The future of eco-tech: What’s next for smart homes and sustainability?
There are many benefits of a smart home – from safety and security to luxury and comfort, but perhaps the widest reaching and most impactful is how home technology can allow us to live more sustainably. We spoke to the award-winning founder and director of Pfeiffer Design, Susie Pfeiffer, who is an advocate for sustainability within the interior design and construction industry, to find out how she incorporates Control4 into her sustainability-focused projects and how she sees eco-tech evolving in her client’s homes and spaces.
What changes have you seen in smart home technology over the last few years?
“The smart home tech industry has really taken over at our design practice over the past few years, particularly since the pandemic where many of our clients took the time to look inwards and really analyse what they needed from their homes and spaces. Control4’s practical application is a game changer for us, allowing us to bring easy functionality, incorporating sustainability and wellness into our designs in a simple and user-friendly manner. This means our clients feel excited by these new technologies rather than tentative and out of their depth.”
What are the current different ways smart home tech can improve energy efficiency
and sustainability in the home?
“With heating and lighting being the main out-goings of most homes, this is the main thing our clients need help with, particularly here in the UK where temperatures and natural lighting are all over the place! Something that we advocate for a lot recently is combining renewable energy creators such as air source heat pumps and solar panels with the energy management system in our smart home set ups. A great example of this is our design studio which has won awards in sustainability for its innovative use of smart home technology utilizing Control4 and both a ground source and air source heat pump as well as solar panels. This has resulted in a reduced energy consumption of 75% since installing!”
How do you balance the function of eco-focused technology with aesthetics? Is it possible to do both?
“Absolutely! We’d be out of a job if not! It’s an interior designer’s role to work alongside the smart home control company to optimize where elements should be placed, focusing on the design to allow the functionality to quietly tick along in the background. The most a homeowner should ever notice is a discreet tablet on the wall, and even these are pretty beautiful nowadays! Even smart light switches and thermostats come in a fantastic array of finishes now, so there is no reason why eco-tech can’t be beautiful; it’s all about correct placement to see what you want to see!”
Are you seeing more clients prioritize sustainability when choosing smart technology for their spaces?…
