Home Automation for Smart Home Solutions

"macros" is just one of the ways in which home automation makes our lives easier. Time-activated nighttime scenes can automatically adjust the thermostat, turn off interior or exterior lights and set the security system. As more companies look to manufacture products that can integrate with an automated home, the homeowner is given more control and options. X10, the leader in Power Line Carrier (PLC)-enabled home-automation products, already has products in more than five million U.S. homes, spanning security, lighting, HVAC, entertainment and media. "Our wireless extenders allow users to wirelessly connect their iPods or MP3 players to their home stereo system, and our Lola system allows them to wirelessly access all the songs on their PC through the home stereo system and TV," says David Rye, senior vice president. Automation Options for Every Home New construction options make home automation simple through structured, or bundled, wiring solutions that bring full media, entertainment and home-control communication to every room of the house. Retrofitting an existing home to become automated can be as easy as plugging modules into outlets or replacing light switches with automated dimmers and switches. There are home automation devices—Powerline Carrier or PLC devices—that use the existing electrical wires in the home to communicate. Plug-in devices use wireless radio frequency (RF) technology to communicate and activate automated appliances. From the professional installation to the DIY project, home automation can be brought into the home in a variety of ways, depending on budget and desired outcome. Whole-home structured wiring solutions sit on the high end of the price scale, but many companies sell plug-in starter kits for under $100. These kits usually include a control device or remote and plug-in modules that connect lamps and lighting systems. "Homeowners can start small and take on one project at a time," Fairbanks says. "Maybe a desktop controller to turn on all the exterior lights when there’s a noise outside, some sort of piece-of-mind application. From there the system can be added to and grown."

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