Page 57 - Green Builder Magazine March-April 2018 Issue

At CES, The Flex House became a fully functioning
SECOND COMING Smart Home 2.0, demonstrating technologies that

save energy, water and other resources. BY JULIET GRABLE

AS COMPANIES JOCKEY FOR POSITION in the burgeoning

smart home market, questions about the true usefulness of
smart home technology inevitably arise. Do we really need

our toasters to be connected, or to talk to our refrigerators?
How much is hype, and how much will smart home
technology really be able to help the built environment

become more sustainable and resilient? Green Builder CEO
Sara Gutterman believes that the next wave of smart home

technology—what she calls Smart Home 2.0—will help
separate the hope from the hype. It’s something The Flex
House aptly demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics

Show in Las Vegas.
“CES is truly an incred ible show, showcasing the most

innovative advancements in everything from artificial
intelligence to autonomous driving to virtual reality,” says

Gutterman. “But there were many products at CES that
seem to exist simply for the cool factor and don’t have

much meaning. By bringing The Flex House to CES, we
endeavored to showcase how technology designed with a
purpose can play a role in reducing energy and water use,

optimizing renewable energy generation and storage,
and keeping our families healthy, safe and protected.”

54-59 GB 0318 Flex House.indd 55 4/20/18 10:19 AM