Save Money and Have Fun With Smart Lights

Smart lights are among the most enjoyable, and possibly the most sought-after, gadgets of the smart home revolution. They are typically the most accessible starting point for individuals interested in creating a more interconnected home.

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In this article, we will explore how smart lights can bring convenience, enhance enjoyment, and provide substantial energy savings to your life. Whether you’ve equipped your home with every smart device available or are considering starting with just a few, this guide is for you.

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What are Smart Lights?

Smart lights refer to internet-connected light bulbs that can be controlled through an application or a smart speaker or hub, such as an Amazon Echo or Google Nest. This means you can operate them with a smartphone or by voice command, whether you’re at home or far away. Many smart lights have the capability to alter color and brightness or can sync with preset automations to create specific atmospheres.

It’s no wonder that smart lights have grown in popularity.

• Smart lights create an inviting ambiance in your living space.
• Smart lighting enables remote control.
• Smart bulbs significantly decrease energy consumption and save money.

The advantages of smart lights go beyond merely saving money and refreshing homes. They are also environmentally friendly, as confirmed by the U.S. Department of Energy. In their study, they found that LEDs are far superior to other lighting options, including traditional incandescent bulbs. While not every LED qualifies as a smart light, all smart lights use LED technology.

How Do Smart Lights Save Energy?

The light-emitting diode (LED) is one of the most efficient lighting technologies available today. High-quality LED light bulbs not only last longer but also provide superior illumination compared to CFL and incandescent bulbs.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s projections, utilizing LEDs could potentially save up to 348 terawatt-hours (TWh) of energy by a future date. To put that into perspective, this is equivalent to savings exceeding $30 billion based on current electricity rates.

Furthermore, smart bulbs amplify the capabilities of regular LED light bulbs, allowing for additional features that facilitate even greater savings. We will illustrate how smart lights operate so you can apply these savings in your home effectively.

Smart Lights Use Less Electricity

Every bit counts when it comes to slashing your home energy expenditure. Small savings accumulate into larger ones, resulting in potential hundreds of dollars saved without much hassle.

Different lighting technologies consume varying amounts of energy, and today’s LED light bulbs are about 75% more efficient when compared to traditional incandescent bulbs. In contrast, CFLs are only 25-30% more efficient than incandescent bulbs. In both cases, smart LEDs use less electricity while minimizing wasted energy as heat, all while delivering the same quality of light.

This is why more individuals prefer illuminating their homes with LED bulbs instead of outdated technologies. No one wants to squander even a cent.

Smart Lights Have a Long Lifespan

On average, smart bulbs tout a lifespan ranging from 15,000 to 50,000 hours, whereas traditional incandescent bulbs typically last only 750 to 2,000 hours. Given average household usage of about 3-4 hours daily, an LED bulb can endure for 15 to 25 years, while an incandescent bulb may only last about a year.

Therefore, not only do you save substantially on energy bills, but you’re also making a positive impact on the environment by using less energy and creating less waste.

Lighting Schedules Help Reduce Consumption

Implementing schedules for certain smart lights ensures they are never left illuminated unnecessarily, ultimately conserving both energy and cost.

Smart lighting systems allow you to set rules for when the lights should turn on and off. These can be based on time of day or, in certain cases, even proximity to your location. This feature proves beneficial for outdoor lighting (for security or decoration) and for particular areas of the home (like bathrooms) where lights are often inadvertently left on.

Simply connect the system with Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, IFTTT, or another smart home platform to establish your schedule and begin enjoying savings on your lighting expenses.

Turn Off the Lights When You Depart

How frequently do you forget to turn off the lights when heading out for work, exercising, or just leaving your dwelling? A couple of times? More often than not?

With traditional CFLs or incandescent bulbs, forgotten lights will remain on until your eventual return, leading to wasted energy.

Smart lights revolutionize this scenario. You can access the smart home application on your phone to switch them off remotely. Moreover, you can program your smart home system to turn off all your lights through geo-location technology — if all connected devices leave the house, the lights will automatically deactivate. This feature guarantees you’ll never leave lights on and waste electricity again.

Sync with Other Devices

You can integrate your smart bulbs with various hardware switches, sensors, smartphones, and accessories for enhanced control and economical usage.

For instance, adding specialized wireless smart switches allows you to manage lighting from different locations within your home where no hardwired switch exists.

Additionally, by utilizing paired sensors, you can automate the operation of smart lights. These sensors can trigger lights to turn on when someone enters a room, touches a surface, or opens a door. Most reputable smart bulb manufacturers provide motion sensors along with their products, including the top-rated Philips Hue Motion Sensor.

Furthermore, color-changing lights enable alerts based on other smart home sensors. Possible options include assigning blue for water leakage or red for an exterior door left unlocked.

Monitor Your Energy Consumption

Many smart devices, including smart bulbs, track their energy usage. This capability allows you to examine your usage data and discern how much electricity you are consuming, revealing opportunities for achieving greater energy efficiency.

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How Much Can You Save With Smart Lights?

The actual savings from utilizing smart lights will vary based on several factors like the electricity rate per kilowatt-hour and the types of bulbs being exchanged.

A general guideline is that an average LED bulb adds roughly $1 to annual energy bills compared to the $7 added by a comparable incandescent bulb. Therefore, the savings from smart lighting can approximate $6 each year over conventional bulbs.

According to ENERGY STAR, a typical U.S. household contains over 40 light bulb sockets, which translates to potential savings of up to $240 annually with smart lighting. While you may need to invest initially in new bulbs, when calculating the overall costs across multiple years of energy usage, the savings become significantly more substantial.

Smart lights generally come with a higher price tag versus standard LED bulbs, and it's essential to factor in the cost per bulb when calculating savings. However, you're not just purchasing light; you're also acquiring numerous additional features. If the premium for a smart light exceeds your potential savings, you'll need to evaluate what those extra features are worth to you.

How Do Smart Lights Use Power When They're Off?

The short answer is: yes, they do. However, understanding the context is essential.

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Smart lights are known as 'vampire devices', meaning they draw electricity even when turned off or in standby mode. The rationale is straightforward: to facilitate activation via your smartphone or another smart device, the bulb must maintain a connection to Bluetooth or the internet. This constant connection requires electricity, enabling you to power on the lights whenever needed.

Nevertheless, the energy consumed by smart lights in standby mode is minimal and is outweighed by the bulb's various benefits. Typically, a smart bulb incurs only a few cents monthly while powered off or in standby mode. It would take a considerable stretch of time for the energy used by your smart bulbs to accumulate into substantial costs.

Types of Smart Lights

Smart home technology has swiftly advanced in recent years. Presently, an extensive array of energy-efficient light bulbs exists to meet various user preferences.

You can acquire bulbs producing warm, neutral, or cool light color temperatures. Alternatively, choose bulbs capable of rendering any hue in the rainbow or any shade on the daylight spectrum. The possibilities are virtually limitless.

Smart Light Bulbs vs. Smart Switches vs. Smart Plugs

When it comes to smart lighting, you typically select from three primary options, each with unique advantages and disadvantages.

• Smart Bulbs: Opting for actual bulbs is optimal if you wish to control them individually or modify your home's lighting colors. Smart bulbs are available in numerous sizes and shapes suitable for nearly any fixture or lamp, both indoors and outdoors. In comparison to switches and plugs, bulbs offer the greatest range of benefits.
• Smart Switches: Smart switches represent another choice when managing light bulbs controlled by a switch. They are especially valuable for switches governing multiple light bulbs simultaneously. While they provide advantages such as timing and scheduling, they generally lack color-changing capabilities. Thus, while switches offer more features than smart plugs, they fall short compared to bulbs.
• Smart Plugs: Smart plugs enable traditional home appliances to transform into "smart" devices by allowing control over the power supplied to the appliance via an application on your smartphone. For instance, turning any ordinary lamp into a smart lamp is possible by utilizing a smart plug in an electrical outlet. However, plugs deliver basic on/off control and energy tracking, representing the fewest features among the three smart lighting choices.

Smart Light Bulb Shapes

When envisioning light bulbs, regardless of whether they’re smart, the standard 'inverted pear' shape comes to mind. This design is what many people grew up using and continue to utilize today. However, as home technology evolves rapidly, energy-saving light bulbs have also diversified into numerous shapes and sizes.

A Series (A15, A19, A21, & A25): A-shaped bulbs (the 'inverted pear' style) are the standard choice for most homes, with A19 being the most prevalent.

BR Series (BR20, BR30, BR40): The 'BR' stands for 'bulged reflector'. This bulb shape is more bulbous and generally shorter than the A-type. For expansive lighting needs, such as above kitchen surfaces or in hallways, BR30 is a suitable choice.

E12: This bulb type is characterized by its candelabra-like shape, making it ideal for ornate fixtures in formal dining areas.

New technology has also ushered in fashionable retro-inspired Edison-style bulbs, which showcase their exposed filaments and intricate designs to place aesthetics at the forefront.

Light strips are another contemporary smart lighting innovation, providing smart bulb benefits in compact spaces, such as under cabinets or entertainment centers, harmonizing with your movie-watching experience.

Leading Smart Light Brands

When considering quality smart lights, Philips Hue is often the first brand that comes to mind, known for its numerous unique variations. However, a diverse range of other brands competes for your consideration, including:

• Lutron
• Sengled
• Wyze Bulb
• Ring Solar
• Ikea
• Fibaro
• Kasa Smart
• Eufy
• Nanoleaf
• Sylvania
• Insteon
• LIFX
• Aoetec

Whichever brand you choose for your smart lighting needs, we recommend procuring all products from a single manufacturer to ensure compatibility and cohesive functioning via the same application. This strategy simplifies managing multiple devices.

Smart home companies have been promoting enhanced compatibility across brands, so this concern may lessen over time. If you opt for various brands, ensure that your selected products can effectively communicate with one another.

Control Smart Lights via Voice Commands

Connecting smart lights to a virtual assistant enables them to respond to voice commands through your smartphone or various smart speakers. Simply dictate commands, and the lights will respond!

All prominent smart home assistants, including:

• Apple Siri
• Google Assistant
• Amazon Alexa

function seamlessly with smart light bulbs and voice controls. Experience the once futuristic idea of voice-activated lighting with simple commands to toggle lights on or off, adjust brightness, modify colors, and much more. Some assistants even offer a convenient 'Wake Up' feature to help you start your day.

How Do You Install Smart Lights?

For bulbs, installation is straightforward: just remove the old bulb and insert the new one. Don’t forget to install the appropriate application to link the bulb to your selected network.

With plugs, simply place the smart plug into an outlet and connect your device to the smart plug. Upon installing the controlling application for oversight and monitoring, you are good to go!

Smart switches can pose a greater challenge for installation, particularly for those less experienced in home improvement. Installing a smart switch necessitates removing the old switch and potentially handling electrical wiring. We recommend consulting with a professional for any smart switch installations.

Additionally, avoid putting smart bulbs on traditional dimmer switches; doing so can impair the bulb’s communication capabilities due to limited power supply.

How Do Smart Lights Operate?

All smart lights utilize wireless transmission to send and receive their signals, although different types of bulbs employ various communication methods.

Some smart bulbs utilize Bluetooth for direct connections to your smartphone, while others rely on built-in Wi-Fi radios to interface directly with your internet router. To facilitate operation across all areas of your home, you may necessitate a central hub to enable seamless communication among devices. Opting for a Wi-Fi hub will enhance your smart bulbs' connectivity with your home's internet.

Besides Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, many smart bulbs rely on specific smart-home communication protocols like Z-Wave and Zigbee. In such cases, a central hub acts as a translator between your home internet and the smart bulbs, facilitating their communication. For example, Philips Hue Lights utilize Zigbee for communication, requiring the Philips Hue Bridge hub for internet connectivity.

What Is the Cost of Smart Lights?

The costs associated with smart lights have decreased. Currently, a quality smart bulb can start around $10. Prices will increase based on the features included, compatibility with various smart home devices, and the quality of the produced light. For instance, multifunctional bulbs capable of producing various colors might cost $40 or more.

Wrapping Up

The key takeaway from this article is that smart lights can save you money while benefiting the environment by lowering energy consumption. They can immediately enhance your home’s comfort, convenience, and enjoyment. We all aim to reduce expenditures, utilize renewable energy, and contribute to a healthier planet. Integrating smart light bulbs is a significant step towards making informed financial choices and promoting environmental sustainability.

At Palmetto, we are deeply passionate about all things sustainable, including smart lights. With the Palmetto App, you can track your smart light energy savings daily, weekly, or monthly. The app's intuitive dashboard assists in monitoring energy production and consumption, making it effortless to track your savings goals and amplify your energy-saving outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can smart lights really reduce your expenses?
In certain scenarios, absolutely. As LED lights, smart bulbs offer high efficiency. Since they can be scheduled or automatically switch off when you leave, they help you avoid unnecessary energy waste. The actual savings will depend on the specific bulb being replaced, the amount of energy wasted, and local electricity pricing.

What distinguishes smart lights from standard LED lights?

Smart lights fall under the LED category but come with added functionalities. They offer features like color-changing capabilities, app connectivity, and programmable schedules.

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About the Author

Cory O'Brien

Senior Director - Growth Marketing

Cory has over 8 years of expertise in the solar industry, and he loves to share this knowledge with others aiming to enhance their carbon footprint. A dog enthusiast residing in Asheville, NC, with his wife, Cory is a UCSB graduate. If you cross paths with him, feel free to ask about the company he founded for beer ratings and reviews!