Back before the commonality of the Internet and cell phones, many American families' considered lighting control to be having the kids get up and turn the lights on while Dad read the paper or Mom cooked dinner.
Today, however, modern lighting control systems have evolved to become not only more prevalent, but also more versatile, affordable, energy efficient and eco friendly.
In face, a recent study released by The Freedonia Group finds that lighting control system sales will grow by almost 14 percent through 2011, reaching sales figures of $4.4 billion.
Basic 4-1-1
In its simplest terms, lighting control can be broken up into three categories: individual dimmers, room lighting controls and whole-house systems.
Melissa Andresko, media relations manager for Lutron Electronics, says individual dimmers can control up to 1,000 watts of light in devices ranging from wall sconces to a bank of downlights. She adds the step-up options of entire room systems are capable of controlling all of a room's fixtures.
The final upgrade option she says is a whole-house system, which enables homeowners to control every light in the home from a keypad, over the Internet, with touchscreens or via remote devices, perhaps in a car.
Technologies 4-1-1
A big selling points of lighting control is that it is applicable regardless of the building stage.
For many homeowners, the entry-level remote controllable wall dimmer is a step up in convenience and functionality. These dimmers feature the same IR (infrared) technologies that operate a cable box or TV. IR is limited by the fact that it is a “line of sight” technology, meaning the signal must remain unimpeded for it to work.
A better, but more expensive alternative are lighting control systems that employ radio frequency (RF) wireless technologies. RF signals are more powerful and more reliable, allowing them to travel greater distances and through walls.
The most advanced systems are hardwired and all of the major companies offer a choice of hardwired and wireless systems to satisfy the requirements of today's homeowner.
Finally, there are two other emerging wireless technologies. The first one is called Z-Wave and it is based on a proprietary RF technology. The other technology is called ZigBee and it is a wireless technology that operates in the same 2.4 GHz space as the popular 802.11b wireless home networks that many consumers already utilize.
Pluses/Minuses 4-1-1
Beyond the initial investment needed for the products and systems, there aren't many drawbacks to lighting control.
Focusing on the eco qualities offered by lighting control, dimmers save money by prolonging the life of light bulbs. Dimmers control the amount of light used in a room or home, consuming less electricity and, therefore, saving money.
From a user perspective, lighting control facilitates lighting scenes that enable homeowners to co-exist in a home, or even in the same room, while using differing levels of lighting. These devices and systems also provide remote control convenience capabilities.
Installation 4-1-1
One of the myths surrounding lighting control is that it is a category that requires specialized installation conditions. Andresko says, however, that lighting control can be installed at any point.
Profit 4-1-1
Depending on the sophistication of the system, a basic remote controllable dimmer retails for about $40. Moving up the pricing ladder, Andresko says that Lutron offers lighting systems for five rooms that start at $800 and more advanced systems starting at $1,800.
Markups on lighting control typically range from 10 percent to 50 percent. Moreover, lighting control options are not often “price shopped” by consumers on the Internet.
Warranties 4-1-1
Lighting products are covered by limited policies that range from one to two years in most cases. These warranties cover standard usages and, like most consumer-level items, they exclude abuse and faulty installation.
To learn more about lighting control visit these Web sites:
[http://www.homelightingcontrol.org
www.homelightingcontrol.org]
www.ce.org