goal, where progress has been slow.

Moody has one kind of heat pump in his home but it's not the type that provides hot air it's a heat pump-based hot water heater, which he got for free through a rebate from Efficiency Maine. He loves the savings and convenience it's provided.

But he doesn't think an air-source heat pump the kind that can replace an oil furnace will work for his home, which has many small rooms split up across levels. (Installers often recommend at least one heat pump per floor.) He's also worried about how a heat pump would affect his electric bills. He knows he couldn't afford electric baseboard heat, so he's concerned about the very cold conditions where a heat pump's efficiency drops down to around that level.

"Sometimes in the middle of the winter, you get so cold that you just might as well have an electric (baseboard) heater," he said. "And there ain't no way that I can afford an electric heater not even one month."

Down the road in Castle Hill, Melissa Runshe's newer-construction house came with three heat pumps, a boiler that can use wood pellets or oil, and a propane fireplace. "I think (heat pumps) are wonderful," for heating when temperatures are above about 20 and for summer cooling, she said. "They definitely offset the cost of my oil."

While not every house is heat pump-ready, it may be even more important to get folks like Moody connected with this energy safety net in the first place. This will continue to decrease his oil dependence, offering escalating upgrades as his home changes and funding sources shift.

"In the social services world, there's this idea of 'no wrong doors,' and we need to adopt that for home energy as well," said Maine Conservation Voters policy director Kathleen Meil, the co-chair of state Climate Council's buildings group. "There's no distilling and simplifying how people live in their homes. You experience your house and your home's heating situation not as a data point, but as your daily life."

For people like Meil, there are multiple goals working in tandem help Mainers reduce their reliance on planet-warming fuels like heating oil, while helping them lower household energy costs, and live with more comfort and convenience. This is what climate advocates mean when they say the crisis is "intersectional" it's interwoven with health, race, poverty and more.

Juggling these issues can mean making more incremental progress toward emissions goals but that's far better than nothing in scientific terms, said Ivan Fernandez, a professor in the University of Maine's Climate Change Institute.

"Everything we do, every increment we do, counts," Fernandez said. "I think we need to do this transition in a relatively quick way, recognizing that it will be imperfect, and spending a good part of our focus on realistic, data-driven, science-driven tracking of where we are at, so we're not telling ourselves fables that aren't substantiated by the science."

Officials say Maine used this kind of science in building detailed goals for things like heat pump adoption, adding them up toward a path to the two biggest targets that are inked in state statute reducing emissions 45% over 1990 levels by 2030 and 80% by 2050.

"Ultimately the atmosphere will determine how successful we are. It's already telling us that we have not been very successful in many ways," said Fernandez. "But I think we're embracing the reality of that a lot better."

Setting these goals carefully and pushing hard to meet them does not guarantee equity and there are still holes in the state's approach, according to people working on spreading the benefits of the energy transition to those who might not be able to access it without help.

The Community Resilience Partnership, or CRP, is the state's signature grant program for town-level climate action. Each project starts with a local survey to determine residents' priorities out of a 72-item list that includes everything from flood protection to energy efficiency.

State officials say the CRP was designed primarily to build up towns' capacity to respond to climate change. But advocates say they've had to work around a crucial gap in the program: It won't buy equipment directly for individuals, which is often what people say they want the most.

"There are communities who really do have the need to fund heat pumps beyond what Efficiency Maine is providing," said Sharon Klein, an energy consultant and University of Maine professor who works with Maine tribes on their CRP projects. "Because there's still that last piece of it where money still needs to be put up, and some people don't have that money."

For people whose income is not quite low enough to qualify for a totally free heat pump through MaineHousing, Efficiency Maine's rebates will cover $2,000 for a first unit and $400 for a second. People at any income level can get $400 to $1,200 for one or two units. This might cover some or all of the cost of a typical single heat pump but total installation costs can range from around $4,000 to above $10,000, depending on the complexity of the system.

Starting this tax year, theInflation Reduction Actwill offer new tax credits of 30% for heat pumps,up to $2,000 per year. The IRA will also provide additional rebates to cover heat pumps and other home electrification projects, but the details of those rebates are still being finalized. The IRA allows states to, in theory, offer as much as 100% of project costs up to $8,000 for low-income families, or 50% of costs for moderate-income families -- but state officials are still deciding how exactly this limited pot of money will be used and who will be eligible. The rebates will not be universal or unlimited, said Stoddard with Efficiency Maine, but should benefit several thousand homes.

Dan Weeks of ReVision Energy said increasing availability of low- or no-interest loans is another priority for those who want to see more people switch from oil to efficient electric heat. The IRA will help Maine expand its Green Bank in the next year or so to "start offering financing to particularly low-income folks and folks with poor credit," Weeks said.

But tax credits and cheap loans are still deferred ways of helping people lower their oil costs and cover those remaining heat pump costs. Downeast CRP coordinator Tanya Rucosky, who works on community resilience for Washington County's Sunrise County Economic Council, said many families simply can't afford to make the switch.

"Folks need just a little bit of seed money," she said. Without more support, "it locks out the people that potentially need it the most."

Atkinson, the Island Institute Fellow, said Eastport found a creative way to offer direct funding within the constraints of its CRP grant. People who participate in the city's peer-to-peer energy coaching program, Weatherize Eastport, can get another $2,000 toward heat pump installation.

"They're agreeing to become almost ambassadors for this program. One of the steps to do that is to volunteer some time," Atkinson said. "The city is compensating these residents for their time involved in this partnership, rather than saying, we will just give you funds for X, Y and Z."

Solutions like this are key to ensuring these tools for moving off oil can grow equitably, said Rucosky helping more people to join the transition and spread the gospel of its benefits.

"Especially for Mainers they're so salty and smart. They're like, 'What's the catch?' So I don't think there's any getting around the labor of it," Rucosky said. "The more people have successful experiences doing this, the more I don't have to be the one saying it and it can be like, Bob down the road. And so it builds but it takes a long time to build that, where everybody knows this is how you get this done. That's going to be years in the making."

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Policy makers can create regulatory environments that help maximise data use,allowing power systems to reap fuller benefits.

First, regulations should ensure that consumer have easy access to their data and can share it with third parties. Setting general principles is not enough. A recent study mapping access to smart meter data in Europe shows that while European regulations give consumers the right to access and share their data, administrative and technical barriers often limit consistent access: poorly defined and documented procedures, lack of a legally responsible party to create a unified access point, insufficient APIs (application programming interfaces) for automatically connecting to datasets, and inadequate standards for interoperability. Removing these barriers is crucial for ensuring seamless sharing between various stakeholders, for instance, a grid operator who collects smart meter data, and a supplier that will use it to provide tailored advice its consumers. Policymakers wanting to reap the benefits of digitalisation should adopt regulations that effectively ensure data availability. A focus on implementation will be crucial to unleash the power of data for power systems.

Second, there is a need to ensure demand-response readiness, i.e., appliances that can send, receive, and share data on standardised protocols that all relevant objects can understand, regardless of their maker. Companies might naturally prefer to use proprietary interfaces, though this risks making connections to other systems, or from new external stakeholders, more complex or costly.

Many countries are already starting to implement such policies. The United Kingdom is considering mandating that larger domestic-scale appliances, including private Electric Vehicle charging points, batteries, heat pumps, storage heaters and heat batteries, are interoperable with flexibility service providers.The European Union's planned Smart Readiness Indicator is intended to quantify the energy flexibility capability of buildings, and represent it in a meaningful way for stakeholders.More policies regulating demand-response readiness, informing consumers and incentivising demand-ready appliance could help bring these new sources of flexibility to power systems.

The IEA will continue to work with countries around the world to help identify the best policy tools to improve data environment for power systems

From 6-8 June the 8th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency will be held in Paris, hosted by French Minister of Energy Transition, Agns Pannier-Runacher and IEA Executive Director, Dr Fatih Birol, in partnership with Schneider Electric.

During a special event on 6 June Powering the Future: Leveraging digitalisation for whole system efficiency the IEA will launch the Digital Demand-Driven Electricity Networks (3DEN) Initiative's first flagship report on Unlocking smart grid opportunities in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies.

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Unleashing the benefits of data for energy systems Analysis - IEA

CHICAGO, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --The report "Thermal Insulation Material Market by Material Type (Fiberglass, Stone Wool, Foam, Wood Fiber), Temperature range (0-100?, 100-500?, 500? and above), End use industry (Construction, Automotive, HVAC, Industrial), and Region - Global Forecast to 2028",is projected to grow from USD 71.7 billion in 2023 to USD 96.0 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 6.0% from 2023 to 2028. The thermal insulation material market is mainly driven by the demand for thermal insulation material in various end-use industries, including construction, automotive, HVAC and industrial applications coupled with the increasing demand for indoor air quality, energy efficiency regulations and concerns for the environmental impact. Moreover, it is also driven by rapidly developing and emerging economies.

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Fiberglass by material type is projected to grow at fastest CAGR, in terms of value, during the forecast period.

Fiberglass is projected to be the fastest-growing segment in the global thermal insulation material market by material type, in terms of value, during the forecast period. One of its primary benefits is its strength and durability. Fiberglass is incredibly strong and can withstand heavy loads and impacts, making it ideal for use in structures and products that require high strength and longevity. Additionally, fiberglass is lightweight, which makes it easy to transport and install. It is also highly resistant to corrosion and extreme weather conditions, making it a good choice for use in harsh environments other benefits of fiberglass include its insulation properties, fire resistance, and low maintenance requirements. Because of these benefits, fiberglass is widely used in industries such as construction, automotive, aerospace, marine, and more.

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0-100? is projected to be the fastest growing temperature range in the market, in terms of value.

Thermal insulation materials that can withstand temperatures ranging from 0 to 100 degrees Celsius are widely available and commonly used in a variety of applications. These materials include mineral wool, polyurethane foam, cellulose insulation, fiberglass insulation, and aerogel insulation. This range of temperatures is relevant for a variety of applications because it includes typical indoor temperatures, the range of temperatures commonly found in many industrial settings, and the range of temperatures experienced by many vehicle components. In building construction, thermal insulation materials with resistance to this range of temperatures are used to improve energy efficiency, reduce heating and cooling costs, and increase overall comfort. These materials help to prevent heat transfer through walls, floors, and roofs, keeping indoor spaces cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Thus, helping to improve energy efficiency, increase safety, and reduce maintenance costs.

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Europe is expected to be the fastest growing market for thermal insulation material during the forecast period, in terms of value.

Europe was the largest thermal insulation material market, in terms of value, in 2021. The European market is regulated by Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical Substances (REACH), which monitors and sets up the guidelines for protecting the environment and preventing health hazards from chemical substances. Industrial expansion and technological developments in the region are driving the consumption of thermal insulation material. Market growth is also expected to be supported by the improving global economy. The rising investments are contributing to the growth of the manufacturing industry in Germany. Economies, including Germany, the UK, France, Poland, Italy, Spain, and are important markets for thermal insulation material.

The key players in this market are Saint Gobain SA (France), Kingspan Group (Ireland), Rockwool International A/S (Denmark), Owens Corning (US), Knauf Insulation (US), BASF SE (Germany), Asahi Kasei Corporation (Japan), Recticel (Belgium), GAF Material Corporation (US), Evonik (Germany). These companies are strong in their home regions and explore geographic diversification alternatives to grow their businesses. They focus on increasing their market shares through new product launches and other expansions.

Browse Adjacent Market: Foam and Insulation MarketResearch Reports

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Building Thermal Insulation Market- Global Forecast to 2027

OEM Insulation Market - Global Forecast to 2026

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Thermal Insulation Material Market worth $96.0 billion by 2028 - Exclusive Report by MarketsandMarkets - Yahoo Finance

The ACT Government has today announced the inclusion of ceiling insulation rebates in the Home Energy Support Program and launched a pilot scheme to help Canberrans with chronic health conditions live more comfortably.

Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Shane Rattenbury said the government is committed to supporting low-income households and Canberrans with chronic health conditions to have more comfortable and energy efficient homes.

"We are in the middle of an inequality crisis. This program will assist those doing it tough by helping Canberrans on lower incomes to increase the energy efficiency of their home, reducing energy bills whilst also reducing emissions, Minister Rattenbury said.

All Canberrans deserve a warm home in winter and cool house in summer. Its critical that we continue to prioritise our support to those who need it most as we make the transition to an efficient and all-electric city, Minister Rattenbury said.

Heating and cooling makes up 60% of an average Canberra households energy use. Installing insulation in your home is one of the most cost-effective home improvements Canberrans can make to reduce their energy bills.

Eligible low-income households were previously able to access a $2500 rebate under the Home Energy Support Program to install efficient electric appliances. This has been expanded to also include ceiling insulation as an eligible product for the rebate to help Canberrans on lower incomes boost the energy efficiency of their home.

The government has also commenced the Chronic Health Conditions Pilot Program which will offer up to $10,000 to help Canberrans with chronic health conditions install electric appliances and ceiling insulation.

Pilot participants will be identified through referrals from health or low-income support not-for-profit organisations. The pilot will upgrade 20 homes by the end of the year, with plans to expand the program in the future.

This pilot will make a big difference for those members of our community who live with chronic health conditions that effect their ability to regulate body temperature. Having a comfortable home that supports wellbeing year round is important for everyone, and particularly important for those with chronic health conditions.

The Home Energy Support Program and Chronic Health Conditions Pilot Program are part of a $50 million government commitment over four years to improve building efficiency and sustainability for social and public housing, low-income owner occupiers and low performing rental properties.

Eligible homeowners who can apply for a rebate include Pension Concession Card holders and Department of Veteran Affairs Gold Card holders.

For more information and to check your eligibility, visit theEveryday Climate Choices websitehttps://www.climatechoices.act.gov.au/.

The following can be attributed to Gemma Killen, Head of Policy at ACT Council of Social Services (ACTCOSS):

It is important that low-income and vulnerable households dont get left behind in our path to electrification. Expanding programs and rebate offerings will help overcome barriers to having an energy efficient, and comfortable, home.

We look forward to continuing to work with the ACT Government to provide insight into new ways to support the Canberra community in a just transition.

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Creating comfortable and energy efficient homes for low-income ... - Australian Greens

Lets say the benefits of a smart home sound appealing, and you want to get started on one. Now what? The leap from theory to practice can be a little daunting, especially given the pricetags on some of the accessories available. Thats where this guide comes in well fill you in on core concepts and device types, and the general steps needed to deck out a house or apartment.

Concepts you need to know before building a smart home

Platforms

By necessity, all smart homes are platform-based. That could be as simple as a single accessory makers Android or iPhone app, but odds are youre going to need accessories from multiple brands. Thats where industry standard platforms come in, the most prominent being Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Home. These not only control compatible accessories from multiple brands, but provide a framework for pairing, automation, and voice assistant support. Other platforms are available, such as Samsung SmartThings and Hubitat, but these they tend to have less support, higher costs, and/or more required technical knowledge so if youre just starting out, wed steer clear. Youll also have to avoid HomeKit unless you have an iPhone or iPad for setup and control, and a HomePod or Apple TV 4K to act as a Home Hub for automations and remote access.

Wireless protocols and hubs

There are four main wireless protocols in use by smart home accessories: Wi-Fi, Thread, Zigbee, and Z-Wave. Some accessories may still use Bluetooth, but this is increasingly rare, or included alongside other standards only as a fallback. Some smart speakers offer a direct Bluetooth connection as an alternative to Wi-Fi, for example, and some smart lamps use the tech to be controllable away from home.

Zigbee and Z-Wave are both hub-based standards, meaning you need a compatible hub module connected to your Wi-Fi router to link them with other devices and the internet. They also dont offer much bandwidth, so dont expect them to handle audio or video. A hub does ensure automations will run with or without internet access, however, and the two protocols consume very little power, which makes them ideal for things like sensors and light bulbs. They also form their own mesh networks, allowing them to relay data from distant rooms.

Thread is a newer protocol based on Zigbee, and ultimately poised to replace it. It offers many of the same benefits, but is less dependent on hubs, since some Thread accessories can act as their own border routers for reaching the internet or establishing a local network. Routers can include everything from smart speakers and displays to light panels, but check for support, since some Thread accessories are only endpoints.

Wi-Fi is the most common standard. It not only offers as much bandwidth as you could want, but allows accessories to operate without any hubs or meshes, making for simple setup. You usually forego the advantages of hubs and meshes, however, including offline automations if the internet is unreachable, a Wi-Fi accessory may not trigger. Devices like speakers and security cameras have no choice but to use Wi-Fi if theyre not wired, though some security systems use cellular as backup.

Matter

Matter is technically a wireless protocol too, enabling features like mesh networking and reduced dependence on brand-specific hubs. But it gets own section here because it functions as an application layer on top of other protocols, above all Thread and Wi-Fi theres no such thing as a Matter radio. There is such as thing as a Matter controller, though, which is a device that doubles as a hub for Matter-compatible accessories. Examples of controllers include products like the Amazon Echo, Apple HomePod, and Google Nest Hub.

The most important aspect of Matter is multi-platform pairing. Matter-labeled accessories can be paired with Alexa, HomeKit, Google Home, or SmartThings without a developer having to add specific platform support. Its still early goings Google Home still only supports pairing Matter products via Android, for instance, and only some accessory categories are Matter-compatible but down the road, it could make platform choice purely a question of preference.

Voice assistants

Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority

There are three main voice assistants associated with smart homes: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apples Siri. There others, like Samsungs Bixby and Sonos Voice Control, but they dont have much use beyond their namesake brands, if any.

As you might guess, the big three are associated with their companies respective smart home platforms. You cant use Google Assistant to control an Alexa home, or Siri to control Google. They also have different strengths, weaknesses, and compatibilities you need to be aware of before settling on a platform.

Types of smart home devices

Speakers and displays

Roger Fingas / Android Authority

These are frequently the foundation of a smart home, since they enable hands-free voice control not just for accessories, but for music, radio, and podcasts. In 2023 they also tend to serve as Matter controllers and Thread border routers, and in the case of HomeKit, you can use a HomePod as a Home Hub. Some Amazon Echo models act as Zigbee hubs.

Smart speakers are mostly self-explanatory, and range from basic models through to ones that support spatial audio, like the Echo Studio or the Sonos Beam soundbar. Smart displays enhance speaker functions with touchscreen controls, extra visual feedback, and streaming video. You might for instance watch Netflix or YouTube, or check who rang your video doorbell. Dedicated smart speakers tend to have superior audio.

Security cameras and doorbells

C. Scott Brown / Android Authority

All smart security cameras and doorbells offer some degree of motion detection and the ability to stream footage remotely, but features can differ radically from there. There are wired and wireless models, and indoor and weatherproof ones. Some support local recording, others can only save to the cloud, and often features like (meaningful) cloud recording require a monthly subscription. Better models support person, animal, vehicle, and/or package detection, which cuts down on false alerts. Some subscriptions offer professional monitoring as a top-tier option.

Lights and blinds

Lights can be extremely diverse, but there are three main types. Smart bulbs are often the most affordable, and plug into conventional light sockets. Smart lamps are completely standalone devices. Decorative lights consist of things like panels and lightstrips, and are meant less to illuminate a space than add style to it. Many smart lights are color-changing, and some can sync with your PC, TV, or music playback.

Smart blinds are sold either as complete units or upgrade add-ons for your existing fixtures. Complete units can be prohibitively expensive, since they often have to be customized for your window dimensions, but there are fixed-size options available from brands like IKEA.

Switches

Smart switches are often the best way to go for lights if youre worried about someone accidentally disabling a smart bulb or lamp by flipping a switch. Most work just like the conventional switches in your house, simply enabling automations and remote control. Be aware that though that if you buy switches that replace your wall units, you wont get any color or media sync functions, and you shouldnt double them up with smart bulbs or lamps. That simply creates chaos.

Sensors

There are many sensor types out there, covering things like motion, water leakage, door and window status, and indoor or outdoor climate. Sensor data can be useful on its own, but its often at its best as a trigger for automations. A motion sensor, for example, might automatically trigger smart lights when you walk into a room, and turn them off when activity is dormant again. A climate sensor might trigger a fan, blind, heater, or dehumidifier.

Thankfully, some smart speakers are beginning to include their own sensors. The 4th gen Echo and 5th gen Echo Dot have motion and temperature sensors, and all current HomePod models can sense temperature and humidity.

Plugs

Roger Fingas / Android Authority

Perhaps the simplest and cheapest product type, smart plugs stick into an existing outlet and turn connected appliances on or off thats it, except for any energy monitoring they might do. Their very strength however is in automating appliances that wouldnt normally have smarts. The main restrictions are that an appliance has to have a permanent on/off toggle, and for high-voltage appliances like dryers, youll need specialized plugs.

Appliances

A growing number of appliances have smarts built-in, ranging from small ones like humidifiers and coffee makers through to washers, dryers, fridges, TVs, and EV chargers. Its usually not worth upgrading a major appliance just for the sake of smart features, but if you need a new one anyway, its probably worth considering how it might integrate into the rest of your smart home plans.

Thermostats

Jimmy Westenberg / Android Authority

On top of allowing remote control and automation, smart thermostats can actually save you money by improving the efficiency of heating and cooling say by taking advantage of outdoor weather, or lowering power consumption when they sense people are away. More advanced models may include sensors for carbon monoxide and other pollutants, or double as their own smart speakers.

Media streamers

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

Pretty much any modern media streamer can integrate into one of the big three smart home platforms, often enabling two-way control. A Google Chromecast, for example, can not only control the rest of your home via Google Assistant, but integrate into automations. A Hey Google, its movie night command might lower your blinds, dim the lights, and find action movies on your TV.

Locks

These typically replace an existing deadbolt or mount on top of it, letting you control a door via an app, voice assistant, and/or other methods such as a keypad or an NFC-equipped device. You can often enable geofencing triggers and other unique automations. If a smart lock doesnt come bundled with one, its good to pair with a door sensor so you can be sure a door is shut.

Security systems

These arent their own category so much as an amalgamation of sensors and cameras paired to a base station, control pad, and/or a monitoring service. Base stations and control pads are the only unique components, making it easy to arm or disarm security. Some base stations have cellular backup, but where the option exists, youll have to pay for a monitoring subscription to keep it active.

How to set up a smart home

Choosing a platform

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

The most critical decision youll make is choosing a platform. You can use multiple platforms in the same home, but unless youre a tech journalist or some feature absolutely demands it, we recommend avoiding that. Multiple platforms complicate setup and maintenance, and can confuse both yourself and others about which thing controls what.

As for which platform to choose, that depends entirely on the features you care about most. People deeply immersed in the Apple or Google ecosystems should probably pick HomeKit or Google Home, but there are perks and drawbacks no matter which direction you go. Google Home, for instance, has native support for YouTube and YouTube Music, but no option for pairing Google Nest speakers with a TV. Alexa is a relatively neutral platform with the largest number of compatible devices and accessories, including third-party soundbars, but only the 4th gen Echo can act as a Thread border router, and the only Echo product with native (non-web) YouTube support is the Echo Show 15. Check out some of the platform and voice assistant guides linked in this article, and our smart home privacy guide if thats a concern.

If you think you might switch platforms down the road, you can win some flexibility by picking accessories that support two or three platforms out of the box. Products with HomeKit tend to be more expensive than their counterparts, but having the option might be worth the cost, and Matter can sometimes detour both price and compatibility issues.

Wireless tech

For a reliable smart home, youll need a Wi-Fi 6 or 6E router as a backbone. Wi-Fi 5 (a.k.a. 802.11ac) just cant handle enough simultaneous connections these days, and when a router becomes oversaturated, it tends to kick older connections off no matter how important they are.

You should probably also make it a mesh router, such as the Nest Wifi Pro or Eero 6 Plus. Mesh systems help eliminate dead zones without requiring separate network IDs (SSIDs) like some Wi-Fi extenders. Some people do prefer using separate SSIDs for the 2.4, 5, and/or 6GHz bands, especially since most smart home accessories use 2.4GHz, but that can make it harder for your devices to see each other. If your smartphone is connected to a 5GHz-only SSID, you might have to switch to the 2.4GHz SSID any time you want to use smart home apps.

An ideal mesh router is also a tri- or even quad-band device, since one band has to shuttle data back and forth in the mesh, and you want to avoid overlap with the rest of your data consumption if you can. A few routers have Thread built in, which can be a handy way of growing your Thread network.

Some smart home setups inherently require one or more hubs, and as we mentioned, HomeKit demands a HomePod or Apple TV 4K to act as a Home Hub. If a hub has to connect directly to your Wi-Fi router via Ethernet, you may end up having to buy an Ethernet switch to expand ports. For Matter support youll need at least one device that doubles as a Matter controller probably a smart speaker or display.

Buying speakers and displays

Lily Katz / Android Authority

If youve got a rich friend, you may have seen smart speakers and displays scattered across every room in their house, but dont think you have to follow suit. Determine where youll actually make use of voice control, audio playback, and/or video streaming, then further prioritize how important is for those places to have high-end specs. Cinephiles might want an expensive Sonos Arc hooked up to their TV, but have no problem using Echo Dots in places like a nursery or kitchen. If youre in an apartment, you might be able to get away with just one or two devices total.

You may want at least one smart display if you plan to have a smart camera or doorbell. While you can certainly get along using your phone, tablet, or TV to check video feeds and talk to visitors, a smart display makes this even more convenient. You can use a smart display as a baby monitor as long as a camera stays wired for continuous streaming.

Jimmy Westenberg / Android Authority

Smart displays also make for excellent bedside devices. Apart from time and alarm functions, they offer silent control when others are sleeping, and better information for starting your day. You can watch video when falling asleep, or use security functions to see what that bump in the night was. We do recommend switching off a bedroom displays camera if it has one, however.

Choosing and controlling lights

There are a few forks in the road with smart lights, the first being whether to prioritize smart switches or smart bulbs/lamps. Smart bulbs and lamps are often attractive for their color-changing abilities and easy installation, but as we mentioned, smart switches eliminate any worries about control. You cant accidentally disable their smart functions, and that manual fallback is useful for less tech-savvy guests and family members. There is some electrical work involved in upgrading wall switches, but its not that hard, and you can pay for a professional install if youre uncomfortable and have a big budget.

In some homes, the best solution may be a mix involving smart switches in some or most areas, but smart bulbs and lamps for things like a gaming room or home theater. Indeed you can get lamps, lightstrips, and other products that are intentionally designed for syncing with a PC or TV.

If youre going to depend on bulbs and lamps, consider installing motion sensors around your home and setting up automations that trigger lights based on occupancy. Theres a growing category of millimeter wave (mmWave) sensors, like the Aqara FP2, that are sensitive enough to tell when someone is in a room even when theyre laying perfectly still.

Whether or not you install motion sensors, youll want to create lighting automations (using a platforms app) that factor in everyone in your household. Set common area lights to turn on just before the first person rises, for example, and off only during daylight, or when the last person leaves or goes to bed. Dont set bedroom lights to blast full tilt when you wake up if your partner can afford to sleep in.

Climate control

If youre a homeowner, a smart thermostat is a must-have accessory, given that it can actually save you money. Wed recommend models such as the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced or Nest Thermostat, but there are other viable options out there such as the Amazon Smart Thermostat if youre an Alexa user. Check wiring compatibility before buying anything though, and understand that some homes may need more than one thermostat if they have split HVAC zones.

Apart from thermostats, dont worry about climate control accessories unless you have specific problems to solve, such as excessive humidity or dryness. If you dont have a central HVAC system, you can buy smart window or radiator products, and/or set up appliances connected to smart plugs. You can link those smart plugs to indoor climate sensors to trigger them above or below specific thresholds.

Building a security system

If you need professional monitoring, any major security company should now be able to install a complete smart system. If you dont want a monitoring service, or youd rather choose one associated with a particular product brand like Arlo or Ring, your options open up.

As far as camera coverage goes, some people wont need anything more than a smart doorbell and a separate camera for their balcony or backyard. If you live in an apartment, you can sometimes buy no-drill mounts to get around rental restrictions.

There are plenty of reasons you might need additional coverage, though. Your driveway might be too far away from your doorbell, or there might be an alley thieves can sneak through. If you have kids or pets, indoor cameras can keep tabs on them when youre elsewhere.

Cameras may be all you need so long as you know youll get the right alerts when it counts, which is why person and package recognition are so useful. Door and window sensors can verify the presence of intruders if youre worried. Water leakage sensors arent essential for most people, but can prevent floods from spreading unchecked.

A final note here is that youll have to evaluate whether cameras support cloud recording, local recording, or both. Cloud recording offers saved video access anywhere, but requires that your internet access hold up, and usually a paid subscription. Local recording avoids subscription and internet issues, but you may need to buy your own storage, and a thief or disaster can potentially wipe out footage.

Locks, media streamers, and other accessories

Beyond the categories weve discussed, things become increasingly optional. Smart locks are convenient, especially if you regularly need to allow guest entry, but they can also be pricey without necessarily improving your quality of life. They usually only matter for your main entrance, and their best use tends to be in geofence triggers, offering peace of mind when you leave while making it easy to get back in without fumbling for a key.

Its best if your media streamer or smart TV integrates with your smart home platform of choice, if just for maximizing control and automation options, but dont fret about it. Its more important that you like the onscreen interface and content a device provides.

If youre a gamer or cinephile, we would recommend investigating light sync options if you have disposable cash. They can dramatically enhance the atmosphere of a movie or game, projecting onscreen colors into the space around you. The top of the line in this regard is Philips Hue, but on TVs the company forces you to use a pricey HDMI sync box, so you may want to consider camera-based sync options from brands like Govee and Nanoleaf.

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How to build a smart home - Android Authority