Smart lighting is a key component of any smart home setup, offering a wide array of benefits that can greatly enhance your daily life and the overall functionality of your smart home ecosystem. First and foremost, smart lighting provides unparalleled convenience. With the ability to control your lights remotely via smartphone apps or voice commands through virtual assistants like Alexa or Google Home, you can easily customise your lighting to suit your needs. Whether you want to dim the lights for a cozy movie night, set a wake-up routine that gradually brightens your bedroom in the morning, or turn off all the lights in your home with a single command before going to bed, smart lighting simplifies your daily routines.
This ability takes you far beyond traditional timers. With our Smart Homes, the lighting is triggered by events – like someone returning home, sunset, or a TV being turned on. They allow us to create moods in your rooms, suited to what is happening in your home. It also allows us to ensure your lights are automated, taking into account simple things like us getting less daylight in Winter than Summer, and that sunset gradually changes every day.
Energy efficiency is another compelling advantage of smart lighting. These systems often incorporate LED bulbs, which are highly energy-efficient and can last for many years. Beyond that, smart lighting allows for precise control over when and how your lights are used. You can set schedules, motion sensors, or occupancy sensors to automatically turn lights on and off, ensuring that lights are only active when needed. This not only reduces your electricity bill but also contributes to a more sustainable and eco-friendly home.
Smart lighting can also enhance your home’s security. You can set up lighting automation routines to simulate your presence at home when you’re away on vacation, making it appear as if someone is moving around the house. This can act as a deterrent to potential burglars. Additionally, motion-activated lighting can illuminate areas like your driveway or front porch as soon as someone approaches, enhancing safety and making it easier to navigate in the dark.
Finally, smart lighting can positively impact your overall well-being. Some smart bulbs offer colour temperature adjustments, allowing you to tune the warmth or coolness of the light to match your circadian rhythms. This can improve your sleep quality and mood, as well as boost productivity during the day. By integrating smart lighting into your smart home, you’re not just enhancing convenience; you’re also taking steps to create a more comfortable and efficient living environment that adapts to your needs and preferences.
Our design approach for smart lighting is that you should alway be able to operate the lights from a light switch. When a visitor comes to stay at your house, we don’t want you to have to explain how to use the lights, or you ask that they operate your lights through an app on their phone. For that reason, we will install modules behind your standard light switches. This means you can continue to buy standard bulbs. It also means you can buy standard light switches which suit the style of your home. It is the hidden modules that will make your lights smart.
Last, but not least, many of our modules for lighting include power monitoring. This allows us to report on which lights are consuming the greatest amount of energy. This means you can consider controlling them more efficiently through the day, or working out which lights could be swapped for energy efficient ones. This is all part of our Energy Monitoring capabilities.
Ready to talk about your next project? We are available for a free consultation, design and guidance, or a full managed install with on-going support.