Skip to main content

Peek inside Honda’s radically efficient, energy-producing smart home

Last March, Honda showed off its state-of-the-art smart home, which is so energy efficient it actually produces more energy than it uses. But it wasn’t just a slick showpiece. For the last nine months, the Bennett/O’Hara family has been living in the Honda Smart Home on the University of California campus in Davis, and they like it so much, they’ve decided to extend their stay another year.

You can’t really blame them. It’s 1,944 square feet, runs on solar energy and battery power, and it doesn’t even need air conditioning. Everything from the lights to the music is controlled through an iPad app. The blinds and lights are programmed to open and close automatically. Because its plans are all open-source and it produces more energy than it uses, it’s an excellent potential model for future California homes, because all new houses there will have to be net zero beginning in 2020.

 

If it seems odd for a car company to get involved in home automation, it’s because Honda is actually looking at the bigger picture. Honda and UC Davis researchers are looking at how devices work together, and how they can influence climate change, according to Smithsonian Magazine. The dishwasher is from Bosch and KitchenAid made the refrigerator, but the energy management system is Honda’s. The company also wanted someone in the family to drive about 30 miles per day, testing its electric Fit and accompanying charging equipment.

Recommended Videos

“When we came to visit, I was shocked that it was 74 degrees inside when it was 104 outside,” Susan O’Hara tells Smithsonian. The windows face south and have eaves that block the sun when the day’s at it hottest, while still capturing the rays in winter. The thick walls are well insulated, and the roof reflects light. To make the home water-efficient, Honda installed dual-flush toilets, low-flow faucets, and gray-water collectors for the yard’s drought-resistant plants.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Though it took the family a couple of months to get used to the automated home, they soon asked Honda to let them extend their stay another year. “It’s become an integral part of our lives,” says O’Hara.

Jenny McGrath
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jenny McGrath is a senior writer at Digital Trends covering the intersection of tech and the arts and the environment. Before…
25 last-minute Valentine’s Day gifts that will arrive in time (and are still impressive)
Valentine's Day flowers and chocolate covered strawberries.

Your significant other may have told you they don't want anything big for Valentine's Day, but that doesn't mean they don't want something. And if you've waited until now to get a gift, you're in good company. The internet has made getting last-minute Valentine's Day gifts a total cinch, whether you just want a luxury tech gift, a trendy piece of jewelry, or a whole damn pizza oven. (And yes, we will advocate for pizza ovens as last-minute Valentine's Day gifts.)

Why stop at getting something for your partner? Get some soft pajamas for the kids, fresh flowers for mom, and a frozen drink machine for yourself—er, the household—while you're at it. Most of our picks for last-minute Valentine's Day will arrive on your doorstep via Amazon Prime's next-day shipping, but there are a few from other sites that offer lightning-fast delivery.

Read more
Get a Bella Pro touchscreen air fryer for only $70 at Best Buy
The Bella Pro touchscreen air fryer on a white background.

You may be tempted to invest in a high-end and expensive air fryer, but air fryer deals don’t actually have to be expensive. Instead, you can get a lot for under $100. Right now, you can buy the Bella Pro 8-quart touchscreen air fryer for $70 instead of $110 at Best Buy. It’s ideal if you’re new to air frying and don’t want to spend too much. Read on and we’ll tell you all about what it has to offer for this excellent price.

Why you should buy the Bella Pro 8-quart touchscreen air fryer
Bella isn’t a name you’ll see among the very best air fryers, but it’s a reliable budget brand for kitchen appliances. This particular model is intelligently designed. Besides the typical benefits of an air fryer, such as your food having 75% less fat and a crisper texture, the Bella Pro 8-quart touchscreen air fryer also knows what you need from it.

Read more
The 6 best smart displays for Alexa and Google Home in 2025
Nest Hub Max Hands-On Review

If you're looking for a way to control all your smart home devices, adding a smart display to your lineup is a great option. Not only do these gadgets make it easy to activate smart lights, smart thermostats, or smart cameras, but you can access a wide range of apps with them -- including Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, and other popular software.

Shopping for a smart display for Alexa or Google Home is a bit more challenging than you'd expect, as so many of the products share overlapping specs. And if you're entirely new to the world of smart homes, you'll have to choose between Google Home and Amazon Alexa as your central smart home platform. Once you've done that, things are a bit easier to manage.

Read more