“Growth is inevitable and desirable, but destruction of community character is not. The question is not whether your part of the world is going to change. The question is how.”
– Edward T. McMahon
Does your housekeeping list look like mine? Turn on the lights. Take out the trash. Clean the living room. The list could go on.
Have you noticed that how we perform these simple, daily tasks is changing? Smart utilities are replacing our old ones. Home automation is on the rise. Smart appliances that make our lives easier are now for sale and coming home with us.
At first glance, this influx of new capabilities has a novel appeal. After all, who doesn’t want a refrigerator to make their grocery list? I know I do. However, a second look reveals deeper potential. Potential that allows us to achieve sustainability across an entire community.
How can your home connect?
Thanks to a growing demand for a connected living experience, smart home capabilities are endless. Fruit bowls can detect mold. Wi-Fi-enabled windows can provide the best transparency via smartphone. Mobile devices can unlock the door to keyless homes.
These types of products are just the start of how homes can play a greater role in the Internet of Everything (IoE).
In an Internet of Everything world, smart homes will only be a small part of a larger network of Smart+Connected Communities that will reduce overcrowding, pollution, and natural resource constraints –ultimately improving sustainability. In our work with Cities of the Future like Songdo, South Korea and Lake Nona, Florida we’ve begun to see the impact of truly connected communities.
For most of us, connected living won’t be in the form of a built-from-the-ground-up community. Instead, we will see changes to our existing communities: Improving convenience, increasing comfort, and highs in energy efficiency. For instance, Geneva recently debuted a new charging system that powers electric city buses in 15 seconds using electricity from hydropower.
How do we reach net zero?
The Internet of Everything will enable greater capabilities for net zero construction, meaning buildings will produce as much or more energy than they consume. According to a recent Forbes article, the key to any good net zero design is to reduce consumption.
Smart homes do just that.
Utilities that rely on a unified network, like your HVAC system, can easily be monitored for efficiency. This type of home control is vital to reducing waste and creating a connected lifestyle experience.
IoE includes you
The Internet of Everything doesn’t just connect data, processes and things. It connects people to all of these too. It’s clear that we are responsible for the growth and change of our world.
Maybe you will get the chance to witness the design and construction of an entire Smart+Connected city. Maybe you’ll just simply install a smart thermostat in your home. The one thing that will remain constant is that the Internet of Everything ties it all together, connecting cities, one home at a time.
Do you have a smart home or use smart appliances? Let me know!
I have the Nest thermostat – after having your thermostat on the network, I will never go back. I’m hoping some company will develop lawn sprinklers that are networked and will automatically adjust water usage based on weather patterns.
Cyber-Rain comes close…
iSmartenit also has a partial solution here for sprinklers. For the more encompassing Smart Home solution, check out Control4..
Marie-
Nice posting and supports this common sense approach to well connected everything. It’s silly for all devices to try to re-invent their control mechanisms and act as islands. That was cool in the 70’s and 80’s, but then again so were AMC Pacer cars! IoE makes sense today. Allowing devices which are becoming more and more intelligent and provide to them a connected intelligent utility at the end of an RJ45. The real question for everyone today is not WHY, but WHY NOT?
One thing is for sure, we are having more and more going online each day to minimize the stress on our day to day life. It won’t be long before 90 percent of our lives are dependant on some sort of connection to the grid making our lives inter twinned with the network.