Smart technology is at the forefront of everything we do. From newly expanded curbside pickup facilitated by online grocery shopping, to virtual visits to the doctor, smart technology touches nearly every facet of our lives.

For some, smart technology can be distracting and even stressful to use. The introduction of new technology to the market often comes with a learning curve. But for others, smart technology can make their lives easier, by offering ease, simplicity and streamlined processes.

As more smart tech enters the consumer market, the decision of how individuals and/or businesses prioritize which technologies to adopt can be overwhelming. But choosing the right device doesn’t have to be complicated – in fact, incorporating it into your daily life can boast significant advantages.

Canadians are increasingly adopting smart technologies, as a means to pursue more sustainable and efficient lifestyles. As economies reopen and vaccination rates rise, there is no better time to pursue smart technologies for this purpose.

‘Smart’ technology – What is it and where does it apply?

We’ve all heard of smart technology, but what does it really mean? In layman’s terms, smart technology is defined as an interaction between the customer and the product. It goes beyond the basic traditional communication between a person and a thing, such as the physical flipping of a light switch. Instead, it offers greater interaction and control and aims to make contact easier by removing an additional step.

Smart technology comes in many shapes and sizes and can be categorized under a variety of umbrellas. Home technology, personal technology, entertainment, fitness and sustainability are just the tip of a very big (and very automated) iceberg.

Just how popular is smart tech? Fourteen percent of Canadians own at least one smart home device –and this trend is growing, especially as more people practice efficient ways to conserve energy and time. However, the initial barriers to entry with smart technology can be difficult to overcome. Not only is there typically a steep upfront cost, but when faced with the onslaught of home and personal tech options in the market, it can be difficult to narrow down your choice.

While the percentage of Canadians who own at least one piece of smart technology is small by comparison, of those who have purchased, 78% say they plan to purchase more smart technology within the next year. The most purchased smart technologies by Canadians include personal assistants, smart appliances, lighting control and security technologies. What’s stopping the other portion of Canadians from hopping on the connectivity bandwagon? Concerns of cybersecurity, price and the notion they simply don’t need it, remain at the forefront.

As more products become available at more affordable prices, early-adopting generations continue to enter the workforce, and smart tech becomes the norm in our everyday lives, it’s easy to predict that the percentage of Canadians who own smart tech devices will increase.

As Millennials and Generation Z gain expendable income and prioritize smart tech purchases, there will be a significant shift in market demand. Consumers are not just looking for smart tech that will make their lives easier, they’re looking for technology that looks as good as it performs and delivers on their investment.

Sustainability and smart technology

Smart tech can now help us achieve a more sustainable life at home – whether it’s upgrading existing facilities, building a new, connected home from the ground up, or simply incorporating small efforts to be more environmentally conscious in your daily life. Smart home technology can make it easy to reduce your carbon footprint. Recently, Canadians have begun to embrace smart home lighting such as lightbulbs, smart plugs, light switches and other electrical automation – this ensures your devices are only on when you need or want them to be.

Smart home technology plays a major role in sustainability, allowing for technologies and innovations that would otherwise not be possible. Available smart technologies for ‘greenifying’ your home include smart thermostats for precise and timed temperature control, power-saving and smart-controlled lighting, window treatments and water irrigation systems.

In addition to energy maximizing solutions like ensuring proper insulation and upgrading your doors and windows, technology-forward actions can be taken to monitor and manage how and when energy is used in your home. Monitoring your own energy reduction is easy, actionable and accessible on your monthly billing – installing new outfits and smart tech will lead to immediate results and cost savings.

Installing smart or connected breakers and upgrading the electrical paneling in your home is an effective solution that works hard behind the scenes. Available technologies enable clean wiring with faster installation and increased connectivity. While implementing these connected solutions are often easy steps to incorporate within existing home automation systems, many consumers overlook them when it comes to energy savings.

Installing an energy management system to provide a complete picture into your home’s energy usage is an easy and effective first step to reducing your energy consumption and becoming more conscious of your actions. Smart home systems applications are an integral part of any smart home and drive the level of visibility and control needed to keep tabs on your home by notifying you whens devices are on or off and monitoring home energy usage in real-time, for a safer and more efficient home.

These solutions help homeowners see significant savings in energy consumption in their homes, helping them do their part to make Canada and the world a better place, as we work towards achieving our net zero goals.

Smart, sustainable technology and Canadians

When looking at the broader conversation surrounding sustainability, the onus often falls on emerging technologies, such as wind and solar, to help reduce our carbon emissions. While these technologies play an important role in the race to climate action, there are other, more immediate and available actions and initiatives related to our current energy consumption we can take.

Many people focus on the generation side of power as the solution to this growing issue, but it will take large actions, along with millions of small steps, to reduce our carbon emissions. The “greenification” of our homes is one way that each of us can contribute.

Canadians should consider the choices available to them and invest their time and money into smart technologies to make their homes more sustainable. With more information and technologies available than ever before, the options and unique personalization available to consumers mean some solutions fit every need, every budget and every home. Simply put, there’s no time like the present.

Most homeowners are led to believe that cost is the biggest impediment to “greenifying” our homes and making them more efficient. However, through current government incentive programs like the Canada Greener Homes Grant program, which provides up to $5,000 in incentives for homeowners to make their homes more efficient, there has never been a better time to take on this project.

When faced with subsidies and grants, as well as an endless catalog of sustainable options, the real question is why shouldn’t Canadians take the plunge and upgrade?

Future implications

Thinking of the future, especially after an unpredictable 18 months, can be difficult. Yet Canadian communities will need to become increasingly adaptive as we prepare for the climate crisis and consider how to turn the ship around. More sustainable action means better communities, better air, better drinking water and a better future for generations to come.

By monitoring our personal energy consumption and reducing the amount of energy we use in our homes, we can all make a significant impact. If we consume less now, the need to generate more power will go down.

But we all know that carbon targets will never be met with more efficient power generation solutions alone. With macro-economic drivers in our society like (1) increased urbanization and population growth, (2) manufacturing growth in developing countries, and (3) increased global demand for technology, data centers are under significant demand. We will need to be 2.5 times as efficient in our energy consumption just to hit current carbon targets, let alone stretch targets for reduction.

Essentially, all the efforts in the world mean nothing if we, the consumers, don’t mitigate our consumption and become more conscious of our impact. The implications of climate change don’t discriminate and if communities don’t rally now to warrant the healthy future of one another, other efforts may not be enough.

One simple, actionable step forward is to reduce our home energy consumption and in doing so, we can help contribute to better and more efficient communities for today and tomorrow.

Rally your grant application skills, browse the Internet for available smart home technology options and prepare to make an impact. Your community will thank you.