How Retrofitting Homes Can Help Reduce Carbon Emissions
Author: Jamie Hailstone
Alex Bazhinov, founder and president of smart circuit company Lumin, commented that in the United States residential end-uses account for about 40% of the total carbon emissions from electricity generation. He said up until the recent energy price hikes, most people do not spend a lot of time thinking about the amount they use, and how that relates to carbon emissions. Bazhinov said he believes the mass adoption of electric vehicles and smart home systems will start many people thinking about their energy usage. “Things have to be automated in to achieve efficiency, and to achieve a reduction in carbon emissions,” he said. “This should happen without your direct involvement,” he added. “If your goal is to minimize carbon emissions, tell it your home, and it should be able to do that based on various inputs.” He pointed to the example of Germany, where he said there is no third-party data for landlords to access to understand the current state of their housing stock. He said in Germany, Plentific is looking at a lot of external insulation, solar energy and heat pump solutions. Cem Savas, CEO and co-founder of property platform Plentific told Forbes the quickest and biggest way to drive carbon emissions down is through improving the energy efficiency of a country’s housing stock. Savas added that technology can also play a role in tackling poor ventilation and indoor air quality in socially rented homes. “An Internet of Things system can measure air quality and trigger the right information to help tenants, like warning them to open the windows,” he said.