Economics

4 Green Technologies Shaping the Future

Black Painting Wall

When you plan to fix up your home, you may be overwhelmed when you think about where you can invest your time and money. When your HVAC system unexpectedly breaks down, for example, you are going to service it quickly, but what about long-term improvements to help you live a more eco-friendly lifestyle? Technology changes rapidly, and you want to know what to look for when planning for projects such as home renovations. Consider the following new green technologies that are shaping the future.

Solar Paint

Rather than decorating your walls with solar panels, you can instead use paint to absorb sunlight and harness this energy (as long as you live in a humid environment). Solar paint is still in development and should be on the market soon (at an affordable rate). With this paint, you can passively collect energy to help power your house and lower your typical energy costs. Until this paint becomes available, you may want to put off painting your fence or new shed until it becomes available.

Low-Carbon Cement

If you are adding a new shed or structure to your backyard, consider using low-carbon cement instead of typical cement. If you go with this choice, you can permit 70 percent less carbon to enter the environment than regular cement. Low-carbon cement adds less limestone, and the carbon dioxide that is released is locked into the hardened cement rather than escaping into the atmosphere.

Smart Grid

With the ever-increasing demand of electricity, you want to fully understand where you’re spending your energy. Smart meters help you collect accurate data about the energy you use in your home. Rather than simply seeing the total amount of energy you are spending, the meter will help you accurately assess what is using the most energy so that you can alter your habits accordingly.

The nationwide smart grid should benefit the United States by restoring power sooner after outages and helping individuals integrate energy-saving technology in the future.

Fuel Cells

If you prefer to be completely off the grid, instead of a smart meter, you can look into fuel cell technology. A fuel cell stack can be installed outside of your home, and it only needs hydrogen to function. Hydrogen is used as the energy carrier to make the fuel cell stack run. To supply the hydrogen, you have the option to decide between delivery and electrolyzing water at home, which would be the more sustainable option. The latter can allow you to power your house with clean energy that won’t break the bank.

While technology changes rapidly, it is critical to use energy-efficient appliances and units such as your HVAC system to lower your energy consumption. Making green technology a priority not only helps the environment, but it can also ensure that your house does not depreciate in, but gain, value over time. Remember, as you are looking for ways to improve your home and your overall lifestyle, the future is a green one.

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Aaron Gordon is a writer for various CosmoBC.com blogs.

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