KEY AREAS FOR SMART TECHNOLOGY
We take a closer look at the main elements of your home that will benefit from smart tech
LIGHTING
A professionally designed lighting scheme comes into its own when it’s automated, setting the scene at the touch of the button and saving energy by only coming on when it’s needed. Here are the main considerations:
Centralised, automated control such as Lutron’s or Rako’s can work on a stand-alone basis (ie, not integrated with heating etc) or act as a sub-system within a whole-house arrangement (such as Control4 or Savant). Additionally, some whole-house setups – Crestron, for example – offer their own lighting controls, as well as being compatible with the likes of Lutron.
If you want lighting that’s really outstanding, consider using an independent specialist, who will put as much effort into the design side as the technology and controls. They can liaise with your wider smart home provider and supply any information needed to integrate the lighting with the other sub-systems.
“To get the full benefit of a lighting control system, think of it as an enabling technology; a tool for the lighting designer,” says Melanie Shaw, design director at Brilliant Lighting. Installing multiple circuits means you can create pre-set scenes that can be activated with one touch, to match your activity or mood, such as different cooking and eating modes for your kitchen-diner.
If you are interested in the wellbeing aspects of lighting, bio-adaptive systems are an emerging area that could be for you. “This is where colour temperature varies with the time of day – you can have cooler white light in the daytime and a warmer yellow glow in the evenings, which studies have shown helps people sleep more easily,” says Owen Maddock, owner of Connectedworks. “Lutron and Savant are two companies leading the way in easy control for bio-adaptive systems.”
Loxone’s movement sensors incorporate brightness detection, says the company’s operations and marketing manager, Tyron Cosway. “A real smart home measures the amount of natural illumination in the room first to determine if it needs to turn the lights on for you.” Diy/wireless solution: Philips Hue’s smart lighting includes bulbs and switches, as well as motion sensors for inside and out. Alternatively, Hive’s bulbs include cool-to-warm-white bio-adaptive products.