Your Guide to Home Lighting Automation

At a Glance: 

What is Home Automation?

Lighting Automation in Your Home

Installing Home Lighting Automation

Find a Certified Home Lighting Automation Installer Near You

Our Home Lighting Automation Experts 

What is Home Automation?

You’re probably asking yourself, what’s the difference between a smart home and home automation? Let us break it down for you.

Smart home technology generally refers to electronic devices and sensors controlled over an internet connection with a phone, computer, tablet, and other devices. Whereas home automation refers to utilizing smart home devices together seamlessly to carry out actions automatically ― without any user interaction. A smart home device will also often have a dedicated app that can be used to control the specific technology within a home’s ecosystem of devices. Examples of smart home devices include lighting systems, WiFi-connected thermostats, smart fridges, and much more. The appealing concept behind home automation is that you can enable these intelligent devices within your smart home network to work together based on the information shared between one another.

Benefits of Home Lighting Automation

Home lighting automation systems allow you to manage any interior and exterior light in your home from the palm of your hand or from a single keypad ― as opposed to a bunch of light switches. Now that you know the benefits of a couple different home automation ideas for your modern residence, here are just some of the reasons why adding lighting automation can make all the difference.

Energy Saving

By helping you make sure lights are off when not in use, lighting control systems save you energy and will cut back on that monthly electricity bill. They allow you to control your use of light when and where you need it, ensuring that just the right amount of energy is used.

Security

Lighting systems can turn lights on and off throughout the day and night to make it seem like someone is home. They also can automatically turn on outdoor lighting at night and use motion sensor technology to show when people are near your home.

Convenience

Lighting control systems allow you to manage all light fixtures from your favorite smart device on user-friendly apps or from a centralized remote control. For an extra level of convenience, a lighting control system can connect to a whole house automation system to communicate with other devices such as smart door locks and thermostats.

Aesthetics

With a lighting control system, you can replace those large off-putting banks of light switches with a single elegant keypad, which can control individual lights, scenes (multiple lights together), and many other devices like the volume for music in the living room or channels on the TV.

Lighting Automation in Your Home

Having an intelligent lighting control system can instantly set the mood for any occasion around the home, whether it’s indoors or even outside. It also provides the ultimate convenience, allowing you to push a single button to turn everything on or off at the end of the night. You can set different lighting levels for different situations like cooking, reading, watching TV, or entertaining some friends.

Another aspect you’ll need to decide on is whether you want your automated lighting system to be wireless or centralized. Both offer several advantages, however, wireless solutions will work in any home and are a little more adaptable being controlled from a smart device, where centralized lighting systems would have to be put in a new home from the start.

Lighting Control Options

When it comes to controlling your automated lighting system, both physical smart home remote control lights and smartphone apps make it simple for you to know which lights are operating in your home. Some light controller systems also feature motion sensor technology where you can set the lights to automatically turn off when no motion is detected in a room, or on when someone enters. Even better, you can pre-schedule and time when you want your lights to turn on or off, right from the palm of your hand. And forget having to grab the remote or remember which button to press, with voice control options featured on some models, things truly are just as easily said than done with the ability to control your lighting system with a simple phrase.

Create Lighting Scenes

A great way to set the vibe throughout your home with multiple lights is through lighting scenes, and an automated home lighting control system makes this easier than ever. With a home lighting system, you can set the mood in your home for an array of different themes like the current season or a specific holiday. Along with seasonal looks, lighting control will usually come with several everyday presets such as:   

 

• Welcome home
• Goodbye or goodnight
• Sunrise and sunset
• Holidays
• Movie night

Installing Home Lighting Automation

Lighting control systems should be professionally installed and personalized through a custom program which will allow you to adjust settings directly to your preferences and needs. Let us break down the process for you:

Phase 1: Consultation 

We have consultants readily available to visit your home and evaluate your proposed automated lighting system and make recommendations on home entertainment products or custom installation solutions. We’ll also work with you to come up with a date and time that works with your individual schedule. 

Phase 2: System Design and Engineering 

After meeting with one of our consultants, we’ll go to work designing your automated lighting control to address your needs. During this step, we create a comprehensive design that includes a scope of work, detailed proposal, rough-in plan, and other schematics needed to complete the job.

Phase 3: Project Management 

Once we’ve determined a realistic scope of work and created the design documentation that will support the installation, our project management team will coordinate with your build team and various trades working in your home to understand everyone's preferences. They'll communicate with our internal teams and vendor partners to facilitate the completion of the work done on time and to make sure everything is on budget. 

Phase 4: Installation and Programming 

Making sophisticated technology easy and simple to use for any user requires advanced work on the back end. Putting all the parts and pieces together for smart technology and integrated systems need to be executed with skill, precision, and some finesse. Each system speaks a different language, but our programmers translate everything together so it speaks one language and can be controlled easily. Our programmers balance the technical know-how with the human element, so it's easy to use ― no matter who has the remote.  

Phase 5: Service and Support 

With today’s technology changing so rapidly, it’s important to not just choose a provider that can help you effectively identify your needs today, but a provider that will be there to offer the best service and support for the life of your home lighting system. Our team values your business and will be here to help answer any questions you may have about your new setup along the way or to possibly recommend upgrades as they become available to your existing arrangement. 

Find a Certified Home Lighting Automation Installer Near You 

Working together, home lighting automation can add the ultimate convenience to any sized home. Whether you’re looking to get started with your home lighting automation or want to upgrade your current smart home lighting, AV Design Consultants is the #1 trusted home lighting automation service in the Springdale, AR area. Give us a call today at 479-365-2201 or visit us in person to learn more about our products and services.   

No matter the distance, there’s always a trusted automated home lighting expert near you when you search for a CEDIA-certified technology integrator. The Custom Electronics Design and Installation (CEDIA) group is the official certifying organization for residential automation and smart technology integrators.  

Our Home Lighting Automation Experts - Meet the Author

Meet Chris Curry

• 11 Years of Home Audio Experience
• Certified with Control4, Savant, & Sonos

Chris Curry is one of our Lead Technicians and savvy in-house AV specialist. He has proudly been with AV Design for 11 years. Chris Curry is certified with Control4, Savant, and Sonos, among other tech brands. There are few techs that show a commitment to customer satisfaction like Chris. When he’s not working, you’re likely to catch Chris spending time with his family or fishing.