At Apple’s recent iPhone 15 launch event, they not only highlighted their commitment to carbon neutrality but also introduced an exciting innovation for smart homes. This new feature, integrated into Apple Home with the upcoming iOS 17 update, allows users to monitor and optimize their energy consumption for a greener impact on the environment. With this advancement, Apple empowers users to make informed decisions about when to use appliances or charge electric vehicles based on the availability of cleaner energy sources.
Grid Forecast is available in the Home app on Apple devices such as the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. It will be included in the upcoming updates scheduled for release in the fall, specifically with iOS 17 on September 18th. You can also access it as an iOS widget or a watch face complication. However, for now, the feature is manual, meaning you have to check the app to see if the energy is clean and then decide when to charge your electric vehicle or use other high-consumption appliances.
In the future, Apple may automate this process by integrating energy management features directly into its smart home platform. They have already introduced a clean energy charging feature in iOS 16.1, which aims to charge your phone when cleaner energy is available. Automating smart home devices to align with clean energy usage would be the next logical step.
Other smart home platforms, like Samsung’s SmartThings Energy, offer similar features. They allow you to monitor real-time energy usage from connected appliances and provide tips to reduce energy consumption. Samsung has even added artificial intelligence capabilities to automate energy-saving features and integrate with services that provide information about energy sources and their carbon intensity, helping users manage their carbon footprint.
Apple’s Grid Forecast feature combines data from the power grid, emissions, and weather information to present a simple graphic that shows when the energy is clean or less clean. It’s a good start for home energy management, but automating the use of clean energy in our homes is crucial to making it more than just another piece of information.
In conclusion, Apple’s Grid Forecast feature in the Apple Home app is a step towards promoting clean energy usage. By being aware of when your energy comes from cleaner sources, you can make more environmentally friendly choices in your daily life.
