Study Warns Home Automation May Increase Energy Consumption Despite Time Savings
A new conceptual study by researchers Jan Bieser of the University of Zurich and Emilie Vrain of the University of Oxford, published in Cleaner Engineering and Technology, suggests that digital home automation, while saving time, may lead to increased energy consumption. The study systematically mapped how digitally enabled automation reshapes time use and its impact on energy consumption. Contrary to intuitive assumptions, time savings do not automatically translate into energy savings; in some cases, they may even increase overall energy use. The researchers identified 36 market-available automation activities in private life across chores, leisure, and mobility, including smart lighting, robotic lawnmowers, and AI-based tools. They found that automation can remove constraints on energy use by allowing multiple activities to run simultaneously without human attention, leading to an accumulation of energy use across devices. Additionally, the materialization and electrification of everyday life, with more...
