Lighting and Shading Control Adds Convenience to Your Los Angeles Home
We’ve previously talked about the benefits that lighting and shading control have to offer homes in the California area, but deciding to take advantage of this technology is just the first step. Because smart home automation is so versatile, you can choose exactly how you want to control these elements of your home. Below, we cover five of the most popular methods for managing lights and shades.
1. Your Voice
Amazon’s voice control device, the Echo, was the hottest gift this holiday season. It’s a small device that you can use to manage your smart home using just your voice. But you may not know that you can use the Amazon Echo to control the lights and window shades throughout your home! Simply ask Alexa to dim the lights in the living room to 30%, turn off the bedside lamp, or raise the window shades and it will happen instantly. At your vocal command, the lights and shades will automatically respond.
2. Motion Sensors
A common way homeowners waste energy is by leaving lights on when not in use. It’s easy to forget to turn off the light when you leave the bathroom, and while it may not seem like a big deal, over time that energy usage builds up. With motion sensors, you can trigger lights to turn on and off depending on whether someone is in the area. This home automation technology is good for more than just energy savings—you can also use motion sensors to highlight different décor. For example, have a spotlight over a sculpture or piece of art turn on as you enter the space.
3. Light Sensors
Another great way to save energy is through daylight harvesting. Using sensors that assess how much natural sunlight is in the room, you can have the artificial lights automatically dim or brighten to keep the space at just the right light levels for comfort. On sunny days, the artificial lights will stay off entirely, but then turn on as the sun starts setting so that you have ample light to see. However, if the sun’s heat gets to be overwhelming, the sensors can trigger the overhead lights to brighten and the motorized shades to close in order to avoid solar heat gain.
4. Smartphone, Tablet, or Remote
These days, there’s an app for everything, and lighting control is no exception. Use your smartphone or tablet to select the right lighting levels for each area of your home without having to go into each room individually. This method of managing your shades and lights comes in handy whenever you’re away from home. As you’re driving back after a long day of running errands, just tap your smartphone to have your home well-lit and ready for you as you pull in the driveway.
SEE ALSO: The Best Parts of a Smart Home
5. Wall Panels and Switches
Sometimes it’s nice to be able to just reach out and turn on a light when you enter a room. But modern switches and wall panels are far more impressive than the basic models you normally see in homes. First, these panels are completely customized with the controls that fit your lifestyle. Choose from simple on/off buttons to scrolling dimmers to panels that offer specific lighting settings for each activity, such as “Cooking” and “Entertaining” for the kitchen lights.
6. Dimmers
Dimmers help you set the mood for a variety of occasions. You can turn up the lighting setting to make the room super bright for a project you are working on and then dim them down when you want to relax in the evening with a movie. However, it is important to note that dimming LEDs is not the same as dimming incandescent lights as they do not dim equally. When choosing LED good thought and consideration should be given to the expectations for dimming, color & intensity. Not all LEDs are created equal and dim equal. Our team can recommend the right lights, dimmers, and settings so you can achieve the right smart home scenes.
Whether you choose one method or go for all of them, ForTech Solutions can help design, install, and maintain the lighting and shading control solution for you. To get started, contact us today.
