A recent poll from Green Builder Media showed nearly 37% of their “readers believe that Health and Wellness/Indoor Air Quality will be the segment of the housing industry most impacted by the Coronavirus.”
In addition to basic indoor air quality, their data suggests people are also focusing on home healthcare and telemedicine, fitness, cooking and kitchen design, smart home technologies that specifically make homes healthier, resiliency and self-sufficiency, and energy efficiency and onsite energy production. The majority of these topics relate to how we live in our homes. The poll results also show how indoor air quality has gone from being on most people’s “nice to have” list, to now being as important as location to some homebuyers.
Data courtesy Green Builder Media
High profile entrepreneurs are also looking at ways to improve the air quality in our homes. Elon Musk, the eccentric billionaire with an engineering background, has “dabbled” in technology and is the brains behind a few companies you’ve likely heard of - SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity - as well as the Hyperloop concept. Although he has neither confirmed nor denied work on an innovative HVAC system, his comments in recent interviews allude to the fact that he is likely doing so and thinking about a “Tesla Smart Home.”
Being known for his “change the world and help humanity” mindset, it’s no wonder he’s thinking about indoor air quality. Tesla’s Model S, Model X, and Model 3 all utilize HEPA filters that Musk claims are “100 times more effective than premium automotive filters [and remove] at least 99.97% of fine particulate matter and gaseous pollutants, as well as bacteria, viruses, pollen and mold spores.”
As we continue to evaluate how we move forward, it will be fascinating to see what types of new or improved technologies are birthed out of these difficult times. Tell us what you’re seeing that’s new out in the industry for healthy home technology and improved indoor air quality.