“What’s the use of a fine house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?” This great question was asked by Henry David Thoreau way back in the 19th century. In his famous, eco-friendly Walden house, the great author and groundbreaking environmentalist worked hard to better harmonise us with our environment. Almost two centuries later, we all need sustainable, environmental lives and houses like his more than ever.
Indeed, Mr. Thoreau may have been upset to hear that it would take until 2024 for the proportion of global energy generated by fossil fuels to start dropping. Indeed, in the last full year before writing, the proportion declined from a whopping 82% to an ever-so-slightly less whopping 81.5%, according to an EESI study on the subject. But it IS dropping, and with sustainable smart homes we can help to keep it going that way.
A fine house on a beautiful planet
Fortunately, the sustainable smart home helps us to bring part of his legacy back to the present. In part, this is because they reduce household energy consumption by around 30%, according to Smart Home Week's study on the subject. Indeed, most smart systems can be adapted to save energy and live in harmony with nature in the truly sustainable smart home. Our overview of the environmental benefits of a fine, sustainable smart home explains how this is possible and how much environmental benefit it can have.
As the UK has enshrined an optimistic 78% emissions cut target by 2035 in law (compared to 1990 levels). Other countries are beginning to make equally positive commitments in this once-ignored area. This means that reducing CO2, as well as overall energy consumption, is essential for private sustainable smart home owners, as well as the public and private sector.
Around a quarter of the UK’s energy consumption is accounted for by domestic use. The industrial sector has cut its consumption by around two-thirds since the early 1970s. unfortunately though, British homes are still consuming the same amount as they did seven decades ago. Serious change is needed, and sustainable smart home installation is one of the most effective changes we could make to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions, coming in a little below insulation.
Eco-friendly smart homes
Smart thermostats and heating controls can cut a household’s energy requirement by 10-12% on average by reducing heating bills. This simple change could cut energy consumption by almost as much as modern insulation installation could. That said, we would always advise investing in both.
This simple, smart eco strategy is only the start of what can be done with domotics (smart home tech) though...
Savings like 87% of light energy, 10% of household consumption on standby, and 12% on heating are all impressive on their own. However, they’re only the first chapter in a much bigger story. Read the full tale of how sustainable smart homes can save CO2 shortfalls here.
A Sustainable Home Sustains You, as Well As The Place
Health and wellness technology like hydroponics systems, advanced air conditioning and filtration is finally catching up with cutting-edge smart home tech. The integration of these innovations might just mean that 2025 is the year smart technology makes a real impact on the six-trillion-dollar wellness market.As we come into 2025, sustainable smart home trends start to lean toward sustaining residents in a more environmental way, as well as sustaining the world itself.
First up, smart vegetable growing in your home: The Plantaform smart indoor garden uses a NASA-developed ‘fogponics’ system to hydrate plants with ultra-fine vapour. This means that plants in the Plantaform grow significantly faster than they would otherwise and use 30-50% less water.
These advances, as well as the control of solar energy and batteries, as well as water pop up in our ‘Earth, Wind and Fire’ review of smart home trends in 2025.
