On the Radar
Updated December 10, 2007 13:00 PST
Going Green Just Got Easier
Most of us try to recycle, save energy and water, and pay
attention to the new "greener" home choices out
there. But did you know that one of the best ways to go
green is to have appropriate temperature settings and lighting
controls in your home?
While you might be thinking that having a thermostat is
all you need, think again. Temperature control and lighting
represent 67 percent of the average household utility bill,
according to market research firm West Technology Research
Solutions. With that statistic in mind, zone control is
likely to become increasingly significant over the next
few years.
Fortunately there are several easy-to-install, Z-Wave enabled
home control products available today. "Z-Wave can
precisely tailor a home's energy usage by the device, by
the room or by the whole house," says Mark Walters,
chairman of the Z-Wave
Alliance. "Using a wide variety of sensors and
controllers, consumers are now able to customize their home
environments with as much or as little energy as needed,
at any given time. And manufacturers are selecting Z-Wave
because it's the recognized standard, with real products
available from industry leaders around the globe."
As an example, HomeSeer's
HSM100 Multi-Sensor can monitor how much light (and heat)
is coming into the home throughout the day. During bright,
warm daylight, the sensor can dim the lighting, close electric
shades and direct the thermostat to react to the changes,
and then reverse the sequence as dusk settles in.
Homeowners can also use Z-Wave-enabled products such as
the Hawking
HomeRemote to monitor energy usage from anywhere in
the world, turn off accidentally left on appliances such
as air conditioning window units with Intermatic's
appliance modules and turn off/on lights as you drive to
and from work with Wayne
Dalton's Home Access Kit.
"Multiply ideas like this across all the energy-hungry
appliances in a home, all day, every day, and it's easy
to see how homeowners can make their homes truly energy
efficient, with minimal cost and hassle using Z-Wave,"
said Grant Sullivan, product marketing manager for Leviton
Manufacturing, which offers Vizia RF Home Control.
Leviton's new Vizia RF line of Dimmers, Switches and Controls
using Z-Wave technology can help reduce energy consumption
and bills by allowing the homeowner to easily select the
proper level of lighting for the task. "This not only
provides substantial savings, but will also keep 'smart
homes' well within the coming regulations for energy efficiency.
That's not only good for the homeowner, it's good for the
world."
Because Z-Wave enabled devices can talk to each other,
it is now possible for homeowners to enjoy automated, whole-home
energy management that immediately reacts to changing conditions.
Energy savings with Z-Wave can be immediate and dramatic
for the homeowner, with simple devices that can be retrofitted
to any home.
