| Whole House Switch: For Real! |
| Written by Hank Green | ||
| Thursday, 13 September 2007 | ||
 EcoGeek reader Shawn Lancaster recently spotted this awesome little device in his perusings. We blogged a while back about a concept "whole house switch" that turns your house off when you leave, and now...suddenly, it actually exists! The "Green Switch" sits next to your front or back door and allows home owners to flip the switch, turning off all connected items when they leave the house. So, for example, the television and light bulbs would all be connected, but the refrigerator would not. The home owner decides what devices are connected to the switch before installation, and the electricians take care of the rest. Or, for a simple DIY, note that the green switch doesn't actually have to be wired to all it's outlets. The Green Switch controls light switches and outlets wirelessly, allowing for extremely simple installation. Though, the initial kit, with four plugs, four light switches, and an integrated, programmable thermostat will set you back about $1,200, which seems a little exorbitant to me. If only it was controlled by the presence (or lack of presence) of an RFID chip embedded in my body...now that would be convenient. Via HGTV
Comments
(7)
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written by weee , September 13, 2007
It would be interesting to see an estimate of how long it takes to pay for itself. A time less than 4 years would see it sell.
Pay off
written by Hank , September 13, 2007
They're saying 1 to 2. But that seems like a big fat lie to me. Especially considering that last two years I paid less than $1200 for electricity total. So it would be hard for them to save me $1200 in two years, unless they started paying for all my bills.
I'm sure it's more useful for someone with air conditioning...and a larger house. Not that I want to promote larger houses. The easiest (and cheapest) way to save on electricity is live in a smaller house...but I don't think HGTV is a big fan of that message.
Wireless outlets
written by Anders , September 14, 2007
I've solved this issue by installing wireless plugs in my outlets connected to the tv/dvd,computer,wireless internet etc.
The remote to the system features on/off buttons for each group (ie: coputer internet) or the mighty "all off" button wich I use before leving the house or going to bed. It's not ideal since you miss out most lights but it's cheap and dead easy to install and you can always add on more plugs when needed.
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written by Monotonehell , September 14, 2007
Hank, we've been following your movements via the RFID chip we installed at birth. All we can say is that we're very disappointed in you. *wags finger*
House switch solutions
written by Ken , September 14, 2007
I am pretty sure X10 sells automated in-wall and socket plugs that do the exact same thing as these. I'd like to know where the installer gets their hardware, since the switches I've seen cost somewhere between 10 and 20 dollars. Much more cost effective to DIY.
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written by HappyCthulhu , September 14, 2007
Ed Begley just had one of these installed in his house on the last episode of Living with Ed on HGTV.
It looked like a pretty easy install and worked just as advertised. Even his wife thought it was cool.
SmartHome
written by Gordon Niessen , September 17, 2007
X-10 and Inston both can do this for much less. And I have no idea how they could save you that much even with A/C control. I have my thermostat already set to adjust the temperature from 76 to 80 when I am away. But how does the GreenSwitch know when you are going to return. It can take a home time to bring the home back to a comfortable level.
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