Thursday, August 07, 2008


Home System Integration


Why is home system integration necessary?
Today’s large, custom homes feature complex floor plans and
sophisticated electrical systems that makes it all but impossible to conveniently control the many sub systems within a home from multiple access points. The sheer size of some homes precludes the convenience that smaller homes offer of having all controls located in the kitchen or living room. Eclectic architecture and advanced electronics require a central controller with a variety of touch panel and remote controls that give the homeowner access to lighting, climate control, security, and audio visual equipment from any point in the house, at any time.

AMX home system integration combines the benefits of technology with the convenience of human thought and command and brings a number of unique, specific benefits to today’s eclectic homeowner.

How does home system integration control audio/visual equipment?
ILD
home lighting control and electrical specialists install AMX touch panels throughout the home, creating multiple zones of distributed audio and video. This creates separate, customized A/V environments, each one of which is unique to a particular area of the home. In the living room, for example, we can program audio distribution feeds to play soft music in the background of conversation. In the home theater, we can program the system to supplement the score and/or soundtrack of the movie with appropriate background music. For parties and celebrations, we can program the system to play music from a particular era, or music of a particular type favored by the majority of the guests.

How can AMX home system integration make my home more secure?
By combining the ability to see an approaching stranger, dialogue with the stranger from a point of safety, allow/disallow access to the home, and notify authorities if necessary. ILD can configure the system to automatically control shades, doors, and gates at certain times of the day and night. Security camera surveillance monitors the property and alerts you when someone approaches the front gate. The phone system can be linked to the intercom to allow the homeowner to question the visitor before deciding whether or not to grant access. One touch control panels placed in secure areas of the home can either be used to grant access or notify authorities to the presence of an intruder.

This is all well and good, but I travel too much to make much use of this convenience.
AMX home system integration is built with the travelling homeowner or owner of multiple houses foremost in mind. You can access any residence remotely over the Internet to communicate directly with their AMX technology. When you are travelling, you can log in and monitor their home from a hotel or a laptop with Wi-Fi connectivity. If you own more than one house you can manage all of your properties throughout the day through this technology.

Does home system integration offer control over home lighting?
Yes. We can set your system up so that the same set of lighting fixtures can generate very different lighting levels and effects with AMX controllers. Everything from relaxed evening lighting, romantic mood lighting, and bright lights for family gatherings and celebrations can be accessed with one touch convenience.

Can I control my HVAC system through home system integration controls?
You can either control HVAC operations directly or have the system automate its activities for maximum efficiency. AMX home system integration allows homeowners to do exactly that. ILD professionals can pre-program the system with settings that reflect individual preferences in temperature and ventilation. Different settings can be created for different rooms of the house, keeping costs at a minimum in rooms that are used less frequently than others. The system can also monitor each room in the home and make sure that the desired temperature is maintained.

What can you tell me about your lighting design firm?

Illuminations Lighting Design is a
full service design build firm specializing in residential and commercial indoor lighting and outdoor lighting, electrical service and maintenance as well as home automation, home theaters, emergency generators, surge protection systems, phone systems and lighting control systems.

Where are you guys located?

We are located in
Houston Texas but provide lighting and design services in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

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Thursday, June 05, 2008


Home Lighting Systems


When we talk about home lighting systems, we are actually referring to a group of Lutron products that have the ability to automate the lighting on a whole-house level. Home lighting systems differ from home lighting controls in this manner, because one may conceivably use lighting controls in only a single room, and not the entirety of the house per se. Such a strategy is rare however, in residential settings, because today’s homeowner tends to expect a great deal more from his or her residence than the homeowner of 30 years ago. Most clients of Lutron vendors like Illuminations Lighting and Design choose to implement a comprehensive home lighting system that will give them one-touch control of everything both within and around the house. Depending on the size and age of the house, there are three Lutron home lighting system options available to clients throughout Houston and Greater Texas.

HomeWorks Lighting Controls
Lutron HomeWorks® is a popular home lighting system that is very well-known and that has witness a great deal of success over the past few years.
Lutron HomeWorks features conditional logic that allows the home lighting system to be programmed for intuitive behavior. For example, the HomeWorks home lighting system can sense when it is beginning to get dark outside and turn on the architectural and landscape lights automatically. Most people report that they more secure after we install their HomeWorks system, as the lights are still on when they leave for work in the morning and have already come on by themselves when they return home at night.

This level of precision and comfort is made possible by a combination of programming and light sensitive sensors that enable the
home lighting system to “sense” changes in external lighting. Interior lights, meanwhile, can be preset using Lutron GRAFIK Eye or Spacer System controls to come on at the push of a button. These effects can be further augmented by integrating controls with various other aspects of home automation, including whole house audio and home theater integration.

RadioRA® Lutron Controls
Unfortunately, many older homes cannot be fitted with the latest
home automation systems due to the fact that older wiring will have to be replaced completely for newer home automation and lighting control technology to work. For these houses, ILD recommends Lutron’s RadioRA home lighting system. This system requires no new wiring for installation, and proves ideal for older historic homes and larger homes built in the late 70’s, 80’s, and early 90’s.

The RadioRa has been engineered to seamlessly integrate with any floor plan and unobtrusively blend into interior structures and architecture. RadioRA home lighting systems uses wireless, RF radio signals instead of wires when communicating with its various components. They can be configured to control a portion of the
home recessed lighting fixtures, specific groupings of fixtures, or the entire indoor and outdoor lighting system within and around the house. RadioRA also remotely controls lighting from your car visor with the push of a button, and it can be used to manipulate lighting around the deck or pool outside via hand-held remotes. Aficionados of eclectic home-based entertainment and cinema particularly value this benefit, as it enables them to a party at home that is better than nightlife any night of the week.

AuroRa® Lighting Dimmers
This is Lutron's latest and greatest innovation in home lighting systems. It expands the previous wireless technology of the RadioRA into new arenas of comfort, intuitive control, and advanced home automation. With the AuroRa system, you can press a button and create a safe path of light to, through and around the home with wireless control of 5 areas of outdoor lighting. One of the greatest advantages AuroRa offers the eclectic homeowner is pre-programmed capability. The system literally works straight out of the Lutron factory box.

The AuroRa system truly takes a
whole house approach to lighting, unifying the functionality of indoor and outdoor lighting into an intuitive, user friendly command interface. This home lighting system can do everything from raise and lower outdoor lighting at dawn and twilight, turn off exterior lights at midnight, activate preset landscaping themes for weddings, birthday parties, and family gatherings, and light a path to the front door when you get home late at night.

Inside the house, the AuroRa home lighting system can open and close shades and control such elements as light pollution and energy conservation, sequence different lighting scenes automatically, and turn on any light or group of lights inside the home or
home theater instantly with the push of a button. Every activity from dining, to movie watching, to games and social interaction can have its own specific, supportive lighting theme for optimal mood stimulation and mental focus.

Illuminations Lighting is Your Texas Lutron Source
The added value we can offer any home automation or lighting systems client is determination of exactly which system will best fit their needs, and which components and programming features need to be used to build that system. Click here to learn more about our multi-specialization in
electrical services, lighting design, and home automation, and call 1-800-864-1133 for a free consultation today.

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Sunday, June 25, 2006


AMX and Lutron join forces to create a seamless lighting control solution.


BRINGING THE BEST TOGETHER

AMX and Lutron, the worldwide leaders in control and lighting technology have come together to produce the ALD-H48 lighting interface, a seamless lighting control solution, which offers some of the smartest, most advanced features ever incorporated into residential lighting applications. While each company is individually known for its innovative designs, this synergy has produced a truly revolutionary solution, offering more control choices and design options than ever before. Illuminations Lighting Design is proud to offer the new AMX products and Lutron controls systems in Houston, Austin, San Antonio and throughout Texas.

The ALD-H48 is the heart of an AMX integrated network lighting solution. The programmatic interface to the ALD-H48 appears similar to an AMX native device in that it utilizes a standard AMX command set. When used with Maestro dimmers and switches, a complete NetLinx compatible lighting system is formed.

The ALD-H48 is a TCP/IP connected interface utilizing a Duet based module capable of controlling and configuring the H48 through an internal web interface. The web interface provides control of individual dimmers, creating/recalling scenes or groups and dimmer addressing.

SEAMLESS. PRECISE. ARTFULLY INSPIRED.

AMX and Lutron designed a solution that produces beautiful, artfully inspired lighting that can be controlled with systematic precision. The ALD-H48 not only meets, but exceeds these requirements as the first lighting control solution to incorporate an onboard AMX Duet module. This enables the unit to natively communicate with both AMX master controllers and Lutron system dimmers, switches and keypads seamlessly, right out of the box. The AMX NetLinx master with Duet can receive commands from up to 32 ALD-H48 Interfaces. Each interface supports up to six Maestro buses, each supporting up to eight dimmers/switches. That translates to control of up to 1,536 zones of light from one master.

IMAGINATION IS THE ONLY LIMITATION

While the ALD-H48 is capable of flawlessly executing some of the most intricate lighting program sequences imaginable, installation and programming couldn't be simpler. By using the clear, easy-to-follow Web interface, addressing and setting dimmer parameters can be achieved with pinpoint accuracy. Any number of "scenes" can be created to set the tone or mood. From "Office" to "Home Theater" to "Candlelit Dinner", once a scene has been established, the ALD H48 brings it all together in a fraction of a second.
Contact Illuminations Lighting Design at 713-863-1133 for assistance.

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Thursday, July 21, 2005


AMX Control Systems now available at Illuminations Lighting Design - Houston


AMX is all about making your life and your environment easier to control and manage. AMX user interfaces talk with the central controllers which interact with device controllers. Simply put, just push a button and say "WOW."

Simplify Your Life
At work. At play. AMX Corporation incorporates one-touch control solutions to make business and home the perfect blends of technology and simplicity. Since its inception in 1982, AMX has led the industry with innovative control system products - sophisticated technology designed to be easy to use and understand. The company's strategy includes working with leading manufacturers, dealers and distributors to develop powerful control systems that successfully integrate and automate literally thousands of electronic devices. It's Your World.

A typical AMX integrated system consists of four components: user interfaces, central controllers, communications and integration software, and controlled devices.

User interfaces, which allow the user to control the system, can be as simple as a wireless remote, or as sophisticated as a color touch panel. AMX user interfaces come in a variety of shapes and sizes to best match the needs of their users.

Central controllers are the components that tie together the various devices controlled by the system. They are integrated invisibly into the system environment to do the work "behind the scenes."

The third component, communications and integration software, runs inside the central controllers and acts as the "brain" between the user and the system components.

The final component, the controlled devices, are simply put any equipment connected to the system that the user wishes to operate. Controlled devices can include communications devices, such as telephones, intercom systems, and computers; environmental devices, such as lights, thermostats, security systems, and window treatments; and audio/visual devices, such as televisions, VCRs, DVDs, cameras, and satellite systems.

In homes all over the world, you'll find AMX technology making life easier, increasing efficiency and generally making life more fun and exciting. AMX systems can automate home theaters, lighting, security systems, HVAC systems, communication devices and more. The only limitation is your imagination!

To learn more about HOME AUTOMATION or how to simplify your life through a well designed automated control system, contact the HOME AUTOMATION SPECIALISTS at Illuminations Lighting Design toll free at 800-863-1184.

Illuminations Lighting Design is a full service design build firm located in Houston Texas specializing in residential and commercial indoor lighting and outdoor lighting installation, service and maintenance. We handle Crestron electronics, Lutron dimmer controls, Vantage dimmer controls, Lutron Radio Ra and other home automation products. Our experienced staff of professional lighting designers, system engineers and licensed electricians is well trained in all aspects of new home construction, remodeling, electrical wiring, home automation, architectural lighting and landscape lighting design.

Since 1980, Illuminations has worked with architects, interior designers, custom home builders, contractors and homeowners by providing professional services, from consulting, CAD drawings, documentation and project management, to furnishing, installing and fine tuning all types of lighting fixtures and control systems.

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Tuesday, July 05, 2005


Is it true that using dimmer controls really saves energy?


Yes it is! When dimming incandescent or fluorescent loads you can expect your energy savings to be roughly equal to the amount you dim the circuit (For example if you dim a circuit 10%, you will use 10% less energy than you would if you kept it on full). In addition, there is another really great reason to use dimmers throughout your house, and this is one most people don't realize: Dimming incandescent loads drastically increases lamp life (while you still get energy savings dimming fluorescent, there is no impact to it's lamp life by adding a dimmer). If you dim an incandescent load just 10% (a difference that would be barely noticeable to the human eye) the lamp life on those light bulbs will double. If you dim the lights 25%, the lamp life quadruples, and if you dim the light level 75% your lamp life extends more than 20 times! With the typical residential incandescent light bulbs having one of the shortest life spans out there (an average of 1-2000 hours), this can be a huge help, especially in hard to reach areas. Besides these great functional reasons to use dimmers, they are also key for adding flexibility to a space, giving the ability to set mood, and giving the ability to control aesthetics. Those are just some of the reasons that we recommend that our clients employ dimmers THROUGHOUT their home!


Illuminations Lighting Design has developed into Texas’ first full-service specialty lighting company over twenty years ago by producing a fusion of ideas, science and art that began to change the way people see and experience their environments. We have developed a stellar client roster, which includes some of America’s finest homes, museums, offices, hotels, resorts and country clubs. In conclusion, we hope that you will consider Illuminations Lighting Design for Fine Art Lighting, Display Lighting, Landscape Lighting, Decorative Lighting, Lutron Control Systems, Chandelier Installations, Residential Generator Systems, Home Remodeling, Electrical Remodeling, Home Automation, Home Theaters and New Home Wiring.

For more information regarding Lutron Dimming Controls or a Vantage Lighting Control System please
contact the lighting professionals at Illuminations Lighting Design. We can be reached at 713-863-1133 or toll free at 800-863-1184. We welcome your call.

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We are a full service lighting design build firm specializing in residential and commercial indoor lighting and outdoor landscape lighting installation, service and maintenance as well as home automation, home theaters and lighting control systems.


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