RealtyBizNews - Real Estate Marketing and Beyond
Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
Home » Real Estate Resource » How to Automate Your Smart Home with a Weather Station

How to Automate Your Smart Home with a Weather Station

By Jamie Richardson | January 19, 2021

The Age of Technology has made a huge impact on the world in ways that many people have yet to realize. For example, many people have heard of virtual reality technology, but not many people understand how VR technology can and is already being used in several different fields aside from the video game industry, where it has been much publicized. 

Clouds, Sky, Weather, Cumulus Clouds, Atmosphere, Blue

Royalty-free image

Smart home technology is one field that is still underutilized by many people purely because they don’t understand the possibilities of this kind of technology when it is paired with other technology. For example, did you know that a smart home that has access to real-time information relating to the weather can help homeowners reduce their monthly spend on their electricity and water, and reduce the overall carbon footprint of the entire household? 

In this article, we will explore some of the uses of a home weather station and how, when used in conjunction with smart home technology, such a purchase can help a homeowner automate their smart home to increase their home’s overall efficiency and save them valuable money on their utility bills.  

How Do Home-Based Weather Stations Work and What Do They Measure?

Modern home-based weather stations use sensor technology to take readings of various aspects relating to the weather. This includes but is not limited to air temperature, amount of ambient light, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed and direction, levels of solar radiation, the UV index, and more. They can also be used to detect the onset of rain as well as its accumulation, duration, and intensity. 

While all of the above information is available from local weather stations, the reality is that unless your home is located close to the station, the information they can provide is not detailed enough to make it worthwhile setting up specific automated processes. For example, a person who wishes to set up a protocol that will see their windows automatically close at the start of rainfall may find their windows closing too soon or too late to account for the rainfall if the weather station is too far away. 

How Hard Is It to Find a Good Home-based Weather Station?

Thanks to their convenience, home-based weather systems have seen a surge in popularity over the past few years. For example, the crowd-funded Tempest Weather System saw over 7,700 backers unite across Kickstarter and Indiegogo to make it a reality. With more and more people embracing this technology, there are now several different units available to homeowners. Websites such as https://www.weatherstationadvisor.com/ can offer homeowners a look at what the best weather stations in their category can offer as well as allow them to compare different models. 

When comparing weather stations, homeowners must be aware that some apps and devices may not be compatible with their smart home without some additional assistance. Fortunately, software such as that available from IFTTT can help connect even unrelated apps and devices to ensure the smooth running of a smart home. 

What Automations are Possible with a Home-Based Weather Station?

Most people are unaware of just how much an effect the weather can have on a home and, in particular, on their utility bill. In the US alone, an estimated 58% of a home’s monthly energy usage is used solely for heating and cooling and, according to experts, just a 1.6°F increase in temperature during winter, or a decrease in temperature by the same amount in summer, can mean a drop in energy consumption of between 5% and 20% for heating or cooling. 

So, how does this relate to smart homes or weather systems? Simply put, with the right information at the right time, a smart home can account for changes in weather conditions to make the home run more efficiently. For example, just closing the blinds in a home on a hot day can help reduce the cooling needs of that area by a significant amount. In a smart home that has motorized windows, the information from the weather station can tell the home to either open or close the windows based on the temperature outside, the humidity, and other aspects that may influence how cool or warm the home should be. 

The information gathered by a home weather station can also help homeowners save water in several ways. In the garden, for example, if a weather station detects imminent rainfall, the automatic sprinkler system may not need to be engaged on that day, saving the home valuable water. In another example, if the weather station detects that the ambient temperature is rising and the levels of sunlight and UV exceed a certain level, then the sprinklers in the sprinklers in specific areas of the garden may engage to save plants that require additional watering on hot days. By monitoring the temperature, the sprinklers will not need to be on all the time just for these specific plants, thus resulting in water saving. 

These are just some of the ways a home-based weather station can help homeowners save money and reduce their carbon footprint. With a little bit of research, savvy homeowners can find a plethora of other ways they can improve their smart home with automation.

Jamie is a 5-year freelance writer who enjoys real estate. He is currently a Realty Biz News Contributor.
  • Sign up to Realty Biz Buzz
    Get Digital Marketing Training
    right to your inbox
    All Contents © Copyright RealtyBizNews · All Rights Reserved. 2016-2024
    Website Designed by Swaydesign.
    linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram