Home Automation Provides Energy Savings and Convenience

In our whirlwind world, time is at a premium and convenience is the name of the game. Devices that can save time or effort and increase enjoyment of life are more popular than ever with home owners.

While clothes washers, dryers, dishwashers and other appliances have been around for many years, the relatively new realm of home automation is rapidly gaining popularity, and not simply with high end homes. Home automation, also known as home control, offers the luxury and convenience to mange household systems effortlessly. In essence, a home control system orchestrates all the systems in your home to work in perfect harmony.

Sophisticated microprocessors precisely integrate the control of household items such as:
• Stereo or home theatre
• Shades and blinds
• Climate control system
• Lighting
• Security system
• Irrigation

With the comprehensive new options available, it’s no longer science fiction to arrive home to a well lighted house, have the drapes open automatically and the home theater system load your favorite music before you’ve even exited your vehicle. It sounds too good to be true, but more and more new homes are coming installed with this kind of technology, and homeowners are also retrofitting existing homes with these features as well.

Home control can also significantly impact energy efficiency, with features such as a zoned climate control system. With an ordinary climate control system, the thermostat is set in a central location in the house, and the air conditioning or furnace runs until that part of the house has achieved the desired temperature. This is incredibly inefficient, however, since the house might only be occupied in certain rooms and a great deal of energy is used heating and cooling unused areas.

Multiple thermostats enable distinct heating and cooling areas, each of which can be set to a different temperature and controlled through home automation on touch screens throughout the house. Best of all, zoned HVAC can conserve energy by allowing you to lower the temperature in less used areas of the house and readjust when the space is occupied. The thermostats can also be set by the home systems installer to adjust automatically according to your families’ schedule.

At the end of the day, the entire home automation system can seamlessly secure the house for the night, set back the thermostats for the evening (or when you’re away), shut all draperies and dim the lights. And because it saves energy, it’s a guilt-free luxury.
 

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