Home Entertainment & Automation Services in Matthews, NC.
Home Entertainment & Automation Services in Matthews, NC.
Home audio and Video Services in Matthews, NC.  TV installation, Surround Sound, Home Entertainment Systems
Hardwired vs. Wireless Lighting Control

Lutron Radio Ra2 sales, programming & installation @ C.I.S.

Installing a wireless lighting control system in an existing home can be three to four times faster than a hardwired system.

In existing homes, wireless systems beat hardwired when considering labor costs, project size, system reliability, product cost and client satisfaction.

When homebuilders were constructing 2.1 million homes per year, who cared about addressing existing homes? Now with just 300,000 predicted to be built in 2010, existing homes are the last bastion of revenue.

As the market continues to transition, integrators sometimes face the choice of installing hardwired vs. wireless.

Here are five factors to consider when making that decision.

Product Cost: In general, hardwired lighting control systems tend to be about 20 percent to 30 percent less expensive than their wireless counterparts. That pricing difference also extends into the motorized shade control category, which is a form of natural light control.

One variable these days is the cost of copper wiring. It is a commodity that fluctuates. Right now, it is relatively low compared to some of the high spikes the market has seen in the past few years. A 3,500-square-foot home will require several thousand linear feet of wire, according to David Weinstein, vice president of residential sales for Lutron. Advantage: Hardwired

Reliability: Consumers, even more than integrators, are becoming comfortable with wireless technology. The pervasiveness of wireless computer networks, iPhone, iPads, etc., have even made older homeowners less fearful of “invisible” technology. On the other hand, hardwired systems are 99.9 percent bulletproof.

It is interesting to note the increased penetration of wireless in the home security field. Many motion sensors, doors and window contacts and keypads are now wireless. Security, of course, is a field where reliability is the most important issue, so the increasing use of wireless is a signal to integrators of the increasing stability of the technology. Advantage: Hardwired

Project Size: In the past, wireless systems had a more limited scale. But new systems, such as Lutron’s RadioRa2, can accommodate up to 200 devices in a home as large as 12,000 square feet. For perspective, a 3,000-square-foot home with lots of control might have 60 devices. So in general wireless is no longer limited in scale for most homes. Advantage: Tie

Labor Cost: The labor costs for installing a wireless system can be calculated in hours, while labor costs for wired systems can be calculated in days.

For example, a 60-device wireless lighting control system in a 3,000-square-foot home can be done by one technician in one day. A comparable hardwired system will take one man three to four days, depending on the number of obstacles faced when pulling wires. Advantage: Wireless

Client Satisfaction: I am not talking about post-installation satisfaction, but the actual angst that can be created from a team of guys crawling in attics, drilling holes, creating dust, etc. from a hardwired installation. When an integrator walks into a nicely appointed, spotless home, wireless should immediately be considered.

In many cases, a homeowner – from a neat freak to an Oscar Madison – will choose not to have an installation done simply because they do not want to have the disruption in the home. Clearly, a wireless system can be installed much quicker with very little disruption. Most of the labor cost is programming, not pulling wires or drilling holes.

The overall time of the job also plays into client satisfaction. As noted above, a wireless installation is routinely one-third the time of a hardwired installation. Advantage: Wireless

Final Rank: The bottom line: installing a wireless lighting control system is less expensive for integrators. According to Weinstein, it’s about 3X to 4X less expensive.

“When you analyze the cost of wireless vs. hardwired, the aggregate cost of wireless is clearly less for the integrator but also it is better for the client,” he says, adding that he believes wireless installations also help close more sales that otherwise would not occur. Advantage: Wireless

By Jason Knott

http://www.cepro.com/article/hardwired_vs_wireless_lighting_control/?utm_source=CEPWeekly&utm_medium=email

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Charlotte NC ’s #1 Lutron Radio Ra2 Dealer, Installer, Programmer!

Posted in Automation, HAI, lighting control, Lutron Radio Ra II, News, technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment


URC Has Energy Monitoring App

C.I.S. is Charlotte NC's First Choice For URC Remote Programming & Sales!

CIS is Charlotte NC's First Choice For URC Remote Programming & Sales!

Users can view their energy usage on Network Series controllers.

Just how hot is energy monitoring? Now you can see your energy consumption in your home theater, on several URC controllers.

URC has released new energy control modules for use with its Network Series controllers KP-4000, MX-5000 and MX-6000, that work with The Energy Detective (TED) 5000 energy monitor.

TED integrates with a home’s electrical system to monitor a home’s total power usage. A certified electrician can install the TED 5000 device in the main panel in a few minutes.

Via URC’s new modules, the TED 5000 wirelessly communicates via the home network with URC Network Series keypads, wand remotes and touch screen controllers, enabling you to view information including:

-Real-time kW usage, dollars spent and carbon dioxide emissions
-Daily, monthly and projected usages
-Daily and monthly peak values
-Billing information
-Power and cost history per hour, day or month
-Default metrics (kW, Cost or Carbon emissions)
-Line voltage, to detect fluctuations
-Graphical displays of how energy-efficient the home currently is

URC says homeowners not only can view their energy information on their URC controllers, but also act on that data by instantly adjusting the lights or temperature, or powering down their electronics components.

The URC-TED solution does not require a two-way smart meter, and can be installed in any normal system.

The module is being made available to URC dealers, so be sure to ask your custom electronics pro (CE pro) about it.

by Steven Castle

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/urc_has_energy_monitoring_app/

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Charlotte NC ’s #1 URC Remote Control Dealer!

Posted in Automation, HAI, Home Theater, lighting control, Lutron Radio Ra II, Media Rooms, technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment


HAI Delivers Wireless Driveway Sensor

CIS - Providing Charlotte with home automation solutions from HAI

CIS - Providing Charlotte with home automation solutions from HAI

The wireless aspect means cable won’t have to be trenched for the sensor to be added to your automation system.

It sounds like science fiction, but the technology is real and New Orleans-based control manufacturer Home Automation Inc. (HAI) is using it for its latest product: the HAI wireless Driveway Sensor (63A00-1).

The technology is of course the earth’s magnetic field, and in the case of this new driveway sensor the company is utilizing it as a means to detect metal objects like cars to help alert homeowners when a visitor has driven onto their property.

Custom electronics pros can set the sensor up to turn on outdoor lighting or it can be used as part of a home security system when it’s combined with a video surveillance system.

HAI says that because the unit is wireless, installers won’t have to dig a channel to run underground cable, and through its industrial design, the company has provided installation options for post or wall mounting applications. Check with your local CE pro to see how it can be incorporated into your home automation or security systems.

by Robert Archer

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/hai_delivers_wireless_driveway_sensor/

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Charlotte ’s Home Theater & Technology Experts!

Posted in Automation, HAI, lighting control, Lutron Radio Ra II, technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment


Custom Installation Services, LLC | P.O. Box 132 Matthews, NC 28106 | 704-400-8701 | dmiller@cis-nc.com
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