Just in time for Earth Day, green and technology enthusiasts can enjoy smart tips from the HGTV® Smart Home 2015 in Austin, Texas.

Just in time for Earth Day, green and technology enthusiasts can enjoy smart tips from the HGTV Smar ...

Just in time for Earth Day, green and technology enthusiasts can enjoy smart tips from the HGTV Smart Home 2015 in Austin, Texas. (Photo: Business Wire)

In a series of five one-minute videos, HGTV home tech expert Carly Knobloch covers the following topics:

  • Today’s smart locks, smart lighting and sophisticated, yet easy-to-use home monitoring are all connected to apps that allow the homeowner to control these features remotely.
  • Take home entertainment to the next level with new systems that are wireless, automated and affordable thanks to the latest in home technology.
  • Home security systems are smarter than ever, allowing home owners to access their house with codes rather than keys, lock their door remotely and receive notifications when family members enter the house.
  • Add fun to the bathroom with a digital, remote-controlled shower complete with temperature presets, as well as smart glass, which turns windows from clear to opaque in the touch of a button.
  • The latest home automation technology such as smart thermostats, LED light bulbs and smart shades can reduce home energy usage dramatically.

Fans can enter twice a day at hgtv.com/smart through June 2, 2015, for a chance to win the home and its furnishings, plus a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class and $100,000 provided by national mortgage lender Quicken Loans – a grand prize package valued at more than $1 million that will be awarded this summer.

The two-level modern farmhouse is approximately 2,300 square feet, with three bedrooms and three baths, featuring innovative solutions to give the homeowner better control over energy use, security, interior climate and lighting. The home has earned a 4-star rating (out of 5) for being green from Austin Energy, designating it as an “Austin Energy Green Building.”

The HGTV Smart Home 2015 features products provided by national advertising partners including Bassett Furniture; Mercedes-Benz; Quicken Loans®; Shaw Floors; Bush Brothers & Company; LiftMaster; Moen; Farmers Insurance®; Lebanon Seaboard Corporation, makers of the Preen® brand; The Sherwin-Williams Company; Tempur-Pedic; Texas Tourism and VELUX.

About HGTV

America’s leading home and lifestyle brand, HGTV features a top-rated cable network that is distributed to more than 96 million U.S. households and the HGTV website, HGTV.com, the nation’s leading online home-and-garden destination that attracts an average of four million unique visitors per month. The brand also includes the HGTV HOME™ consumer products line which showcases exclusive collections of paint, flooring, furniture, plants, fabrics and other home-oriented products. For more information on HGTV HOME branded products and to find a retailer, go to hgtvhome.com. In partnership with Hearst Magazines, the HGTV Magazine, a home and lifestyle publication, is currently available on newsstands. Viewers can become fans of HGTV and interact with other home improvement enthusiasts through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., HGTV is owned by Scripps Networks Interactive Inc.