So, you’ve followed the advice of every article you’ve read about going “green” around your home. You replaced your old windows with energy-efficient models, updated your appliances, and even installed solar panels on your roof. But what happens when you leave your home? Are you still thinking about the environment? Who would have ever imagined that you could use your mobile phone to stay “green” when you’re away from home? Below are seven phone apps we found that will help.

1. Schlage LiNK
A German company has designed a program – Schlage LiNK - that controls windows, light switches and dozens of other household appliances at the touch of a button. If you’ve seen one of the latest in a series of Apple commercials, you’re familiar with the Schlage LiNK app for iPhone. In it, the husband turns to his wife and asks, "Did we turn off the lights?” The savvy wife responds: "WE turned off the lights," while she does it on her phone.

The Schlage LiNK app is free, but you'll need a monthly subscription to access its capabilities. You'll also need to purchase Schlage LiNK products (or other compatible products) to use the app.

2. SunPower Solar Management System App
SunPower’s innovative Solar Electric Home Energy Management System lets you monitor energy produced from SunPower-branded solar systems in real time. SunPower® Monitoring for iPhone and iPod touch gives you on-the-go access to the information you need to help you save on energy expenses. If your home has a SunPower solar system connected to SunPower Monitoring, you can now monitor the energy produced by your SunPower solar system in real-time, wherever you are.

Photo courtesy of ussunpowercorp.com

3. Wiser Home Control App
Anyone who owns a Wiser Home Control energy management system would be wise to download this iPhone app, which provides a 3G or wireless connection to your system. That means everything from lighting to security, climate and even camera monitoring can be controlled from your phone. So if you, for example, forgot to turn off the lights in the living room, you can just click them off remotely using the app. The more home elements you have attached to the system (i.e. air conditioning, sprinkler system, lighting, etc.), the more the app can control.

4. MeterRead
If you can’t afford a solar system or home energy management set-up, consider downloading the iPhone app called MeterRead, which lets you read your electricity meter using your phone. Each time you check it, the app tells you how many kilowatt hours of power were used since the last read. That information can then be used to predict your total energy usage over the next 30 days. The app can show you the positive effects of energy-saving changes at home and it even allows you to double-check the power company’s meter readings for accuracy. MeterRead asks you to do only one thing which is to set the dials to whatever your electricity meter says. You’ll have to start by setting all five dials but, after that, you should only have to adjust a couple of dials each time you want to get an updated look at your power usage.

5. My Water Diary App
Water is precious. It is a finite resource that is likely to become scarcer in the future. It is something we cannot live without and we are using more of it than ever before. We use it for drinking, cooking and washing but even more water is used to produce things we use everyday like food, paper and even the clothes we wear. My Water Diary is an app that helps you track your weekly water consumption by tracking what you use for drinking, cooking, washing and more, so you can reduce your use and save money.

6. Visible Energy UFO Power Center
Aa series of four smart power strips installed at home provides on-the-go visual feedback of electricity consumption and cost. In addition to providing information on the power usage of each power strip, the app also shows energy costs and gives users the option to turn outlets on and off on a daily schedule. Energy UFO provides visual feedback of electricity consumption and its cost as determined by data received from connected Visible Energy UFO power strips. With knowledge of what electricity is used for, Energy UFO assists in energy conservation through increased awareness and behavioral changes.

Photo from Apple

7. Control4
Home energy app, available for the iPhone, Blackberry, and Android, allows users to control everything from security, lighting, and temperature to music and video — provided that the Control4 system is installed at home. Research has shown that homeowners who are able to check how much electricity they are using in real time save an average of more than 10 percent almost immediately by turning off unnecessary lights and appliances and taking advantage of lower energy tariffs before running some energy-hungry white goods, such as washing machines and dishwashers.

Photo from Cepro.com