Xcel Energy, a utility that serves over 3.5 million customers in eight Western and Midwestern states, has announced a pilot program to test combining smart thermostats with multiple data sources to optimize air conditioning efficiency (and costs) this summer. It’s called the MyHome AC Rewards smart energy program…
In our previous post we explored the various types of home networks. But to bring the elements of a smart home together you need to get them talking to one another. In this article we’ll look at your options.
Three Ways Computers Communicate
The networked devices in…
As soon as you have multiple electronic devices communicating with one another, you have a network. But choosing the type of network to use depends on several things—who (and what) has access, what types of devices you have, and how secure it needs to be, among other things.
…The recent windstorms on the Colorado Front Range are a reminder that winter isn’t the only time that weather emergencies occur. Colorado has the second-highest number of lightning strikes in the nation, surpassed only by Florida. The state ranked third in the highest number of large hail storms…
As any fan of renovation or “flip” shows on TV knows, DIY construction is fraught with perils, especially when amateur fixers overestimate their abilities. “You get what you pay for” is as true in home improvement as anywhere, and with so many people choosing to upgrade rather than…
Let me start by saying that I rely on Home Depot. Online orders can be shipped direct to the location where they will be used. My in-store visits are for spur-of-the-moment needs…parts I overlooked buying and parts I didn’t know I needed to complete a project in the…
