These 10 Sustainable Home Technologies Will Change the Way We Live

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Sustainable Building Materials

Beyond concrete, there are myriad innovative building materials in development. University of Colorado researchers also have developed an insulating gel using cellulose nanofibers from wood pulp. This transparent wood product can be retrofitted between existing window panes to make them more energy efficient.

Also, Swedish scientists at the Royal Institute of Technology recently figured out how to infuse wood with citrus peel and coconut extract, which makes a sustainable material capable of storing heat during the day and releasing it at night.

This “thermal energy battery” also changes transparency. On sunny, warm days, it absorbs heat and turns clear. Then when it cools off at night, it releases its stored heat and provides privacy.

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AI Home Energy Audits

Artificial intelligence is stepping in to make home energy-efficiency retrofits easier. New algorithms developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom can pinpoint where they’re needed most, with 80% precision.

Once this tech is widely available, it will make it easier for homeowners to prioritize ways to reduce their carbon emissions, especially in older or more complex houses. It may even be paired with video street views so city planners and policymakers can create more effective neighborhood decarbonization plans.

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Electrical Components

As early as 2024, silicon chips with solid-state technology will start to be available in electrical components like LED lighting, outlets and breakers. This tech makes houses more energy-efficient, programmable and safer, because it prevents electric arcs that can cause fires.

“We’re finally seeing some of the outdated, unsustainable areas of our home tech undergo rapidly-changing upgrades,” says Thar Casey, founder and CEO of AmberSemi. “The result is a level of whole building environmental, human presence and electricity awareness and control not seen today.”

Also, a group from Duke University figured out how to print recyclable transistors for devices like TVs and phones, so they can be more easily reused and recycled. This would be a big sustainability jump from today’s thin-film transistor printing. The latter requires clean rooms, expensive equipment, large amounts of energy and water and environmentally harmful inks, solvents and other chemicals.