4 Ways Home Security Systems Can Go Green

You obviously want your family to feel and be safe whenever they’re at home. But just because you want to accomplish this goal doesn’t mean that you want to waste lots of energy in the process. If you’re looking for green options to help secure your home, let’s look at four ways to do just that:

LED Lights: If you leave your home for a vacation, you don’t want it to be dark the entire time you’re gone. And even if you’re only leaving for the evening, it’s still a good idea to have some source of illumination inside your home. The best way to both keep your interior illuminated when you’re gone and do so in a green manner is with LED lights. These bulbs will give you maximum effectiveness with minimum energy consumption.
Security System That Includes Energy Controls: Many homeowners decide that they want a full security system. If you feel the same, it’s worth noting that there are systems that not only provide all kinds of sensors and protection, but also remote options for controlling your home’s thermostat, lighting and appliances. If you decide to invest in an alarm system, it’s worth looking into this type of energy controller option prior to making your final decision.
Protection That Doesn’t Require Power: Not every security measure has to consume power. There are plenty of effective techniques you can use that don’t require a bit of energy. The first is to check your home for any exterior doors that don’t have a proper lock. If you realize one or more doors is without a deadbolt, get that taken care of as soon as possible. Another is planning for trips. In addition to the previous discussion of LED lights, arranging for your mail and/or newspapers to be picked up will prevent your home from looking completely empty. And unless they’re in a secure container, you should also avoid leaving spare keys outside your home.
Solar Exterior Lights: Putting outdoor lights around the front and back of your house can make your home far less appealing to intruders. Although the sun may have gone down, if there’s still a perimeter of light around your home, most bad guys are going to choose to keep their distance. While this security measure is effective, there are two main objections that some homeowners have to it. The first is they think it’s going to be inconvenient. No one wants to have to turn this type of system on every single time the sun goes down. The other is that it’s going to waste far too much energy. Since outdoor illumination is generally required for around ten hours a night, that’s a fair objection. Fortunately, there’s a simple way to overcome both obstacles. You can use solar sensor lights in both your front and back yard. They absorb energy during the day, and then as soon as their sensor detects that the sun has gone down, they automatically turn on and continue running until it’s light again.
If you have any additional green security system ideas, be sure to share your ideas with us by leaving a comment!

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Lynn Darsow is a blogger for www.securitychoice.com which is a ADT home security and monitoring company with offices in South Carolina.