In this guest blog JBigelow discusses the role of smart tech in reducing households’ impact on the environment
New technology in the home can make life easier - but what role does it have in living more sustainably? The combination of sensors and intelligent controls that make a home “smart” offer a range of possibilities for using less water, gas or electricity.
Less household water waste
Water is abundant, but only 2.5% of Earth’s water is fit for consumption. The Environment Agency urges people to be more cautious with their water, since there’s a very real threat of water shortage and environmental damage due to water misuse.
Low-flow showerheads and taps with smart home tech can significantly reduce water wastage. These fixtures are fitted with sensors and timers that regulate the water you’re using depending on the activity. Modern showerheads release 9.5 liters of water per minute, while low flow showerheads only release 5.7 liters per minute. Along with digital timers installed on your showerheads this can help save almost 30% in your daily water use.
Sensors can also check if your pipes are starting to leak. Once the sensors are triggered by signs of dripping, flooding, or condensation, they will send an alert on your phone to call your plumber. This is a great pre-emptive approach to avoid waste, since almost 3 billion litres of water are lost every day through our leaky pipe networks.
Smart home automation for less power consumption
The yearly average domestic use of gas and electricity in the UK is 12,400 kWh and 4,000 kWH, respectively. Smart homes have the potential of lowering these stats. They offer more than just controlling gadgets remotely. Sensors and software together can collect insightful data, to create a model of the modern sustainable home.
Modern appliances are constantly being optimised to save electricity — and making the switch can reduce power consumption. For one, old school incandescent light bulbs turn 90% of the power they consume into heat, so only 10% actually goes into producing light. Smart light bulbs that use LEDs consume 75% less energy and can last 20 times as long.
The actual volume of carbon dioxide gas emitted by a day’s use of a single lightbulb using UK electricity
Furthermore, smart appliances can be connected to a central smart home hub via your phone so you can control them remotely. Or homeowners can simply talk to their homes through smart hubs like Amazon Echo and Google Home. Voice commands allow you to schedule when your appliances are turned on or off.
If you have ‘dumb’ appliances, you can use smart plugs to shut these down straight from your smart home hub. This could mean substantial savings, as 5-10% of residential electricity is used by appliances that are plugged in for 24 hours a day. However, smart plugs only deliver when used properly, by making a habit of checking the smart home hub for plugged appliances.
Smarter temperature systems
Most heating systems run by burning unsustainable resources like gas or wood. This is bad for CO2 emissions and, as our post A Breath of Fresh Air notes, for air quality.
A typical UK home’s heating system can consume at least 85% of its total gas use - something smart homes can begin to reduce. In a model smart home, electric heaters are partnered with smart thermostats to help optimise heat production. A smart thermostat senses which rooms are occupied and adjusts accordingly to make the room warm. Ideally, solar panels are also fitted to be the smart home’s main energy source.
Article specially prepared for realworldvisuals.com
Prepared by: JBigelow