Eco-Friendly Technologies You Can Use In Your Home

Posted on Feb 13, 2023 in Sustainable Living & Sustainable Lifestyle by Anh Speer, Ph.D. 0 Comments

Addressing climate change can seem like too large of a problem for one person, but this eco-friendly technology allows you to contribute to the cause.

A green home is something more and more people aspire to create. However, headlines about climate change and the devastating impacts on global environment and weather can leave most people feeling they cannot make an impact on such a large problem.

However, eco-friendly technology makes it possible for every person to make a contribution to the fight against climate change and global warming. They also allow people to focus on one or two issues – reducing energy use, for example, or quickly identifying water leaks – rather than trying to do everything at once.

These technologies are worth everyone’s consideration. While large-scale industrial operations damage the environment the most, studies show how much people waste every year. For example, people in the United States waste up to 40 percent of the food supply every year and 170 gallons of water every week. They have an average annual carbon footprint of 20 metric tons, five times higher than the global average.

Eco-friendly technology can help everyone immediately address those issues.

Eco-Friendly Technology For the Home

For the growing number of people who want to address energy waste and carbon emissions, the following examples of eco-friendly technology offer them a way to do that by taking on some of the biggest issues in sustainability.

Solar Panels

Solar panels remain one of the most popular and effective ways to make homes more energy efficient. By adding solar panels to the roof of your home, you can reduce your electric bills while also lowering the emissions created through traditional electric power. Solar panels are considered a key component for people who want to adopt a greener lifestyle.

Dual-Flush Toilets

Forget about those low-flush toilets from the 1990s that people criticized for not working well and often requiring two flushes, which undermined the reason for having it in the first place. Modern dual-flush toilets use about 1.28 gallons per flush (or less), a 20 percent reduction when compared to the current federal standard for 1.6 gallons per flush. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that families could reduce water usage by 20 percent and 60 percent by installing dual-flush toilets, saving about $140 per year in water costs.

Smart Devices

The average household spends about $2,000 per year on energy costs. Investing In smart technology can significantly lower that amount. Consumers now have a wide range of choices when it comes to devices that automatically shut off when not in use or use less energy. They include smart switches that turn off lights when no one is in the room and smart kitchen appliances that shut down completely when not in use. A Wi-Fi enabled smart plug allows you to control the power to every electronic device in your home.

Smart Thermostat

The majority of energy goes into heating and cooling your home. The latest systems can also connect to your smartphone, allowing you to start cooling the house when you are on the way home rather than having the system run throughout the day. These systems also learn the patterns of when you heat or cool your home, then find the most efficient way to maintain the proper temperature. Some systems also can connect with window shades and fans, creating even more efficient ways to cool or heat a home. Utility companies also may offer rebates for installing a smart thermostat.

LED Lights

This one has been around for many years, but many people still use old light bulbs rather than LED lights that burn far less energy. They also are as much as 10,000 hours longer, meaning you save the cost of having to replace bulbs.