Green Technology in the Home 2016

Now, more than ever, is the time to incorporate sustainability into our homes. Beyond our individual efforts to limit harm to the environment, companies are increasingly enabling us with technology to make our homes less tolling on the environment as well. Many of these technologies are positioned to not only be eco-friendly, but to save the homeowner money – primarily from their energy costs. For the same reason some of us wait until the evening to run the dishwasher, homeowners are taking up these tech-savvy ways to be eco-friendly and save their wallets from the rising price of energy.

Green technology for the home, and even for commercial businesses, is a trend that is gaining more traction day by day, especially with the backing of several energy companies. For example, Toronto Hydro provides incentives for businesses and homeowners to pay for energy-efficient upgrades, and Union Gas provides a $25 rebate incentive for their customers who have installed programmable thermostats in their homes. While zero-energy homes (ones that only use renewable energy sources like wind or solar power) may be out of reach for many of us at this time, there are a variety of alternatives to turn to in order to make our homes a little bit greener.

Green Technology inside the Home

Three popular green technologies that can be installed within the home are: programmable thermostats, smart appliances, and home automation systems. All of these technologies can be integrated to “talk” to each other via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The key is to use technology that can be customized to an energy-efficient schedule, and what better way to schedule than to sync up with a smartphone? We love to have things integrated into our smart devices so the positive feedback that these technologies have earned is no surprise.

Programmable thermostats are one of the basic tools for sustainability in the home, but today’s thermostats are increasingly becoming “smarter” than ever. By using high-tech sensors and algorithms, these thermostats adjust the temperature of the home based on current weather forecasts, the homeowner’s habits, and their schedule. Some even integrate with your smartphone’s GPS to sense when you’re coming home, and adjusts the temperature to prepare for your arrival. If the high-tech thermostat is not one of your priorities now, simply programming a simpler thermostat around the times you are home will reduce energy consumption and thereby save you money.

The appliance industry is undergoing some changes to elevate their products from simply being energy-efficient, to being smart. Smart appliances are the future for residential homes. They use smart electrical meters to gather usage data, and automatically run when energy rates are lowest. Some options can be integrated into your smartphone so you can communicate with the appliance remotely. Having smart appliances in your home is a good way to familiarize with your resource consumption, and control it from thereon out.

The final green technology we’ll look at is the home automation system. These systems allow the homeowner to control and monitor multiple home features from one integrated application on their smart device. A smart home automation system can give you the power to control the home’s lights, window shades, and thermostat (amongst other functions) right from the smartphone. Having these functions automated to a schedule will improve energy consumption without much effort, as long as you schedule their use efficiently.

Green Technology and Constructing the Home

Two ways to construct your home with energy sustainability in mind is to invest in smart glass windows, and “cool roofs”. Customizing your home may be the best way to include these functions into your property from the start because they go beyond the scope of the traditional pre-planned home. However, it is possible to install these features with a home remodelling project. After all, energy efficient home upgrades have been cited to generate a positive return on investment.

Smart glass is glass that adjusts its transparency, and thus how much light it lets in, when applied with heat, voltage, or light. Using this glass in windows can help adapt the house to the climate outside, ultimately to save cost on heating and cooling. Smart glass has other usages as well. It is the same glass you see installed in some change room or bathroom doors. In this case, it changes opacity when activated by the locking mechanism of the door.

“Cool roofs” are designed to reflect more sunlight than it absorbs in order to cool down the structure it houses. This green trend follows the same body-temperature regulating principle of staying cool by opting for light coloured clothing on a sunny day. By using reflective tiles, coverings, or paint, a cool roof can be over 33% cooler than a standard dark roof. This cooling effect lowers the need for air conditioning in the home, thus reducing energy consumption and energy bills.



Sustainability is the future, and homeowners should be equipping their homes with green technology to stay ahead of the game. Not only will the environment thank you, but your wallet will too. Which one of these green technologies would you be interested to try out?