Hey Alexa – what is the “Internet of Things”?
Remember when we used to listen to our speakers? And now our speakers actually listen… to us too? Yes, that my friends, is an example of the Internet of things ! In addition to being a phrase we usually hear from tech guru’s and start up veterans, it refers to: “the interconnection via the Internet of computing devices embedded in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data” – ( From our trusted friend, Google)
(Designed by Yours [very ammature] Truly)
The Alexa ‘hype’ rode out its wave, but the Alexa convenience and entertainment factor is still very much prevelant. Today, we can ask our speaker to play a specific song, tell us the weather or even spew random historic facts. We have managed to connect the internet to otherwise daily objects, to make our lives easier. But can daily objects help make us more sustainable? The answer is YES! And there is one specific company that caught on to this possibiltiy really well. I present to you : ecobee
Born out of the mind of a man who wanted to reduce both his personal carbon footprint and expenditure on energy, ecobee provides “smart thermostats” – Wifi enabled thermostats that also come with room sensors. The sensors can detect room occupancy and communicate this to the thermostat, which can then adjust the temperature. I.e. Reducing the temperature (during the winter) once you have left the room, in order to conserve energy and , save you money!
This is a prime example of using technology to create shared value. Ecobee’s founder sought out a way to gain ecobomic value by solving a social issue : energy consumption and lack of environmental stability. I truly believe that this is the path forward – making social issues our core business purposes, our value propositions! This will mean that our daily consumption is inherently more responsible consumption, because we now have objects that are in fact, accountable for themsleves, and to a big extent, for us!
Hi!
I really liked the way you introduced us to the topic!
Personally, I’m amazed by the accelerating path technology is taking in our lives and in businesses. It’s no secret more sooner than later we will be using A.I. as one coworker more. One that can help us gathering data, finding patterns and optimizing our time. It is also very important that we think about sustainability as we include tech to our value chains.
I’m fascinated by all the new innovations out there like ecobee that help make us more sustainable. In particular, I’m curious as to whether we are truly fixing the root of our problems by inventing new technology or is it our behavior that needs to be changed? When it comes to sustainability, I think both solutions are viable depending on the context and fall on a spectrum rather than being binary. In terms of energy consumption and lack of environmental stability, I agree technology like ecobee will help instill new consumption behaviors but consumers need to be aware of the root problem before using technology as the sole solution.
As you said, it is exciting and a significant step towards sustainability that products which aim at guiding us towards more ecological and responsible practices start to arise and succeed in the market. While reading your post, it came to my mind a resource which I find tremendously useful when trying to make our own life and individual acts more responsible. This resource is called: The Lazy Person’s Guide to Saving the World. This guide created by the UN itself has the goal to remind us that you don’t have to be a multinational corporation or a country like Sweden to make a difference. Even the “smallest” of actions can make a meaningful impact—and all you have to be is you. The 17 SDG Goals, 169 specific targets, and a deadline of 2030 can feel overwhelming. However, this guide tells you how to become more sustainable even without moving from the couch.
Check out the guide here: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/takeaction/
Thank you Nuria! I actually quite enjoyed reading the guide! I try to live a more “concsious” lifestyle, or rather as sustainable as I can be at the moment – but this has shown me that there are much simpler ways to incorporate sustainability into my daily routine.
Hello Ritual,
Thanks for sharing such an interesting device with us. I think technology definitely plays a critical role in modern society development as more and more people are getting dependent on it. The smart home is an emerging technology that has made people’s life much more manageable than before, and I am confident it will be adopted by the mainstream society one day. I think it is really smart and foresighted for the founder of Ecobee to integrate sustainability into technology because we all know that people are selfish and most consumers would not purchase something that’s green but with compromised quality or utility, but Ecobee is a great example to show people a product can be smart and sustainable at the same time.
Thanks for the good read! I agree that this technology can enable responsibility in terms of sustainability. Similar to Chloe’s thoughts, I think a common belief is that smart and sustainable are incompatible so Ecobee is doing a great job in disrupting this barrier. I’m curious to know what you’re thoughts are on the more social responsibility aspects of IOT in terms of data security and transparency? A lot of the critique of the IOT regards the ways companies use the data that these technologies collect, and even if they are being honest with data usage – the integrity risks that are present from hacks and leaks etc. Would you say that while IOT technologies can advance environmental sustainability, they may harm social responsibility?
This is a cool little product, thank you for sharing! I think it’s a great example of combining value for consumers with value for the earth, which is when I think sustainable products are the most successful. I think it would be an appealing product for not only passionate sustainability consumers, but also those who need a bit more convincing to buy sustainable products. The product reminds me of the segment we read about a few weeks ago in The New Rules of Green Marketing by Jacquelyn Ottman- Conventionals- who ask their children to put on sweaters instead of turning up the heat when they’re cold. They’re sustainable when it’s practical- this would be the perfect product for them to balance the sweater rule with some heat when necessary. I wonder if Ecobee is targeting that segment intentionally with its promotions!
(PS- nice homemade graphic!!)
Thanks Madison! I definitely agree with you that this is not only valuable for consumers who are already sustainable, but those who need a little nudge in this direction!
I never related this to that article but it definitely makes sense! I’m honestly not too sure that ecobee is targetting that segment intentionnaly, but its a pot of gold!
What an interesting topic! I have not heard of this gadget before which is why I immediately looked it up after reading your post. I was really surprised that Ecobee was founded in 2007 as I imagined it to be much younger. Another smart gadget I recently read about is the “Hydrao Shower Aloe”. It helps you to save water when showering. It is linked to your smartphone so that you can track your water use. Also, it will show you when you have used a certain amount of water by blinking in different lights. I am happy to read that there are such innovative solutions that help to be more sustainable.