The Bathroom
Data will drive everything, connecting the social, mental and physical aspects of our lives and bathrooms of the future could be technologically interconnected to your smart home ecosystem, like Google or Alexa. Saving water will be a priority, instead of disappearing down the drain, waste water – whether from the bath or the washing machine – could be captured, stored and repurposed for heating, or refiltered to make our homes water self-sufficient.
Battery Power
The ability to store electricity for later use is already a feature in homes that have their own renewable sources such as solar panels, but this could become commonplace in the future. Throughout the day, solar panels could generate electricity for the house or recharge the home battery, which could be used at night or even potentially sold to the national grid, so that generating power in your home could actually make you money.
The Family Car
Giles Blair, editor of the Daily Record’s Road Record, says car makers around the globe are developing electric vehicles that can be charged more efficiently and have a greater range. He said: “This will make them more attractive to families. And smart meters and chargers can make life with an EV even cheaper and greener, ensuring cars are powered up during off-peak periods or when variable renewable energy is abundant.”
The Kitchen
It is likely that microwaves, fridges, washing machines, dishwashers and other gadgets will still be here, though they’ll operate more efficiently. Dr Larissa Pschetz at the University of Edinburgh has already developed the Karma Kettle, which can store excess electricity when it’s being produced in abundance and even share that with neighbours. We can also look forward to smarter fridges, which might send out text reminders when stocks of supplies such as milk are running low.
The Building
We won’t knock down old buildings because culturally they are part of our identity, however, advanced materials will insulate them better allowing us to use far less energy. Behaviours inside will also change radically as technology and software impacts every room. Artificial intelligence (AI) will predict and manage all our needs from heating to food supplies.