GreenSwitch: Could it drastically reduce your energy bill?

GreenSwitch Package

The next major energy saving device I plan on purchasing for my home is the GreenSwitch. The idea behind the product is great: When your home is vacant, everything should be off! They also sell a thermostat that will revert to an "economy mode" when the GreenSwitch is activated.

The operating principle is simple: When you leave your house you press a switch that sends a signal to receiver units and cuts off all of their power. So if you have any lights, iron, TV, ceiling fan, etc. that you sometimes forget to turn off when you exit your home, you can install the GreenSwitch and it will automatically cut everything off when you leave.

From their website:

GreenSwitch eliminates the drain of unused electricity caused by unattended climate control, forgotten lights and "phantom power"—saving hundreds of dollars on electricity bills and greatly reducing environmental impact. GreenSwitch is easy to install as all components can be retrofitted into existing electrical systems. The GreenSwitch system is completely customizable, allowing the user to designate which electronics and appliances are affected as well as custom program their heating and cooling systems.

If you're already an energy saving fanatic, you may not need this product! But if you have a spouse/children that are unable to grasp the concept of light switches, this may be perfect for you.

The only issue I can see to widespread adoption of GreenSwitch in residential settings is the high initial costs, which I believe is somewhere around $1,000. However, depending on how wasteful your family currently is, this could still provide a nice payback. You can always figure out how you are using energy (and thus be able to get an accurate prediction of the GreenSwtich payback) by monitoring your home's energy.

Of course, another option to the GreenSwitch and an energy monitor is to replace your electrical panel with a product like the one by Computerized Electricity Systems; which monitors AND controls all outlets in your home!

Official GreenSwitch video:

Tags:

automatic shut-off

energy monitoring

energy saving

green switch

greenswitch

thermostat

vacant home

Comments

Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 01/03/2011 - 17:56

Called the 1-800-925-5103 they refused to give a price over the phone for a starter kit be prepared for a hassel

ckmapawatt Mon, 01/03/2011 - 19:22

Nathan, I don't really understand their pricing model. I know it is how it is because they go through distributors, and they let the distributors set the prices, but this seems too cumbersome for most homeowners who want to make a clear purchasing decision.

Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 03/27/2011 - 16:55

I know someone who will give you a price list. Send me an email @ gogreencda@gmail.com

Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/04/2010 - 13:11

"Starter kits come with a main switch, 4 other light switches and 4 plugs, for $1,125. You can install it yourself, or Greenswitch can send technicians for about $240. Call 800-925-5103 for price quotes on customized packages. " Well for 120 bucks I can get multiple belkin smart strips with a wireless switch that does the same, another 200 will get me a TED 5000, and i can monitor my power. All though greenswitch is a good idea, for that price their smokin something.

Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 11/18/2009 - 17:35

The GreenSwitch simplified Energy Management System(sEMS) is simple to use, simple to install and makes it simple to save money and energy as well as time. It's more convenient than running around unplugging every electronic and turning off every light when trying to get out the door. The creators have designed it as a simple flip of a switch so that your 101 year old grandparent or your 5 year old child can use it. There are other products on the market that are more complicated and more expensive as well as those that achieve 1 or 2 of the GreenSwitch functions that are less expensive. For a reasonable price, GreenSwitch allows a homeowner, business and/or hotel to save anywhere from 15% to 35% on the electric bill by controlling the Thermostat, Lights that are accidentally left on, Electronics that are accidentally left on as well as the Phantom energy load from electronics in stand-by mode. Many of us have programmable thermostats but we don't live programmed lives. It makes more sense to control the thermostat when you are walking in or out the door than to predict how your day is going to go. The remote control allows you to activate the GreenSwitch at bedtime and bypass the thermostat so you can sleep in comfort knowing that the energy wasters have been eliminated. We are passionate not only about helping people save energy, money and time but also about eliminating the need for building additional power plants. We want a GreenSwitch system in every home, business and hotel so that we know we have done our part to help the environment! GreenSwitch is a flexible, customizable system and I would be happy to prepare a no obligation, personalized estimate for anyone who is interested! Kathy www.GreenSwitchHillCountry.com

Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 11/01/2009 - 23:50

Yea, I agree with Josh on this one - Existing technology like Insteon, Zigbee or X10 does this already and offers the additional advantage of being remotely accessible and programmable in detail.

Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 11/03/2009 - 12:55

But has anyone put it in a package that is easily utilized by the average consumer?

Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 07/24/2009 - 00:11

You can recreate this sort of functionality using something like Insteon or X10. I have an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0011YP55E?ie=UTF8&tag=joshcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0011YP55E" rel="nofollow">Insteon keypad</a> right by my door so as you walk out you can look at it and see all the lights you left on, then push the off button to turn them off. Insteon is expensive, so I only use it in places where you might want to leave the lights on (like a living room or bed room). For bathrooms and hallways, I like using either <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MUJWHE?ie=UTF8&tag=joshcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001MUJWHE" rel="nofollow">motion detectors</a> ($20-$30) or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001XCWLX8?ie=UTF8&tag=joshcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001XCWLX8" rel="nofollow">mechanical timer switches</a> ($10-$20). I also have a wattmeter<a href="http://www.powermeterstore.com/p6164/conzerv_elf3234_panel_meter_bundle_w_2x_al101_current_transformers_(100a).php" rel="nofollow"> with big red LEDs</a> that you have to walk by when you leave so you can how much power is being used at any instant. After a while you start to notice stuff and I can now say thing to my kids like "I think you left the TV on" since I know about how many watts it uses and about how many watts we should be using if everything was off. Note that a TED would work here too, but I really like having the big red LEDs that you can see from far away. Maybe someday I'll get a new TED5000 and figure out a way to connect big LEDs to it. Also, very interestingly I noticed that in India (where power is MUCH more expensive), many hotels had an <a href="http://www.pandelta.com/products/hotelkeytag/ecr802.html" rel="nofollow">ingenious system</a> where you had to put your door key into a holder right inside your front door to turn on power to the room. This made it so that when you grabbed your key to leave, you automatically turned off all the power. Brilliant! They also had interlocks that automatically turned off the AC if you opened a window or door. This convinced me that if you make power expensive enough, smart people will figure out great ways to save it! -josh

Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 07/27/2009 - 04:46

I went to greenswitch.com and it directs you to your state and the dealer in your state. As an electrician i i have followed the concepts and insteon is more expensive , and doesnt make it as fun to save .. We are planning on making it a game to make sure the kids shut it off and also the idea i had was to install a couple of switches. One to control "vampire devices" , one for basement lights (too lazy to go down ) and one for the bedrooms to make sure everything is knocked down.. One switch will suffice, but you can really design it however you want. Ie. switch in your bedroom(with remote) to shut off your teenagers power for tvs or video games. (my kids dont have tvs in rooms, but a friend said that thats what he would use it for) . The possibilites are endless....Also ,that keycard device in India is the greenswitch commercial switch just for hotels.

Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 04/20/2009 - 21:38

I'm not finding any source for the Greenswitch....anyone know where to buy it?

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