The advances in smart lighting, also called advanced or controllable lighting, allows for the maximum in convenience and energy savings. Because of this new technology, you no longer have to rely entirely on a wall switch to turn the lights in your home on or off. Using your tablet computer or your smart phone, you can turn off lights from anywhere in the house. Remote control access also gives you the chance to set the tone in the home to match the events. For example, you can turn the lights down low for a romantic dinner or nice and bright when you want everyone to get moving in the morning.
Smart Lighting Conserves Energy
Motion sensors detect when people are near lights and when they are not. When lighting isn't needed, the motion sensors dim the lights or turn them off completely. Timers on lights are another way to save considerable money and energy. Like a thermostat for your furnace and air conditioner, you can program timed lights to turn off automatically when no one is at home. Reducing the use of home lighting while taking advantage of the sun's natural illumination can help you reduce costs even further.
LED Lighting
LED lights are becoming increasingly popular, and with good reason. They use up to 85 percent less energy and cost less to operate than their fluorescent counterparts do. Unlike typical light bulbs that must be changed every few months, a single LED-based bulb can last up to 50,000 hours before requiring replacement. The price tag is much higher than a fluorescent bulb, but the return on investment is so much greater. Considering that lighting costs are up to 10 percent of your utility bill, making the switch to LED-based lighting is a smart financial move.
Lutron Lighting Controls
Lutron offers scalabel apps from the entry level Caseta product, mid level RadioRA2 and high end HomeWorks systems. All give you the ability to control your lighting via wall mounted keyads and your mobile device. Learn more here.