4 Ways Smart Lighting Control Makes Your Home More Energy-Efficient

Lighting is one of your most-used home utilities. When flipping switches on and off all day is a habit, it’s easy to get careless with how often you’re using unnecessary lighting. How many days have you come home from work, only to find the bedroom light still on? How many times have you left the kitchen light on while sitting in the living room watching TV? How many times have you used a bright table lamp for reading when a much dimmer setting would have sufficed?

All these little things add up to significant energy waste — and that’s reflected in your monthly power bill. A smart lighting control system can help you curb unnecessary lighting use and make your Lake Oswego, OR, home more energy-efficient. Learn how below!

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Dimmable Bulbs

Some traditional light bulbs move between 100% power and brightness output while on and 0% while off. Smart, dimmable lighting allows you to adjust the brightness level anywhere between those two extremes. Using a physical dimming switch or a smart device like your mobile phone, you can set a room’s lighting to a comfortable level for your task or mood without over-lighting the area.

Dimming decreases the amount of power output from your fixtures, lowering energy consumption and your home’s electric bill. Dimming also expands the lifespan of your bulbs — another bonus for your wallet. 

Motion Sensors

Occupancy/vacancy sensors are excellent energy-saving tools in rooms where lights are often turned on, then forgotten — like closets, hallways, pantries, bathrooms, laundry rooms, basements, and the garage. Occupancy and vacancy sensors trigger lights to turn on when someone enters the room and turn off automatically once the room is vacated. Sensors are a simple and effective way for you to reduce lighting waste without lifting a finger.

Remote Access

Let’s return to the scenario presented at the beginning of this blog: How many days have you come home from work, only to find the bedroom light still on? Smart lighting with remote access capabilities allows you to access and control your lighting fixtures no matter how far you are from home. Using your mobile app, you can quickly check the status of all your home’s fixtures while you’re sitting at work or boarding a plane for vacation. If you notice a light still on, a single button tap will switch it off. Now you can have peace of mind knowing that stray bulbs aren’t running up your energy bills during the day.

Shading Integration

Integrate your smart lighting system with motorized shades for even more control over your home lighting. When natural light is available, open your shades to let sunlight illuminate your interiors and dim artificial lighting. Light sensors can automate the process of raising your shades on sunny days. Or you can build custom scenes with shading and indoor lighting set to your desired levels. Activate your scenes on a pre-set schedule or with a button press on your smartphone.

Ready to reduce your carbon footprint while having more convenient control over your home lighting? Reach out to Encore Audio Video to discuss adding smart lighting control to your Lake Oswego, OR home. Call us or fill out an online form to schedule a consultation.