How-To
Updated September 15, 2006 09:00 PST
Home Control Gains Momentum
By Catherine LaCroix
Editor, ZWaveWorld
It's not just for the very rich anymore. If you have a
desire to automate and remotely control various devices
in your home, you've come to the right place.
You've probably thought about how cool it would be to control
the lights in your house and turn on the coffee from the
other room or even from your car. But you've likely also
thought that doing so would cost lots of money and involve
hiring someone to put all the pieces together. Well, you're
half right. You do need to know what works with what, but
you won't have to spend a fortune to install some basic
home control features. And while you might want to get the
opinion of an expert before you get started, it's definitely
getting easier to make home control and automation a DIY
project.
|
|
With Z-Wave technology, most basic home control products
are now coming into the mainstream. It hasn't always been
the case. Home automation has a long history of being a
technology waiting to happen. Fortunately, the Z-Wave based
devices that are now appearing on the market actually work
together and can help you create the automated home of your
dreams. Take, for example, David Powell, a long-time DIYer
who decided that rigging up his home was a goal worth working
toward.
"My ultimate goal is to have my home automated in
such a way that I never have to touch another light switch,"
Powell says. "That goal is a ways off for me and as
a DIYer I may never meet that goal." But that's what
he's reaching for. "I want to have my home automated
in a way that when you walk in the room the lights come
on and when you walk out they shut off immediately."
Powell is not alone. According to Sam Lucero of ABI Research,
total home automation and control market will triple from
$3.2 billion 2002 to $10.5 billion in 2008 - an increase
of $7/3 billion over five years. In addition, wireless controls
are expected to increase as well. By 2010 two-thirds of
home automation and control devices will be wireless, according
to a report in On World Magazine. With the advent of Z-Wave-based
products, the installation and use of home control devices
is expected to get not only easier to use, but more affordable
to the everyday consumer.
Taking the First Step
The best way to get started is realizing what you want to
do. It sounds simple enough, but experts say that it's best
to figure out your goals before buying products. "Home
automation is really based on the applications [end users]
are trying to fill," says Edward Uftring, product manager
for Leviton. "For instance, chances are no one needs
an RF dimmer in the bathroom because there is no real application
for a remote control light there," he says. "End
users need to understand the difference between scene control
and area control and then decide what application they are
trying to fill."
When he was first starting out with DIY home control and
automation, Powell got some sage advice: "A good automated
home is one that you do not know is automated." But
for Powell, there's still a long way to go. "You don't
use your home the same way every day," he says. Which
makes programming the home controls more challenging. "For
example, if I were to have my bedroom light turn on every
time I entered it then how would the lighting controller
know to turn the lights off at bed time. If I went to bed
at exactly the same time each night then I could simply
synchronize the computers clock with the lighting event
and all my problems would be solved," Powell says.
"But I rarely go to bed at the same time each night
and therefore I have to add other logic to the event triggers."
He's still working out the kinks, but his ultimate goal
is to automate the entire house.
Still, turning controlling the lights from another room
or even from the garage door opener may not seem like the
sexiest use of automation products, but it's a good place
to start. Setting up a system can take some planning and
a little time with the execution (see
Product Reviews). It's important to start out small
and build your way up. "Don't try to design your system
all in one big purchase. First, buy an automation controller
and some lighting devices," he says. "[Control
Think's] Think Essentials is a great tool for learning to
automate." Once you get started, it gets easier to
add on to your network and include security and monitoring
as well. There are Z-Wave products on the horizon that will
let you control the lights, heating, and security from any
browser. In addition, you'll also be able to monitor what
time the kids came home from school or see if your elderly
relative is doing well on their own. It's really about "being
there when you're not," says Reza Raji, CEO of iControl,
which offers a service that can ride on top of hardware
control products. As you build your network, you can expand
on your home control capabilities and you won't have to
spend a fortune.
Catherine LaCroix is the editor of ZWaveWorld. She
welcomes all editorial comments at catherine@zwaveworld.com.
