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Anyone who has been sweating on the sofa during the countless heat waves this summer can attest that nothing can compare to an air conditioner. But the same overheated electricity bill is not so cool. We found a clever solution-just look up. Many homes have ceiling fans, but most people don't realize how powerful they are. Although ordinary fans are indeed effective, smart ceiling fans are even more so.

Unlike air conditioners, ceiling fans do not cool the room, but cool people (through the wind chill effect). And it's not a small number: The Department of Energy says that ceiling fans can keep you cool enough that when you use them with AC power, you can raise the thermostat by 4 degrees Fahrenheit without noticing the difference. In the summer, if you turn the thermostat higher for every degree, your energy bill will save about 3%.

When smart home features are added to the ceiling fan, it will be easier to use, and they can make your fan more energy efficient. You can set the fan to turn on or off automatically according to the schedule, room temperature, and even whether there are people in the room. Whether you are in the room or not, you can use a voice-activated speaker (such as Amazon Echo) or a smartphone app to control it. The smart fan can also be used with your smart thermostat to help it keep the temperature in the room consistent. In order to get the most features, many smart fans need to integrate with smart home platforms, such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit or Samsung SmartThings (Big Ass fans below can do all of this by themselves).

There are three ways to upgrade to a smart ceiling fan: install a wall-mounted smart switch to control the existing fan; add a smart hub or bridge to add smart control to your existing fan (no wiring required); or buy a smart phone with built-in smart functions Brand new ceiling fan.

As you might expect, the price range is wide. All these options allow you to automate the fan or at least control it in a more convenient and energy-efficient way than traditional fans.

The smart fan switch is almost the same as the smart light switch: once installed on the wall, you can use buttons to control the fan, just like a regular old switch. But the smart fan switch is also connected to your home network and can be set using the app so that it turns on and off by itself (or when other smart devices tell it).

We tested and liked the Lutron Caséta smart fan switch, which is from the same company that produces one of our favorite in-wall smart dimmers and smart curtains. This is an in-wall installation, so the help of an electrician may be required. However, replacing a wall switch is easier (and cheaper) than replacing a ceiling fan. After installing the Lutron switch, you can connect it to the Lutron Caséta Smart Bridge; this integrates the device into your home network, allowing you to set a schedule, create a scene (when one or more devices respond to a single command or a day Respond at some time), and use the geofence to turn off the fan when you are away. Lutron Caséta will also work with Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple HomeKit. These smart platforms also allow you to use voice commands to turn the fan on or off or adjust the speed.

To test the Lutron Caséta, we paired it with a motion sensor connected via HomeKit (Lutron also has its own motion sensor, so you don't have to use a separate system) so when we are in and when we are away, the room is closed. Using the temperature sensor associated with Amazon Alexa, we also let the fan turn on when the room temperature rises above 78 degrees Fahrenheit and turn off when the temperature drops below 72 degrees Fahrenheit.

All of these automations work well, and for only US$60 (plus the cost of Smart Bridge, if you haven’t used Lutron’s Caséta lighting system), we can turn existing ceiling fans into smart ceiling fans.

Disadvantages: You must be willing to install a wired switch on the wall or pay someone else to do it. Unlike other Lutron Caséta switches, this switch requires a neutral wire. It only controls the fan, not the lights (if your fan has one).

If you want to power your smart home, then you need to install smart sensors-tiny detectors that tell other smart devices what to do automatically.

The $99 Bond Bridge is a box that can be added to a home Wi-Fi network. It can copy the infrared or radio signal from the ceiling fan remote control and send it to your fan. The idea is that it replaces your remote control, allowing you not only to access your fan via Wi-Fi, but also to connect it with other smart devices and sensors. If your ceiling fan is not connected to the wiring controlled by a wall switch, and you are not interested in buying a brand new smart fan, you might choose a bridge or hub.

Bond Bridge is easy to set up, especially because of its built-in large database of ceiling fan signals. In most cases, you only need to press a button on the fan remote control and it will know exactly which controls you have. We paired it with a bedroom ceiling fan and set a schedule for the time we are most likely to be in the room. Since then, we have been able to set the air conditioner's thermostat to 4 degrees higher than usual — without noticing the difference.

Bond Bridge also works with Samsung SmartThings and Amazon Alexa (but not Apple HomeKit) to achieve deeper smart home control, including setting up automation triggered by temperature and motion sensors to automatically control fans. In addition, if you connect a smart thermostat to these systems, Bond Bridge can work in sync with your fan.

Many ceiling fan manufacturers use Bond technology to make their products smart. In addition to controlling your fan, one bridge can control up to 30 devices, including remote control fireplaces and electric curtains.

Disadvantages: Bond Bridge is not suitable for fans that only use zippers instead of remote controls. However, if you want to fiddle with the wiring, you can add a universal remote control kit, such as a Harbour Breeze ceiling fan and a Light remote control kit, and then pair it with Bond Bridge. Then, soon-you are in business.

Smart ceiling fans have built-in smart features, so you don’t need to buy a switch or hub. But these fans are also often expensive. And the installation they need may be too large for many DIYers, so they may incur the cost of an electrician. If you want to upgrade an existing fan or buy a new fan in the market, they are a good choice.

There are three major smart ceiling fan manufacturers: Big Ass Fans, Minka-Aire (using Smart by Bond technology) and Hunter (the only manufacturer that produces fans compatible with Apple HomeKit, also under the Casablanca brand). Of the three, only the smart fans of Big Ass Fans have any built-in smart features, except for the option to control the fan with your voice through the smart speaker or create a schedule. Big Ass Fans was once called HVLS Fan Co. (meaning "high capacity and low speed"). But customers in the company's hometown of Kentucky have always referred to huge industrial fans as "those big fans," and, well, it sticks to it (because we know you will ask).

Smart thermostats automate your HVAC and make it more efficient. The Google Nest Learning Thermostat is easy to install and use, and it can save energy and money.

We tested the Big Ass i6 (pictured further away), please forgive the pun, we were shocked by its features and functions. This is the Nest thermostat for smart fans: great design, amazing performance and premium price (over $1,400).

As mentioned above, Big Ass Fans are considered high-capacity, low-speed fans, which means they can move a lot of air while still maintaining low sound and quietness and very energy-efficient. The 60-inch model is rated at 9,676 CFM (PDF)—almost three times the non-smart ceiling fan we recommend, the Westinghouse Comet 52 inches. According to Big Ass Fans, this means that i6 can save you up to 10% of HVAC bills in summer and about 30% of heating bills in winter, and the annual operating cost is less than US$5.

i6 can be controlled through its app, and can also be integrated with Alexa and Google Voice Assistant (the ability to enable voice commands and use routines to control the fan). But i6 also has a built-in function called SenseME, which can use motion, heat, and humidity sensors to adjust the fan's airflow based on the ambient temperature and room occupancy. This increases comfort, convenience and energy efficiency. In addition, you can connect the fan directly to the Ecobee thermostat (we won the runner-up of the best smart thermostat). This allows the fan and thermostat to work together to circulate air. According to Big Ass Fans, the effect of this is that you can set the thermostat a few degrees higher than usual, but still feel comfortable.

In our tests, we found that the SenseMe function works well, responsive and accurate. It responds quickly to temperature changes (such as opening a door on a humid day) by increasing the speed and then gradually reducing the speed as it cools down. The SenseMe function will also respond when the room is occupied or empty (you can choose how long the system waits for a response). All of this means that we don’t need to use apps or remote controls, and we don’t need to use our voice to control the fan-it just works.

Disadvantages: Big Ass Fans is very expensive. An i6 fan costs more than a few non-smart fans, so for many people, Lutron Caséta or Bond Bridge may initially be more economical. In addition, the size of the i6 makes this fan unsuitable for small bedrooms and offices. (Big Ass Fans’ Haiku L has a 44-inch size, but it requires a separate Wi-Fi module.) In addition, Apple HomeKit users are not lucky.

We have selected the best smart home devices that can help you save energy usage and energy costs.

There may not be the best ceiling fan, but the Comet Westinghouse 52-inch five-leaf fan has been our favorite for several years.

If you want to power your smart home, then you need to install smart sensors-tiny detectors that tell other smart devices what to do automatically.

Use these items to protect against the summer heat and minimize cooling costs.

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