The future’s smart: energy independence and home automation
How can home automation help fight climate change and provide total energy independence? We spoke with Jordan Brompton, co-founder and CMO of myenergi, to find out more.
When we think about technology changing the world, we might think of an incredible new medical device, innovative robotics, a new smartphone or global IT infrastructure, but how many of us think of our homes?
From smart bulbs and smart décor to zoning, touchless controls, security doorbell systems and automated shading, our homes are becoming more convenient, more comfortable, more sustainable and more personalised through technology. But with our homes getting smarter and greener, shouldn’t we have transport to match?
The market for electric and hybrid vehicles is growing substantially. Innovation and adoption are being spurred by increasingly ambitious legislation (like the UK’s 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles), as well as growing public concern around climate change. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), 2020 saw more than 10 million new EVs registered on the world’s roads – an impressive 43% year-on-year rise.
While this growth is impressive, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are still a very small part of the global market. The hope is that adoption will increase as the technology and manufacturing mature, thus lowering prices. So, if EVs are really set to go mainstream, what about charging?
We know that EVs have no tailpipe emissions, which means no CO2, but how can we ensure that we are charging our cars with cleaner energy? Of course, much of that depends on the local power grid and market – more specifically, the source of energy generation in your country or region. This is, unfortunately, almost entirely out of your control. There are, however, alternatives.
At the forefront of the energy independence and smart home revolution are companies like myenergi. Based in the UK, myenergi’s vision is to inspire the eco-smart connected home of tomorrow. Since its founding in 2016, the company has grown substantially to more than 200 skilled employees thanks to its innovative tech and high-quality, UK-made products.
“In the beginning, we were really driven by the idea to optimise renewable energy use at home,” explains Brompton. “We saw the rise of electrification and evolution of public sentiment and knew that we needed to design, develop and manufacture innovative products that would help facilitate this shift.”
As people around the world became increasingly interested in EVs, Brompton and co-founder, Lee Sutton, saw an opportunity. With the vast majority of early adopters interested in becoming more sustainable and environmentally responsible, many had already invested in some form of at-home renewable energy generation, usually solar. This lay the foundation for myenergi’s pioneering zappi device.
The first EV charging device on the market capable of harnessing power from renewable energy micro-generation technologies, such as home photovoltaic (PV) panels and small-scale wind turbines, zappi allows drivers to charge their vehicles with 100% renewable energy.
“We have always taken a very consumer-centric approach to decarbonisation,” continues Brompton. “With zappi, we realised that a sustainable smart home should not only power itself but also our personal transport. With a number of smart charging modes and many automated features, we ensured that zappi was able to optimise charging based on vehicle usage patterns, the current energy market and home renewable energy generation.”
Brompton points out that this automated optimisation is vital for the future of the energy grid and a fundamental criterion for smart chargers. By adjusting charge scheduling around energy market demands and local generation, any impact of EV charging on the grid can be minimised and use of home renewables maximised.
But it’s not just EV charging that the myenergi team are addressing. Indeed, they offer a growing number of automated home energy solutions, including eddi, harvi and hub to give homeowners complete energy independence through easily installed, straightforward solutions.
“If we want people to become more sustainable and conscious of energy use, we need to provide easy solutions – that means automation,” explains Brompton. “Through automated energy management, we can make energy independence both accessible and an enjoyable experience – after all, why shouldn’t it be? By combining high-quality British-made hardware with clever software and intuitive interfaces, we have been able to remove much of the hassle and reduce user apprehension.”
myenergi’s eddi device is an eco-smart energy diverter that allows homeowners to make the most of their solar PV and wind generation. Rather than exporting surplus renewable energy back to the grid, eddi diverts it to your home’s heating systems – providing hot water and heating for your home with 100% self-generated green energy.
To make the installation process for eddi and zappi simpler, myenergi developed the harvi energy monitoring wireless sensor, which allows both devices to be safely installed without a current transformer (CT) clamp. To provide total oversight and control, myenergi designed hub, a device that allows you to monitor and control all of your myenergi products remotely from anywhere in the world.
The idea of smart, automated systems that use the sun’s energy to power and warm your home while recharging your zero-emission vehicle is a real game-changer. However, it’s not a vision for the future, it’s available to us today. Through leading-edge renewable technology, connectivity and automation, systems and products like those developed by myenergi are ready to revolutionise our both our homes and our mobility.
