Take Control of Your Energy with Smart Lighting
How Smart Lighting Control Helps You Save
If there’s one thing that always comes up when I talk to my clients about integrating smart technology, it’s energy use.
That’s a perfectly logical place to go — after all, it’s one area where they expect a very concrete return on investment. But saving energy is about more than just shaving a few dollars off your monthly bill.
The conversation has shifted over the past few years to going green — reducing your energy use to help preserve resources. Whether that’s your reason for wanting to save or you have other things in mind, there are plenty of smart ways to go about it.
Most times, the easiest place to start is with our clients’ smart lighting control systems. By better managing the use of artificial and natural light in your space, it’s easy to reduce your energy use without having to transform your lifestyle.
In many cases, these conversations with clients tend to focus on artificial light. How they can reduce their energy consumption through the use of dimmers, LED fixtures, and timers.
Part of my job is making sure that they don’t forget about natural light and the role motorized shades can play in managing it in a better way.
Want to learn more about how this technology saves energy in every room of your Lake Mary property? Keep reading to find out.
See Also: Enhance Your Smart Home with Intelligent Connections
Light Reliance
While lighting alone can’t make a house a home, no home is complete without the right lighting design. Whether that’s a few lamps scattered through your rooms or a complex smart lighting control system, lighting’s an essential element of living comfortably and safely.
But just because it’s essential, doesn’t mean artificial light is always necessary. Natural light can help reduce your reliance on your lighting fixtures. It is also a great way to show off your favorite furnishing and artwork, and even improve your mood throughout the day.
But managing that natural light can be difficult without the right tools. That’s why for most of my client projects, I install motorized shades.
When you integrate motorized shades with your smart lighting, you can make sure to always use natural light when it’s available.
We usually do this through an astronomical time clock that knows when sunrise and sunset are for every day of the year and adjusts the shade deployment accordingly. In the morning, the shades rise and the overhead fixtures dim. As the sun lowers, the reverse happens.
Energy Management
At the end of the day, your shades will help you lower your energy reliance not only by reducing the need for artificial light, but also helping your thermostat as well.
In the hot Florida summers, it’s easy for that natural light to become a menace. We implement motorized shades that insulate your home from heat gain. At the press of a button, all your shades close when your house gets too hot for comfort.
By blocking harmful UV rays, they keep your rooms from heating up too quickly. During winter cold fronts, these shades can also preserve heat in your rooms by preventing it from escaping through the windows.
With the right tools, this energy management becomes intuitive so you can go about your day and save without a second thought.
UV Protection
Of course, your first thought may be about lowering your energy use, but you should also consider protecting your furnishings from potentially brutal UV rays.
How do you solve for sun damage? Use sunshades in rooms with vulnerable artwork or furnishings. Sunshades, or shades with greater opacity that sit closely against the windows, allow light in while blocking its most harmful elements.
Plus, sunshades help enhance privacy. While they’re virtually transparent from up close, they obscure visibility from farther away. No one can peer into your home, but you can see outward all day.
Want more helpful tips on how to lower your energy usage? Click here to learn more about the right tools to take control of your monthly energy bills.