I’ve been toying with the idea of smartening our water heater. We take showers in the morning and the water heater cranks up right away to keep the water warm all day. If we were on a time of use power plan it seems like it would make more sense to heat the water when the sun is out and the PV is cranking out kilowatts. Or if there is little sun, wait till just before we get home.

Now it seems this is possible with some existing tech, although not with our current water heater. There is at least one wifi-enabled water heater* on the market (also happens to be a hybrid heat pump model), and it works with IFTTT. This means I could set it up to check the weather, if sunny forecast, then delay heating water till afternoon.

Could also add in an occupancy sensor… the smart home is slowly becoming a reality.

  • Disclaimer: I currently work for GE, although not in the appliances division.