![Energy conservation in the modern home [Image credit: Pixabay]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/5/4/660x290/b_502x220x82/energy-conservation-in-the-modern-home-image-credit-pixabay_1314975.jpg "Energy conservation in the modern home [Image credit: Pixabay]")
In the Energy-dependent world of today, it is important for homeowners to have efficient and cost-free ways to conserve and distribute their energy usage. Fortunately, a multitude of technologies have been developed to enable homeowners to use energy efficiently, with many more still being developed. From improved LED lighting to multi-purpose rechargeable batteries and even interconnectivity of appliances through the World Wide Web, these technologies are already enjoying widespread success.
LED technology continues advancing
A relatively new yet tremendously popular Technology in indoor lighting, LED lighting uses 75% less energy than incandescent light bulbs, while lasting up to 50 times longer, an estimated 12+ years given an 8 hour per day usage.
Not only that, but they produce far less heat than either incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs, which contributes to decreased cooling costs. While older LED models are known losing their quality over time, newer bulbs qualified by the EPA’s Energy Star program provide consistently bright and well-distributed lighting until the end of the 12-year period, a technology now used by a wide variety of manufacturers such as Orion Energy Systems. To showcase the popularity of these new developments, Orion is displaying their array of LED-powered products at Lightfair 2017, a trade show in May of this year. Saving an estimated £42 compared to traditional models, LED bulbs are a continually evolving technology available to anyone seeking to cut their electricity costs.
Disposable batteries may become obsolete soon
Although rechargeable batteries are not a new invention by many means, having been developed over the course of well over a century, the recent emergence of lithium USBcells that can be charged from any USB A port may soon eliminate the need for disposable batteries altogether. These batteries sport a lithium polymer core, a recent technology that's quickly becoming the standard for batteries throughout the market.
Unlike their alkaline counterparts, whose performance wanes as the energy charge decreases, USBcells power your device consistently until the discharge. These batteries can be recharged approximately 500 times until their capacity begins to decrease. Though considerably more expensive than disposables at £15 per four-pack, USBcells more than make up for it with their efficiency both for homeowners and the environment.
How the Internet can conserve energy across the globe
While the technologies mentioned previously are the modern stage in a long line of development in the energy industry, a far unlikelier yet much more revolutionary new system of energy conservation has recently emerged from the World Wide Web. Dubbed as the Internet of Things, it is a newly developing system of interconnectivity between all kinds of household appliances, from cameras to washing machines and even cars, through the web. While its reliance on massive data centers that require huge amounts of energy to keep operational makes this new technology seem like an energy drain, experts from such Internet giants as Google and Facebook claim that the net effect will result in far less energy consumption in the long run.
According to a research report from May 2017, the total market value of the Internet of Things is estimated to reach £1330 million by 2022, up from its current £223 million value, and with companies like VMWare and Comcast starting to embrace this system during the past several months, it is well on its way to being the breakthrough technology of the decade. This seemingly futuristic technology is already available to customers for a variety of appliances including thermostats and indoor lighting, and with enduring popularity may become the most efficient way to conserve energy.
What we can expect in the future
LED lighting, USB rechargeable batteries and the Internet of Things are just three of the most popular and efficient ways for a homeowner to conserve energy, With new, even more efficient technologies like self-driving cars estimated to soon become a staple of the consumer market, and dozens of enhancements to existing tech in the experimental stage, perhaps the most efficient way one can conserve energy is to constantly be on the lookout for these new technologies.
