The concept of smart homes has had different false stories in recent decades and new technologies are starting to vie for the attention of homeowners, with the potential to better control energy and water use. Smart speaker technologies such as Amazon’s Echo, Google Home, and Apple’s Siri have all made inroads through their voice interaction capabilities. Virtually, we can control the temperature in the hot water tank. We have so many systems that support a consumer for controlling energy, water, and security.

These technologies will become so interconnected and intelligent that human intervention is hardly needed. When they are AI-enabled, the systems and design solutions of a building. When installed in a visible location, they serve as reminders and motivators for residents to monitor their energy use, resulting in a minimum 5 percent reduction in consumption peaks. The Smart meter implementation is starting to take off in emerging markets. A large-scale developer of affordable green homes in Mexico has also installed smart meters in each of its solar-powered residences.