Why should a homeowner consider implementing lighting control features
into their home?
There are two primary reasons; saving energy and improving interior décor by making lighting a part on interior design. Let’s start with energy savings. Dimming incandescent lights can cut energy usage by as much as 80% and extend the life of the bulb up to 20 years (both at 90% dimming). Simple adjustments such as reducing brightness by 15% are not noticeable in most home environments but yield energy savings of 15% (and the bulb life extends to over 4 years). Second, the natural process of using lighting control to enhance home enjoyment (making these controls part of interior design and lifestyle enhancements) further reduces energy based upon utilizing light that is adjusted to ideal levels based upon the activity. For example, a dining room would include a light level that enhances the presentation of food and sets a soft and inviting atmosphere for a meal. Lagotek lighting controls provide time based variations such as lighting levels adjusting automatically for a midnight trip to the refrigerator as opposed to the same action at dinner time. Lagotek does this through Rules which determine lighting levels based upon an event or time of day. The result is a home that is both more efficient and more livable.

What is the cost consideration?
Lighting control systems are generally very expensive and require wiring that is usually impractical for retrofitting an existing home. Lagotek changes this by using wireless system design that requires no new holes or wiring. Lagotek lighting control is also normally part of a complete home control system that manages motorized window coverings, music, security and more. For a home in the 2,000 to 2,400 sq ft. range a complete installed system with all features averages $10,000 to $12,000. Small lighting control and motorized window covering packages can start as low as $1,200.

What is estimated energy savings associated with lighting control system?
As mentioned above, lighting controls yield spectacular results in energy savings. The Energy Independence & Security Act of 2007 set mandates for lighting efficiency where today’s incandescents will soon be required to meet new efficiency standards. Lagotek lighting control applies to all types of lighting including electronic and magnetic low voltage, fluorescent and LED fixtures. Each type of lighting becomes more energy efficient with dimming controls and when combined into a Lighting control system, energy associated with lighting control can be easily reduced by 20% or more.

How fast is this segment of the market growing?
The current economic climate has had an affect on all areas of the residential housing market for both new construction and remodels. Since Lagotek applies to both categories, our markets are holding up better than those applicable only to new construction. As a home control company, we also work with other segments of residential such as those associated with shading products (our motorized window covering program), climate control (our HVAC controls), security, music and others. Lighting control has been part of the housing market for decades and significant expansion is based upon our ability to create awareness through partnerships and through venues such as Home Toys.

Is efficient lighting control limited to new construction or can it be added effectively to an existing home? Is it more or less expensive?
Lagotek’s wireless system design for lighting control can be applied to an existing home with little more difficulty than new construction. In new construction, a standard electrical plan is employed using Z-Wave enabled dimmers, switches and receptacles from Cooper Wiring Devices or Leviton. In an existing home with standard house wiring, old dimmers, switches and receptacles are replaced with the Z-Wave enabled devices. In both cases, no new wires are required. A standard electrical plan differs from a low voltage design where all line voltage is consolidated into a central location from which low voltage wire is run to dimming and switching control points. This kind of design is only possible in new construction or very extensive remodels and is significantly more costly than Lagotek’s approach. Lagotek also provides greater flexibility and features such as allowing the homeowner to create unlimited scenes (which are called Modes) whereas the low voltage approach requires a trained technician to add scenes. Lagotek Modes can include lighting, music, motorized window coverings, security and climate control.

Tell us more about the energy savings and convenience gained with automated window coverings. Again, can they be added to an existing home?
Motorized window coverings provide great convenience, safety and efficiency to any home. Today’s high ceilings and windows are difficult to cover with manual shading and the highest points are often uncovered yielding a very inefficient climate control environment. Since heat rises, these scenarios introduce cold or heat (in the summer) to the most vulnerable areas of the home for solar heat gain or loss. Manual shades also require proper user behavior in order to deliver maximum efficiency. How many of us close all the shades when we go shopping for a couple of hours? In a Lagotek motorized shading installation, one touch of a scene controller labeled “Away” (on the way out the door) lowers all shades, turns off any lights, entertainment audio or video, adjusts the thermostat and sets the security system. No memory induced efficiency behavior is required. Motorized shades also have no dangerous pull cords that can endanger children and the joy of all systems working together creates ultimate convenience. Lagotek’s shading solutions primarily use low voltage power to the motors that control shades and wireless control through Z-Wave motor controllers. This makes retrofitting an existing home practical since low voltage wire can be run under moldings or installed from crawl spaces above or below the windows.

Is there a growing market for lighting control in small commercial buildings?
Lagotek is partnering with LED lighting manufacturers such as Advanced Control Technologies to deliver highly efficient lighting control solutions to commercial applications, large and small. The market is expected to grow based both upon the return-on-investment implications and from government incentives for improving the efficiency of new and existing commercial buildings. Lagotek’s building automation system offers daylight harvesting schemas where natural and artificial light are combined through proper use of motorized window coverings, zoned lighting that includes dimming and climate control.

What other venues do you focus on where lighting control can be cost effective and save energy?
Since Lagotek ’s Home Intelligence Platform is based upon an internet protocol (IP) system design, there is no limitation in terms of its application. For example, the hospitality marketplace seeks new features such as profiling the interests of guests with centrally controlled climate, entertainment and concierge services. The medical marketplace seeks new ways of keeping an aging population at home with medical services and communications systems that utilize in-home services such as health monitoring through IP based communications. Even though Lagotek is focused on control systems for residential and commercial building automation today, there are any number of these new applications in development.