Green Homes Special Series: Part Twelve: Home Controls

“Consider a lighting circuit controlled by a traditional toggle switch,” he says. “Turn on the switch and each bulb instantly goes to 100 percent every time. Replace that switch with Leviton’s Vizia + or Vizia RF + dimmer and, beyond the obvious ability to dim the lights, the user has added benefits. If the new Energy Save Mode is engaged, the user will reduce energy consumption every time that dimmer is used because that mode allows a maximum brightness level to be preset. The return is savings in energy use and extended bulb life—and less hassle if the lights in a circuit are 15 feet up in a cathedral ceiling.” Home Automation, Inc.’s Omnistat is a programmable communicating thermostat. (c) HAI Sullivan says the benefits can be expanded by uniting all home control devices into a common wireless system, such as Leviton’s Vizia RF +, which uses Z-Wave® wireless technology. That wireless mesh network has no central controller, removing reliance on a device that has the potential to bring down a system, he says. The system allows a homeowner to schedule events such as turning the porch lights on at dusk, dimming them at midnight and turning them off at dawn. Leviton’s system with its remote access capability can even save on gasoline, he says. “Leviton’s two-way status updating in its Vizia RF + products provides information that can be displayed on a cell phone. The phone can indicate whether individual lighting controllers are on or off. When a device is selected remotely and turned off, the Vizia RF + products will respond to the mobile phone and update the status on screen. When the sudden thought ‘Did I turn off the porch lights?’ hits you when you're 10 miles from home, you can check and act to change it. That's 30 fewer miles spent driving—at today's fuel prices—to turn off the lights.” Home Automation, Inc., (or HAI), based in New Orleans, La., manufactures control systems and products, including energy management tools. CEO Jay McLellan says a home often has many control components and it doesn’t cost much more to make them work together for homeowner comfort and convenience. HAI’s tools include programmable communicating thermostats that have the ability to exchange information with an electric meter to show the current cost of energy, amount of energy used and what the next utility bill will be. The company’s heavy-duty control modules can control water heaters and pool pumps. With its home control system, which can be linked to remotely with handheld mobile devices running Windows® Mobile operating software, users can monitor and control lights and temperatures as well as security, audio and Web cams. Intermatic, based in Spring Grove, Ill., manufactures consumer and industrial energy control products. Its InTouch and HomeSettings control systems both use Z-Wave® protocol. Intermatic’s Whitcomb says its home controls can be wired into the wall as a typical electric receptacle would be or plugged into receptacles. They can work alone or as part of a whole-house network. Prices vary with homeowner needs and talents. A HomeSettings starter kit with two devices and a controller is about $100 retail. It allows the DIY homeowner to get started with one room or a room and a hallway and grow a system as needed. Its InTouch entry kit for a 2,500–square-foot home for those hiring professional installers sells for about $1,000, not including installation. For homeowners who want to grow their systems over time, products can be purchased separately. Professional-grade home controllers are upgradeable via the Internet as firmware is updated to provide more capabilities.

...Continued - Page 2 of 3 ( 1 2 3 )
< Previous Page | Next Page >