While smart homes are typically about connected and automated devices and appliances, making it a super convenient and comfortable living experience for residents, there is one connection that we often seem to miss when we speak of smart homes — the inextricable connection with the indoor home environment.
After all, smart living is also about smart breathing. Unless we breathe clean and pure air even within our homes, smart living remains an incomplete aspiration. Therefore, as we pivot big time to a modern lifestyle with nearly 24/7 gadgets, utilities, and network dependency within our homes, a sense of balance with respect to the indoor ambiance must also be attained. And this balance necessarily means breathing pristine, unadulterated pure air even at homes.
Don't forget we breathe 24/7 even when living in smart homes
Of course, in this time and age when we are actively using some smart device or the other within the premises of our smart homes most of the time, the point that we are also breathing 24/7 need not be as labored. However, the question is: whether the quality of the air that we are breathing indoors is commensurate with the aspiration for this so-called quality of life and experience of living in high-class homes. In other words, even as we think we are living the 'high life' using all the fancy gadgets and increasing convenience in life, unless we breathe the right air, the desire and dream of quality living will not find true meaning.
Don't forget we breathe 24/7 even when living in smart homes. | Photo by Ale Romo Photography on Unsplash
Indoor air is worse than outdoor air
Contrary to the popular perception that the air quality in the external settings is worse than that of indoors, the reality is that indoor air is often found to be more impure and unhygienic for our health and living. This is not only because outdoor air gets natural circulation and revitalization as opposed to indoor air with a higher likelihood of getting stale by its very nature. But this is also based on solid scientific evidence. In fact, the levels of indoor air pollutants are often 2 to 5 times higher than outdoor levels and can even top the outdoor levels of the same pollutants 100 times in some cases. In these times of pandemic, it is worthwhile mentioning that even the transmission rate of the coronavirus is higher in indoor settings than outdoors.
Indoor air is often found to be more impure and unhygienic for our health and living. | Photo by Kaleidico on Unsplash
Efficient energy use reminds us of the need for efficient human energy too
Smart homes naturally mean the most efficient and optimized energy use. There is a bit of irony in the fact that while we are living in an optimized energy-based setup, we are not optimizing our own energy here if we ignore indoor air quality. Breathing is a source of energy that sustains our body with oxygen, a life force that creates nearly 90 per cent of our bodily energy. If we wish to get the best of our breathing and internal energy system and indeed make everyday life and related pursuits more fulfilling, we need to breathe clean purified air all the time. A healthy life starts with breathing healthy air.
Smart homes naturally mean most efficient and optimized energy use. | Photo by Unsplash
In a nutshell, unless we have indoor air purification — of the smart kind or otherwise — within our smart homes, even living in smart homes doesn't make us smart enough! (IANS/ MBI)
Keywords: smart homes, energy, indoor, air, breathing, outdoor, smart, air purification