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The Benefits of Lighting Control

Published Feb 15, 2011 By HD Living Staff

Residential lighting with lighting control is one of the most important things you can do for your home and your lifestyle. Lighting not only provides illumination, but can also be a key interior and exterior design element. Lighting systems enable us to conserve energy, perform tasks safely, and create an emotional connection to the environment for our families and guests. Your local dealer wants you to understand the benefits of whole-home automation and control with lighting systems, lighting design and use of natural light. This powerful combination can dramatically enhance your living environment.

Exterior Lighting

Lighting systems consist of three components:

1.      Light source (lamp – incandescent, fluorescent, LED, halogen, etc.)

2.      Light fixture (recessed, pendants, sconces, chandeliers, surface mounted, under-cabinet, etc.)

3.      Control systems (dimmers, switches, timers, etc.) that transform spaces from only “on” or “off” to something that offers gradual lighting consistent with the human lifestyle.

Finding the right lighting to create a pleasing, yet functional, décor can be a little overwhelming. For example, how do you know what type of light bulb—incandescent, LED or quartz halogen—is best suited to your needs?

Some questions you may want to ask are:

  • Who will use the space and how will it be used?
  • What is the size and shape of the room, and what exterior orientation does the room have?
  • Is there an abundance of natural light available?

Everyone can benefit from lighting control and it can be done wired or wireless, allowing you to set the ideal lighting scene for any activity. Whether it be watching your favorite film, settling down to relax with a good book or preparing a meal, lighting control is the key to optimizing family time and activities in your home. Lighting systems are also capable of multiple strings of commands called macros or scenes. These scenes enhance the way you and your family live and insure greater enjoyment of all activities within the home.

Interior Lighting

Orchestrate all the lighting in your home – Some examples:

5 a.m. – Turn outside lights off and set shade and drapery positions automatically just before the sun rises in the morning with intelligent, time-based controls.

6:30 a.m. – Set all the lights in a room to match your activity at the touch of a single button. Enter your bathroom to a soft light in the morning, and brighten it slowly after a shower.

7:30 a.m. – Adjust your kitchen lighting and shades to match the suns position and your mood as you eat breakfast or read the paper from elegant keypads or wireless, tabletop controls.

8:30 a.m. – When you depart for work, reset lights and shades throughout your home to levels you prefer when you are away, with the press of just one button on a keypad near the door.

24 hours – If you are away for an extended period, automatically replay your home’s normal lighting routine, as if you are still home, for added piece of mind.

6:30 p.m. – As you approach your home on your return, use a visor control in your car to create a welcoming, secure lighting environment near entryways and throughout your home

7 p.m. – In the evening create the perfect lighting in the kitchen, the dining room or the TV room, to prepare, entertain or just relax, with the flexibility to set any light just to your liking.

11:30 p.m. – Just before bed, turn off unneeded lighting room by room, or select a predetermined nighttime setting with softly lit pathways through hallways and stairs, from the convenience of your bedside table.

Today you can have a much greater impact on your electricity costs and minimize your impact on the environment with solid state lighting, aka LED lighting. LED lighting not only lasts longer and consumes less energy than standard incandescent or cold cathode fluorescent bulbs, but it can illuminate in colors and really set off your home and surrounding landscape.

Shades and Natural Light

Installation of quiet electronic driven (QED) shades or drapery provides the potential for homeowners to maintain a level of natural light while simultaneously reducing unwanted glare, heat gain and ultraviolet rays, which can discolor furniture, art, and other objects in the home. In addition to maximizing the energy efficiency of your home and insuring maximum light control, they can be programmed to follow the sun creating an effortless way to optimize your living environment.

One thing to keep in mind: The more varied and diverse you’re lighting fixtures and schemes, the more complex they are to run. Wherever you choose to implement light control, you can rest assured that the result will be far better than walking to the 10 wall switches by the front door and guessing which switch controls which light before you head off to retire for the evening!

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