Australia’s new Smart Home Family has moved into their new energy efficient home, ready to test the latest smart grid technology that will remotely switch off appliances to reduce energy use during peak times.
Damien and Kylie Taylor, their children Eli, 9 and Zoe, 6 and pet dog Reggie, were selected from more than 100 applicants to live rent-free in the smart home, in the Sydney suburb of Newington.
The home was created by Ausgrid and Sydney Water to test what life is like for a family to live with the latest energy and water efficient technologies.
The Taylors will be among the first to trial technologies to be tested in the Australian Government’s Smart Grid, Smart City project.
They will share their experience on their blog and share updates on Facebook or Twitter.
About the new Smart Home Family
Before moving into the Smart Home, Damien and Kylie Taylor rented a home in nearby Silverwater with their children, Eli and Zoe. Their seven year-old dog, Reggie, a Shih Tsu-Poodle cross, has also moved into the home.
Damien is an assistant principal at a school in Sydney’s north and Kylie is a former pre-school teacher, history student and full-time mum.
The first Smart Home Family
The previous smart home family lived in the home for 18 months and moved out in January this year. They said on their blog that the experience was "very interesting and rewarding".
The beauty of the Smart Home is that all the gizmos that produce electricity and reduce water and energy consumption look, feel and work very much like the appliances you’re used to. We think of the Smart Home as a bit like an iPad. It’s sleek and easy to use. Once it’s out of the box, you pretty much press a button and you’re away - all the high-tech stuff’s in the background, so you can concentrate on getting on with your work or play.
- Clare, Michael and Ava