“Green” is more than just a colour - it is now a catchphrase to signify a whole new way of living. The term sustainable living is used to describe a lifestyle that aims to reduce the negative environmental impact of our actions as far as possible, from the food we eat to the way we travel. With the newer generation of homebuyers being more environmentally aware, green living has taken a more literal meaning - green, or environmentally sustainable living spaces have seen a huge jump in demand in the last decade.
Technology has had a key part to play in helping to minimise negative environmental impact. This is no different in the real estate industry, with home buyers and developers alike leveraging technology to live in sustainable manner.
Proptech
Proptech - or property technology - refers to technological innovations that are integrated into consumers’ living spaces, making them ‘smart homes’. Apart from making residents’ lives easier, proptech innovations also help to reduce the negative impact on the environment.
Some examples of environmentally-friendly gadgets include air conditioners and lights with motion sensors that automatically switch off in an empty room, energy-efficient LED lights, and even a new technology designed to remove environmentally damaging microfibers from home laundry wastewater.
Sansiri’s partner Farmshelf, a smart indoor farming solution, allows residents to be ethical in their eating habits. Its state-of-the-art farming technology facilitates the growing of sustainable crops in urban homes, hence reducing the usage of plastic packaging and minimising the carbon footprint as a whole.
Blockchain
Blockchain technology transcends industry, with the real estate sphere also seeing rapid growth through advancements in this area of innovation. It helps to eliminate or diminish the role of the middle-man in any given scenario, drastically reducing costs and administrative time. One way that the technology can be utilised to ‘go green’ is through peer-to-peer energy trading.
Sansiri has been working with BCPG Public Corporation and Australia-based start-up Power Ledger to bring blockchain to Thailand’s real estate industry. Capitalising on the recent ‘upcycling’ trend, BCPG and Power Ledger have deployed solar rooftop facilities for commercial and residential units of the buildings in Sansiri’s T77 community in On Nut, Bangkok. Owners of the community mall, school and Sansiri’ service apartments will be able to buy and sell their own electricity via a blockchain platform hosted by BCPG.
This will help residents be more conscious of their electricity usage, and also serves as a form of reward for those who use less, as they would be able to sell their unused electricity back to the authorities.
Developer Initiatives
With market and client demand being major push factors, it is no wonder that real estate developers are racing to take on the responsibility of implementing eco-friendly initiatives and investing in green building. From the sourcing of environmentally sustainable construction materials to the intentional placement of foliage and towers to maximise natural daylight as well as ventilation, in turn allowing residents to reduce electricity usage, developers can “go green” at multiple stages of the construction process, and even after that.
Sansiri recently launched Smart Move, Thailand’s first residential ride-sharing service platform. Partnering with Honda, Grab, ofo, Haupcar, SHARGE and EA Anywhere, Sansiri offers its residents the option to travel green, on all modes of transport from bicycles to electric cars.
Another way that Sansiri has committed to be eco-friendly in its construction process is through its Green Hope initiative. Sansiri’s Green Hope Learning Centre, a 2-storey library, is built entirely out of recycled construction waste material such as steel, wood and brick. The library also serves as a children’s creative learning centre and a community development centre, to help Sansiri get familiar with its surrounding communities to better understand their needs.
Sansiri’s Eco-Collection is a collection of furniture and building materials created from debris and construction waste from its residential developments - a step in the right direction for reducing its negative environmental impact.
Property Value
Green buildings are having a positive impact on not just the environment, but also the property markets. Properties considered to be environmentally sustainable tend to be more popular and sell for a higher price - about 7% more - as buyers recognise the long-term economic and environmental benefits.
Having won the prestigious LEED certification for its flagship development 98 Wireless, and investing in proptech innovation and technology with SIRI VENTURES, Sansiri is well on its way to complete the living experience of their residents with sustainable future homes.