Smart phone developers aren’t just devising novel ways to deliver information about composting and how to save energy (like 5 green apps that can save the planet). They are helping us run our homes.
Developers and startup companies are now unlocking the power of phones as mini computers and call centers to run solar systems. See Nova Lumos – a company that charges a per use fee to run and own solar panels in Africa.
The latest from Israel is a company called GreenIQ that pairs a smart phone with a home owner’s irrigation system.
For $200 and $35 shipping and handling, this smart system can operate your garden by Wifi even when you are on a trip to Helsinki.
Linking with available data, GreenIQ “knows” the outdoor humidity, chances of rain, and time of sunset, so that when you irrigate your plants and trees, or water your grass, you do so only when the water is really needed.
“The GreenIQ has no sensors. It gets all the weather information from the internet via WiFi. The weather data comes from the weather station nearest to your home,” Odi Dahan, GreenIQ founder and CEO tells Green Prophet.
Countries like Finland have been thinking about creating smart cities for years already. Israelis too have been coming up with great ideas, the problem is getting them implemented. GreenIQ however is ready to ship.
It does two things: it not only saves water, but the smart system, according to the company, can save you power by helping you turn off the garden lights. That is, if you aren’t already using solar power lights to light your way.
This is a good solution for home owners in suburbia who want their systems on autopower. Or for people who live in hot countries and travel a lot.
This is a problem we have when we leave the house for a month at a time. Since there is no smart system for feeding and walking the dog, or taking care of our chickens, we ask someone to come over to help.
We already have a sensor at home that turns our outdoor safety lights on come dusk, and I prefer to water my garden by hand. It’s actually the better part of my day when I do that.
But if you need to go on autopilot (I am thinking apartment landlords, or office buildings), GreenIQ could be the solution for you.
Author: Karin Kloosterman
Karin Kloosterman is an award-winning journalist, innovation strategist, and founder of Green Prophet, one of the Middle East’s pioneering sustainability platforms. She has ranked in the Top 10 of Verizon innovation competitions, participated in NASA-linked challenges, and spoken worldwide on climate, food security, and future resilience. With an IoT technology patent, features in Canada’s National Post, and leadership inside teams building next-generation agricultural and planetary systems — including Mars-farming concepts — Karin operates at the intersection of storytelling, science, and systems change. She doesn’t report on the future – she helps design it. Reach out directly to [email protected]
