building sustainable smart homes
TRANSCRIPT
Building Sustainable Smart Homes
Marco Blumendorf TU-‐Berlin / yetu AG
I‘ll talk about ...
• Defining sustainability • Sustainable homes -‐> Shall we make them smart?
• Technology / Smart Homes -‐> Can we make them sustainable?
• Sustainable Smart Homes • The End...
Having a look around...
Defining Sustainability
• Brundtland Commission (1987): “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generaSons to meet their own needs”
Defining Sustainability • Karl-‐Henrik Robèrt (The Natural Step): “the only processes that we
can rely on indefinitely are cyclical; all linear processes must eventually come to an end”
Defining Sustainability Holling: The heart of sustainability are “structure[s] in which systems of nature […], of humans […] and combined human-‐nature systems are interlinked in never-‐ending adapSve cycles.”
“We recognize that human behavior and nature’s dynamic are linked in an evolving system. We realize that the seeming paradox of change and stability inherent in evolving systems is the essence of sustainable futures.”
⇒ Cyclic & Evolving
From hbp://www.resalliance.org/index.php/panarchy
Sustainable Homes ... • use of environmental friendly resources for building and living • harvest and grow what is needed (water, energy, food, ...) • reuse and recycle (water, heat, cold, compost, ...) • opSmize processes (venSlaSon, air flows, energy usage, ...) • opSmize consumpSon, minimize where needed • are comfortable and inspiring • provide a healthy living environment and sSmulate producSvity • provide security and safety • integrate into (local) economies and communiSes
Sustainable Homes – 3 Types
hbp://sustainablehouse.com.au/ hbp://www.sustainablehouse.ca
hbp://simondale.net/house
• natural/back to the roots approaches • minimal technology integraSon (electrical lighSng,
music and compuSng faciliSes) • (conSnuously) improved exisSng houses
– standard equipment (computer, fridge, electric lights, stereo, etc) but aim at low power devices
• hightech homes – standard appliance with low energy intake + high-‐tech products to reduce daily footprint
Dangers of Technology • hard-‐to-‐recycle or -‐reuse materials • toxic producSon processes and electronic waste
(40 million tons of electronic waste every year) • growing energy hunger
(current home automaSon approaches consume more energy than they save)
• conSnuous maintenance, updates and replacements • unexplored issues related to environmental issues, health,
social effects, informaSon overload and computer devices that make life more complex and frustraSng
⇒ quite the opposite to the sustainable homes defini<on
Chances of Technology • new processor technology uses 6-‐100 Smes less energy • cloud compuSng reduces the need for individual computers and
actual home appliances need to be less smart • compostable computer parts are in the making • rouSng protocols that ensure the use of minimum energy routes • design for longer life spans and dynamic change and provide open
system that can dynamically evolve over Sme • the Cradle-‐to-‐Cradle concept
Sustainable Smart Homes • deliver beber planning and building results • automate and opSmize processes to use energy, water, etc more
efficiently • monitoring processes and make them more transparent (energy,
(hot) water supply, ...) • support acSviSes and consumpSon decisions • reward sustainable behavior • provide comfort, security and safety • facilitate local and global communiSes
The end ... • ICT needs to face its inherent unsustainability, but there are great
approaches already!
• Hardware and sonware and the building itself will need to be able to evolve over Sme and to adapt to changing needs and integrate into real cycles.
• We need to go one step further. We need correcSve rather than preservaSve behavior to restore and improve our resources rather than just abstain from consuming and wasSng them.
• Sustainable and correcSve thinking and behavior have to become core parts of our lives to define a sustainable lifestyle for over 7 billion people … and homes are just a star<ng point!
