Home lighting systems are a necessity these days. No home is built without a lighting system. Every room, even cabinets, is installed with at least a bulb in it, thus making illumination a major factor in energy consumption. Therefore it is a smart move to consider cutting down on lighting usage to save energy.
But how can you accomplish this without compromising safety, home security, and comfort?
Here are some suggestions (after the jump):
- Replace your high-wattage incandescent bulbs with low-wattage, high-lumen mini fluorescent bulbs.
- Replace your high energy-consuming light bulbs with dimmable fluorescent bulbs and match them with dimmer switches. Being able to dim your bulbs when less illumination is needed is a surefire way to save electricity.
- Invest in remote-controllable dimmer switches such as SwitchLinc Dimmer- INSTEON to provide for remote controllers in the future. You may also opt to install them at the same time you change your regular bulbs to dimmable ones. Check out smarthome.com to find more appropriate lighting products for your home energy economy and automation.
Being able to use your lighting system with remote control not only gives you a chance to save energy; it also offers you a feeling of safety and security, especially at night, when you can turn on your perimeter lights or hall lights without getting out of bed.
This may not be a foolproof security measure, but at the least it will scare away would-be home intruders by letting them know that somebody is awake and aware of the situation. On the brighter side of illumination control is your ability to manage your lights in the entertainment room. Your could set your room’s lights to a dimmer mode for better viewing satisfaction, and you could do it with the touch of a button, without having to get out of your seat.
Another way to add some perks to your home automation is upgrading to motion-sensitive lighting controllers. Using a motion-activated lighting controller is a very practical alternative to home security especially during the night. There are times when everybody has to stay out late, leaving nobody to turn the lights on, even for security reasons. An unlighted perimeter is very conducive to intruders.
These controllers basically have outdoor motion sensors that can perceive somebody’s presence and send a signal to their receivers, which will in turn activate the porch lights or any interior lights to which the receiver is connected. The sensors allow the lights to stay on for ten minutes but they can be adjusted to a shorter timeframe if you so choose. Some controllers have a hand-held remote control included in the package that can activate the lights whenever you want to.
Automating your porch lights will definitely save you precious home energy. Just imagine not switching on your exterior lights for the entire night while still feeling secure from trespassers, knowing that your bulbs will illuminate automatically when needed. This is a win-win situation for you. Indeed, home automation is synonymous with home energy savings.
For further home automation and energy-saving products, check out Smart Home or Smart Home USA, where you can learn more about lighting controllers and their installation details.
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