Home Energy Management Systems
Being clever with your energy use in your home can take a bit of effort. How would you like to take away the effort, remain in control and still get the benefits of the best use of energy in your home? A Home Energy Management System (HEMS) may be just what you’re looking for.
What's a HEMS?
In simple terms, a HEMS is a combination of hardware (installed in your home) and software that monitors and displays your energy consumption, usually via a smart phone app or website.
A HEMS can also have compatible appliances connected to it that allows you to control when appliances operate, including manually turning appliances off or on, and setting up scheduled running times.
A HEMS is your smart silent partner. It’ll assist you in ensuring the cheapest energy available is used in your home to save you money on your electricity bill without compromising your lifestyle.
Choosing a HEMS for you
There's a growing market of HEMS suppliers. They all provide different solutions and have different pricing offers.
When choosing one that's right for you, make sure that the HEMS fits your needs from a daily programmed/manually managed through to a 'set and forget' solution.
It should also be supported by the supplier for updates and online assistance (services such as HEMS programming help, alerts for usage issues and identifying electrical problems for you).
Set and forget
A HEMS should be programmable to your specific wants and needs. With one system managing a mix of suitable appliances like Solar PV, air conditioners, battery storage, hot water systems, pool filtration and sanitation equipment and electric vehicles, it can assist in ensuring you only use the electricity you need at the cheapest price.
As you purchase new and replacement appliances for your home, check to see if they can be integrated into a HEMS. The more appliances you're able to add to your system, the more flexible your energy usage options.
Make the most of new tariffs
With Time of Use and Demand Tariffs already available in the market, a HEMS may use the differences in pricing to use grid-supplied energy when it will cost you less. Add solar power and you have another 'free' source of energy to add to the mix.
Home energy management meets home automation
HEMS can even offer home automation. Imagine coming home from work and your HEMS turns on some lights, sets your air temperature and opens your garage door once you are 50m from your front door.
What else could you do with home automation? Link it to a Google Home, Alexa or other similar systems for voice activated energy management. Let your imagination take you there.
Sit back and relax, you're in control
A HEMS should provide you with all the information you want to make sure you're getting the benefits you want. Some HEMS solutions allow you to earn rewards by selling some of your excess power generation, or responding to external management or market signals.
Find out more about the HEMS that are currently available on the Choice website.