Small Steps to Generational Sustainability

We have spent our lives working to build generational wealth; something to leave our family when we are gone. But what about the planet we will leave to enjoy that financial freedom? That comfort would mean so much less to the generations that follow us if they were denied the natural wonders that we take for granted today. What good is a healthy portfolio, without a pristine world to enjoy it in?

The reality is we have to be doing everything we can to protect the future of our families, and that doesn’t mean skimping on the luxuries our hard work affords. Fortunately, we live in a world where technology and community can allow us more than convenience, it can offer sustainability. We don’t have to burn fossil fuels for energy anymore, and the need for city-wide infrastructure is disappearing every year, with several companies investing in the neighborhood or home-centered systems. When new, more efficient solar cells are coupled with high-capacity home battery systems, the need for large-scale infrastructure is removed. Technology allows us access to systems we didn’t have access to before. No more power bills. No more dealing with power company customer service. No more outages or price-hikes, and all with more control over how you use the power you draw from the sun.

Hunters Point is a new take on a community located in Cortez, FL, the designers went a step further. By networking each home inside their Collective, they have ensured that even if you have a very power-hungry week your neighbors are able to lend a “cup” of power. All our Arye homes are at once, contributing to their internal battery system and also back to the grid. If you are all topped up and still producing power, you can lend some to neighbors in need. It’s basically its own power grid shared among the neighborhood. It cuts down on the worry and provides both; a piece of mind, and a cool new way to share.

It's about incremental change. Getting to the end of a complex and arduous journey is taken one step at a time, and saving the planet will need to start at home and radiate from there. By viewing the system of getting electricity from the point it’s generated to the point it’s needed as the goal, the simplest solution was to shorten the journey. Emerging solar technologies allowed us to do that. Solar cells were created decades ago, but have finally become efficient enough to generate significant power with smaller footprints. Batteries became more efficient at storing more power for longer, and are now safe enough to keep in the home. Finally, the power to monitor and control it all became affordable and accessible.

Energy fact: you arguably use more computer power to fire off a Tweet from your couch, than NASA used to guide Apollo 11 to the moon.

With access to the tools, incremental change is not only simple, it's a virtually insignificant change to our everyday lives. It even makes things better. Besides the aforementioned omission of dealing with the power company, purchasing a new Arye at Hunters Point is centered around sustainable power consumption and provides you with the added benefit of total control over how much power you draw and how it is distributed. Another small change that can be made without affecting your daily routine!

The idea of Generational Sustainability is no longer a question of if we should, but a question of how we can. The data is pretty clear, we need to take better care of the world around us if we want to leave the same beautiful planet we enjoy today, for the ones tomorrow. And, like the Six Million Dollar Man, we can… we have the technology. When we are out there investing, we should be taking into account the natural capital we all share and start making smart investments in sustainability. Small sacrifices now, mean our descendants don’t have to make huge sacrifices later.

‍