Energy management: a non-political solution to the climate crisis

VoltSafe Blog Team – August 3, 2022


How the actions of ordinary citizens can move us closer to reversing climate change…

When individual countries went into lockdown in 2020, each experienced a remarkable change in the climate and environment in a matter of weeks. We now know that the deterioration on the planet can be reversed with slight changes and, most of all, we saw how much control we had over our environment. As temperatures rise across the globe, and record temperatures threaten power grids yet again, leaders are debating over the best way to deal with the climate crisis. The back and forth on the best way to move to cleaner producing energy and building supporting infrastructure keeps forcing them to push back the transition date. While government and industry leaders argue over how the transition to renewable energy would affect jobs, industries, the economy and trade, other leaders are proposing new industries that would be created because of the transition, the number of people it would transition and employ from the current energy sector and new trade opportunities that would arise from this transition. 

While our leaders debate these topics on a high level, there is a very simple solution to reversing climate change that does not involve shutting down coal mines, preventing renewable energy plants from being built or starting a dirty vs. clean energy war. This solution could get us on the way to dealing with the climate crisis now, instead of having to wait until 2030, 2035 or whatever date this transition is pushed to. We know that getting consumers, businesses and industries to renewable energy will take time. Workers will have to be retrained during the transition. So what do we do in the meantime while government leaders struggle over whether to pass a bill on creating the infrastructure that would move us toward this transition? 

We manage our power usage. I know what you are thinking, that’s too much work. But nowadays, you don’t have to run around the home every hour, turning off lights, or limiting dryer time or how long everyone’s hot showers will last. Using timers makes power management easy. There are a whole slew of timers on the market right now to suit your power management purpose. So if you keep forgetting to turn off the lights when you leave the room(…kids!), keep falling asleep with the TV on(….grandpa!) Or set the dryer without a timer setting (…everybody else in the house!), then you should get a timer. Timers come in all sizes and designs, much like your favourite fast-food burger?… Let’s look at a few standalone and built- in options.

Countdown timers

Dial timers
This is the basic timer that has a dial that you turn your desired time and then counts down until it shuts off. It would have to be installed into the wall in place of the traditional electrical outlet.

Mechanical timers
These timers are essentially analog switches. They require no electricity to operate and come with plugs which you insert to designate the time you would like your appliance or device to turn on or off.

Digital Timers
Like the auto shut off timers, these would have to be installed in an electrical outlet before you can use it. You can simply press a button with a preset time . They are programmable and you can set recurring schedules. You can set certain devices and appliances to come on during off-peak hours.


Smart Switches and Bulbs
No need to stalk your children around your home by turning the lights off after them. With smart switches, you can turn the lights off remotely from your phone. You can also set them on a timer so that your lights come on and turn off at the set time. 


Programmable Thermostats
Just as you can set your lights on a timer, you can do the same with your thermostats. By using a programmable timer along with convection baseboards, you could see up to a 30% reduction in the cost of your home’s heating bills.

These timers are all helpful with managing the power usage in your home. Digital timers provide the convenience of making power management effortless with the combination of apps that provide Wi-Fi control.  You’ll be pleased to know that the proprietary technology at VoltSafe will take the current timers on the market beyond their current function. This means a smart timer that is so smart it will control your entire home and tell the difference between your toaster oven, your laptop and your tv. VoltSafe’s technology and applications will not only allow the homeowner to time their usage, but will help homeowners with the management of their power at the outlet level. Best of all, unlike current smart switches or some countdown timers, you wouldn’t even need to replace your current electrical outlet if you decided not to. A simple, thin outlet sleeve placed over your existing outlet along with a universal adapter which would fit over the plug of any device or appliance is all you would need. No need to contact an electrician. No need to buy separate products to match each appliance. You can place the adapter plug on the plug of your water heater, then move it to your laptop if you choose or have several outlets and adapter combinations all set up on schedule on the accompanying app. 

Customers are already managing their power usage and enjoying the energy savings that come from using VoltSafe’s first product to market, VoltSafe Winter, a magnetic engine block heater extension cord. The cord comes enabled to work with an accompanying app which allows you to schedule when the plug turns on and off. So you can time the plug to turn on two hours before you leave your home and warm the engine for you and shut off just before you are about to leave. You can set a recurring daily or single use schedule.The product is already saving homeowners money by managing their power usage. Managing the power we use will mean less dependence on the power grid and less of a need to build more power plants that use non-renewable resources or require additional real estate. Utility companies can then focus on passing on the savings to homeowners and switching their current infrastructure to renewable resources. To learn more about how VoltSafe is helping homeowners and businesses manage their power usage and their energy savings solutions, visit voltsafe.com

 

About VoltSafe Inc.

Fearless creators, obsessed with progress, VoltSafe Inc. is changing the way people connect to power. Headquartered in Vancouver, BC, the Canadian tech startup has reinvented the electrical plug by eliminating prongs, adding magnets and an “electrical fingerprint”. Using patented technology, VoltSafe has created the world’s safest, simplest, and smartest plug design since electricity came into homes more than 140 years ago. In 2018, VoltSafe successfully pitched on CBC’s Dragons’ Den, receiving three offers above ask and won the BC Cleantech Newcomer award at GLOBE Cleantech 2020 along with other accolades to date. The company’s first certified product to market, VoltSafe Winter (a magnetic extension cord for engine block heaters), is on store shelves in numerous big box retailers across Canada and the USA. The company’s product pipeline includes magnetic plug replacement solutions for household, commercial, industrial, marine, electric and autonomous vehicles, emergency services, data centres and more.