Using Technology to 'Green' Your Homes
By Dan Fulmer, CEO, Fultech Solutions, Inc.

Today’s technologies offer a variety of ways to make a new home more energy efficient and save money, while also adding conveniences and true functionality. For instance, a lighting control system can add the convenience of scenes and dimming while also reducing energy consumption.
      
Adding a controllable dimming system is not much more than adding regular high-end dimmers to a house. While these technologies might add to bottom line cost, keep in mind that you are also adding a convenience and feature that other builders are probably not adding, thus differentiating yourself. Dimming lights in a home can create an entirely different look for it and can help sell more and better lighting fixtures and homes themselves.   

With a dimming system the homeowner gets custom scenes and dimming levels for any and all lights in the home. Typically there are three to five  scenes (you can have hundreds) per house such as,  home, away, party, panic, or even romance. A snack scene button can be pressed, which  turns on the hall cans, to 20% dim (very low) the stairs on a bit more, and the kitchen under cabinet lights to come on, so an owner can make it to the kitchen at two a.m., without blinding themselves. These scenes not only control which lights are on and off, but also the dim levels of all lights. As an example, a room with four can lights, two spot lights, and two sconces can have endless combinations of different lights on, off or dimmed to varying levels, creating many different looks for the room.   
     
A home scene could turn various lights on around the home; lights that the homeowner typically turns on each evening. It can also be programmed to turn all the lights off at preprogrammed times, late at night. A home scene can make sure that no outside lights are on during daylight hours, unless you want them on. Generally, these various scenes create efficiencies in themselves. A typical lighting control system also reduces wall clutter, by cutting down the number of switches on the wall.  A single-gang keypad can replace several switches, and the need for three-way switches can be eliminated in many cases. This reduces the amount of electrical wiring needed in many of the homes we do, less copper equals lower cost.

Also, dimming lights generally reduce energy consumption by as much as they are dimmed. So a light dimmed 50%, typically uses around 45% less energy (a little less than the actual number for heat loss). However, with a lighting control system, you also generally waste less energy with lights on without knowing (outside) or turning on lights full bright, when you really only want or need 50% or less than that.

Most lighting control systems are stand-alone, so they can be added without adding any other controls or systems to a home. However, it is even less expensive and earier to add HVAC control.  Simply adding a controllable thermostat to any home can save energy.  Offsetting the thermostat when owners come and go is what the EPA requires for Energy Star ratings. This sounds great, but in practice, many people forget to do this upon leaving the house.  Having a controllable thermostat enables any number of sensors to trigger the thermostat to turn up, down or off, based on any number of events. For instance, tying the HVAC, lights and security together, enables the homeowner to easily control all of these systems, by simply arming and disarming the security.
Drapes, blinds, shutters and awnings can also control the amount of heat and light entering and leaving a home. Controlling these based on time of day, orientation to the sun, can contribute to the total energy load on a home.   

Tying these all together can really add to the savings by controlling security, lights, HVAC, drapes, and blinds and more based on when people are home, without them having to directly interact with the house. In many cases, simply pressing the arm or disarm button on a keyfob can put the house into different modes.  

Adding a PV system and integrating those with a control system can have the added benefit of totally controlling your energy needs and usage.  For instance, you can set an energy threshold, (say you only want to spend $X per month, or use XXX KWh per month), you can measure the amount of electricity your photovoltaic system products and measure the amount you are using and the system can automatically adjust lights, HVAC and other systems to tune them to the remain within the threshold.  

As you can see, there are a variety of ways to use technology in your homes to create and improve efficiencies while also adding value and conveniences that sets you apart as a builder.

Dan Fulmer, CTS., is founder and CEO of Fultech Solutions, Inc., a full-service systems integrator.  FulTech has won numerous awards, including 2 MOE Awards in 2006 and has been featured in EH magazine for its homes.  Fulmer has served on the CEA TechHome Board for six years, serves on various committees, is a published author on the subject of systems integration, serves as an instructor for various courses at EHX and other industry events and is also featured on EH online as one of the Ask the Experts.    He received his BS from UCF, where he studied Environmental Engineering and Computer Science.

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