Home Technology: Smart Homes
By Jane Paige From turning on your lights with a smart phone to setting temperature controls with a touch of a button, high-tech automation in today’s homes is only getting bigger and better, according to local experts.
These days controlling your home with a computer isn’t just for the super rich. Now many homebuyers are snatching up or creating their very own “smart” homes right here in the Triangle. |
“You can actually use your iPad or any smart device and control your home from any offsite location at any time” says Masters. Although home high-tech automation has been around for more than a decade, the latest developments – energy management, security and the ability to run almost any system from a smart phone or PC – have resulted in more powerful systems that are easier to install and cost less. Homeowners today can manage all aspects of the automation – from energy use to TV channel selections – via iPhone, iPad and a series of in-wall touch pads and screens. They can get a system that allows them to access their home where ever they are.
Nationally the home automation movement started about 12 years ago with wiring that enabled high-speed transmission of electronic data throughout the home. Today, efficiency measures include automatic management of home systems based on occupancy, time of day and outdoor climate. Motion detectors can sense when the house is unoccupied, switching off lights and adjusting the temperature to conserve energy. Homeowners also can monitor events at their homes while they’re away. If someone comes to the door, for instance, the owner can remotely view who it is and respond accordingly, Masters says.
Neuwave Systems works with more than 30 custom new home builders throughout the Triangle as well as existing homeowners who are remodeling and upgrading their home systems. The range and cost of the electronic systems in a home can vary from installing a flat screen television over a mantle with numerous speakers to an entire house that is controlled by the flip of a switch. From bringing music to every room to installing a home theater for the entire family, Neuwave Systems offers plenty of options for today’s homeowners.
Rusty Ange of Ange Construction Company is bringing high-tech automation to his custom homes in the area. His company builds about 10 custom homes annually in a variety of neighborhoods, including the Copperleaf community in west Cary. “A lot of technology is going into homes today,” says Ange. “We are seeing homeowners more and more interested in the home automation.” Temperature control, wireless home security systems, lighting, motorized window shades, central vacuum systems and home theaters are just a few examples of the new features offered in some high tech homes in the Triangle. “Today, many homeowners want to control their thermostats remotely,” Ange says. “When the security talks to the lighting and the HVAC that’s when you really start to save energy and money.”
Homes also have the option of solar panels. And you can keep track of energy savings from your phone. At any time, you can see how much your solar panels are generating. From room-specific options to zone heating and cooling for larger homes, there are a lot of options to make sure that the temperature is just right in all parts of the home.
Lighting systems also can be controlled remotely in order to lower energy costs. They can be easily dimmed or automatically turned off if natural lighting reaches a certain level, says Masters. To keep reading click here: http://raleigh.newhomebook.com/cms/News/Raleigh-Durham-Chapel_Hill/Articles/fall11_home_technology.html
