Smart Homes: A Home Run for Comfort, Convenience, and Energy Efficiency

The future of electricity.

As energy prices soar and technology advances at breakneck speed, many of us may wonder what the future will bring.

• Will electricity still power our homes?
• How will our homes change as devices and appliances get smarter and smarter as artificial intelligence capabilities are improved?

Well, for one, the future of electricity appears solid. Most green transition plans aim to increase electrification, not eliminate it. What will change is how electricity will be generated. The goal is to use greener ways of generating electricity that is less damaging to the environment and won't run out. That involves transitioning from electricity generated by fossil fuels or increasingly scarce water-powered electricity generating plants.Aside from harnessing sun and wind power, hydrogen is the focus of attention to complement renewables to reduce harmful emissions. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in our universe, it's literally everywhere, and when the right combustion process is used, hydrogen has enormous decarbonization potential.

For example, Germany launched a fleet of hydrogen-powered trains in 2022! However, for many reasons, there is a long way to go before hydrogen can be used to cater to our power needs at the scale required to meet demand, and a lot of money must be first invested to adapt infrastructure to use hydrogen power. But sooner or later, it will happen.

The future holds the promise of more energy-efficient, innovative vehicles and homes: smarter vehicles, appliances, and devices that will run the show for you.

Driving may become optional!

Trends indicate that our vehicles will become more than just a way to get from A to B.

It is worth looking at Audi; the car manufacturer's bet for the vehicle of the future, the Audi Skysphere, transforms current concepts of vehicles as mere means of transport to becoming an integrated and connected extension of our homes and offices. Vehicles will be self-driving, have more touch and voice sensors to operate doors and devices, and will be designed for sleep, rest, work, and entertainment.

People are already spending much more time working from home and that trend is set to increase, so a likely future direction is a seamless existence between transport and your home. The commute of the future will no longer be a sweaty, stressful experience. Instead, you will enjoy a smooth, comfortable journey with a choice of using your non-driving time to for entertainment or work. Cars will be fitted with internet connectivity for video calls and entertainment systems that rival your home cinema setup.

Smart home technology advancements.

Back at home, you will be able to issue commands to your home's appliances, lights, and devices using your voice. The Internet of Things (IoT), where appliances and devices talk to each other independently, will become more common. The future home will have devices and appliances that are increasingly interconnected and interoperable. This means you will be able to manage most homes functions through just one central command interface or your voice. No more figuring out how to use a different app for each device or appliance or choosing from 15 different remote controls lined up along the arm of your sofa.

Appliances are already so smart we barely know how to work them. But beware, they are going to get way smarter as Artificial Intelligence and chip processing power improve. Eventually, everything in your home will be interconnected and programmable. You will be able to interact with your appliances as you do with Alexa. The new GE Profile Washing Machine is a good example, as it comes with Alexa installed and is designed to take away the pain of doing laundry. You can give it commands like Alexa, wash my linen pants with red wine stains (Quote from Wired Article), and it will do anything you ask in the most effective and energy-efficient way. No more scrolling through online manuals.

Alexa-like devices will be installed in more and more appliances and devices for you to interact with, like the example of the washing machine above. You will tell each device or appliance what to do, though unless robots have advanced, you'll still have to lug your laundry to the machine, fold it, and put it away  but who knows what the robotic future holds.

Just imagine. You are out for a nice meal with friends, and as dessert is served, your house is preparing itself for your return.

As your voice-operated security system lets you in, you are welcomed by the optimal comfort temperature set energy-efficiently by your home. You smell the delightful waft of tomorrow's meal simmering away and the fresh smell of your laundry already washed and dried. Your rugs will have been freshly vacuumed too.

Time energy efficiency and your convenience and comfort are the primary drivers for the future home.

Donkey work no more!

Much has been published about AI's advances in understanding natural human language with Chat GPT4 and similar. This essentially paves the way for a future of increased everyday interaction between ordinary humans and machines by just speaking normally. The idea is to liberate us from mundane, repetitive tasks, thus freeing us up for more value-adding or creative tasks and leisure time.

Electricity, automation, smart devices, and appliances will be a huge part of our future homes and lives.

As with all innovation, adoption happens at different speeds, and scaling depends on affordability. The more innovative homes of the early adopters will no doubt require deeper pockets, but in time, as it was with computers, every home will be smarter than us.

Until then, most of us will still have to turn the dial on our washing machines, furrow our brows to understand our appliances, and drive ourselves to work in our carbon-emitting cars.

If you would like options for smart devices in your home, call us at Randy's Electric and have a certified, experienced electrician take a look.

Contact Randy's Electric for Expert Help

If you find yourself in the case of needing a trusted, certified electrician, call Randy's Electric at 763-560-5600.

Randy's Electric provides comprehensive electrical services to help Minneapolis homes stay safe and well-lit. From fixture replacement to rewiring and electrical panel replacement, our team has the skills and expertise to solve virtually any electrical problem. Randy's Electric services homes all around the metro area. Find an electrician in Stillwater, Blaine, Bloomington, Farmington, Lakeville, Maple Grove, Plymouth, Minnetonka, and many more cities.

‍Contact our team today to schedule an electrical service for your home!