How Technology Can Make Your Home Greener

Are you looking into modernizing your home? Good! Now, believe it or not, if you’re making modern changes to your home (renovation, not decorative), then you’re actually going to increase the chances of making your home become more eco-friendly. 

While there are a lot of standard things that everyone knows about, such as insulation, roof replacement, and changing fixtures (such as low-flow toilets), these are necessarily the only things. In fact, incorporating technology can be a surprisingly great way to make an impact on your home and the environment, too. But what exactly? Well, here’s exactly why you need to know!

What’s The Best Tech You Can Add for a Greener Home?

Now, there are some changes you can make that will need an upfront investment, such as solar panels, and then there are others that are really affordable too. It all depends honestly. But here’s a few you can look into. 

LED Lighting

Lighting is a significant part of our daily lives, and switching to LED bulbs is a simple yet powerful way to make your home greener. LED bulbs use up to 80% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and last much longer. For an even smarter approach, consider integrating smart lighting systems like Philips Hue. They’re not much more expensive than regular lightbulbs, and again, you’re saving quite a lot of money in the end. You don’t always need an expensive brand like Philips. But it still helps to just look into this for consideration. 

STAR Energy Appliances

So this is by far an upfront investment, especially considering the fact that kitchen appliances are getting more and more expensive. So, are your appliances old? Are they more than five years old? Technically, if they’re old and they have the STAR energy label, then there’s a chance that they’re outdated. 

Not just about being compatible with smart home tech, but they might not be as eco-friendly and as energy efficient compared to modern day appliances. So it’s just best to keep this in mind. Old appliances (STAR included) aren’t too energy efficient, so just make sure to remember that, and when it’s time to update appliances, get something that’s STAR. 

Solar Panels

If you’re ready to make a substantial commitment to sustainability, installing solar panels is a fantastic option. But they’re an even bigger upfront investment compared to appliances! We’re talking tens of thousands! Solar technology has advanced dramatically, making it more accessible and affordable for homeowners. So, just by generating your own clean energy, you can reduce reliance on fossil fuels and cut your electricity costs. 

Besides, there are a lot of regions that also offer incentives and rebates for solar panel installations, making it an even more attractive investment for a greener home.

Smart Home Upgrades

So this hands-down deserves its own special section, but nowadays, this is probably the best way to make your home greener while making sure you’re modernizing it (for whatever reason you’re wanting to). Sure, some things are an upfront investment, but not everything has to be an investment when it comes to smart home tech. 

Easy to Add Smart Home Features

If you’ve been on any social media platform, then you’ve probably seen more than enough gadgets used by influencers to make their home work better with them. Just imagine walking into your house, and the lights greet you, the thermostat adjusts to your perfect temperature, and your favorite music starts playing—all without you lifting a finger. Sounds dreamy, right? The best part is that you don’t need to be a tech wizard or undergo a complete home makeover to enjoy these perks. But can these make your home eco-friendly, too? Absolutely, basically, every single, smart home tech that’s out on the market is geared towards being eco-friendly. But what’s easy to add, though?

Smart Plumbing

So, the thing is, smart plumbing tech can be incredibly helpful, but it can’t do everything. For example, you’ll still need to hire a plumber for underground water leak detection or massive issues. But smart plumbing tech is at least able to detect some smaller things, such as leak detection for your pipes within your house (such as underneath the sink or behind the bathroom). 

A great example would be Flo by Moen, but again, it can’t do the massive things that a plumber can do. But at the end of the day, it’s about providing preventative care for your home and trying to focus on conserving water (which is what plumbers want). Even plumbers will almost always recommend smart home plumbing tech because it helps make houses eco-friendly (and, to a degree, their job is easier).

Motorized Blinds

Now, this is constantly being shown off on social media, and there’s a luxurious element to it. Getting to wake up gently from the sunlight is great, right? But how exactly can this luxury upgrade work when it comes to creating a greener home? Well, these smart solutions let you adjust your window coverings with a simple voice command or through an app on your phone. You can schedule your blinds to open with the sunrise for a gentle wake-up call or close them in the evening for added privacy and energy efficiency. 

If you’re out of the house, you can set these to close when it reaches a certain temperature so your house doesn’t get hot. It really depends on the type of window treatments you get and the system. For example, IKEA sells roller blinds for a pretty low price, Amazon sells a device that pulls curtains open, and major companies like BlindsToGo sell motorized blinds/ shades (custom sizing). Again, the pricing varies.

Smart Lock

You can say goodbye to fumbling for your keys (or garage door). There’s plenty out there on the market, but these let you lock and unlock your doors using your smartphone. You can even create virtual keys for family members or guests and receive alerts whenever someone enters your home. It’s a blend of convenience and security that you’ll wonder how you ever lived without. 

So, technically, this isn’t all that eco-friendly, but it at least ensures that your home stays protected. It’s just one of those luxuries that might not be needed but for peace of mind it can work. Plus, locks and keys can easily break, so from that angle it could be fairly sustainable. 

Smart Plugs

Remember how earlier it was mentioned to replace and update appliances? Well, that’s pretty expensive, and if they’re still working just fine, it’s not really sustainable to just toss them out! 

Honestly, it’s no problem! Smart plugs are a budget-friendly solution. So, these can turn any regular appliance into a smart one. For example, you can control your coffee maker, lamp, or even your Christmas tree lights from your smartphone. It’s an easy way to dip your toes into the smart home world without breaking the bank. Plus, it can help with phantom energy. 

Smart Thermostats

Last, but far from least, you have this. For the most part, there isn’t a high investment, but it’s still something that you’ll need (because it can be seen as a bit pricey by some). Usually, you’ll need a professional to install this, but there are some tutorials for DIYing the installation. But why exactly is this helpful? How is this going to make a home more green? Well, These devices learn your schedule and preferences, adjusting the temperature to keep you comfortable while saving energy when you’re away. You can also control them remotely, so you can always come home to the perfect temperature.

Josie Smith