Having the proper amount of light in a room is more important than you may realize. It can affect your mood, your sleep cycle, and the way a room looks. Electrical lighting costs money, so to save on your electric bill you need to have proper lighting control that will minimize your electricity usage while still providing you with the amount of light you need for whatever you are doing in the room. Proper lighting control is about more than turning the lights on and off. Here are a few ways to ensure your home is properly lit.
Automatic Controllers
You can connect automatic controllers to almost everything related to the lights in your home. Some will turn on, dim or turn off the lamps, and you can have others to open and close the window treatments. These controllers can be set according to the time of day so, when the light is bright, you choose which curtains or blinds to be open and how much. This way, if the sunlight is streaming in and creating a glare on the screen, you can set the controller to adjust the window treatment to prevent it.
Automatic Sensors
One of the best ways to ensure you are not leaving lights on when the room is not in use is with occupancy/vacancy sensors. These will detect if someone is in the room. When the room is empty, the sensors will turn the lights off. The sensor can also be connected to other controllers for the room such as one that opens and closes the window treatments. These sensors can detect the amount of sunlight coming in to determine how to adjust the window treatments.
Window Films
One way to use sunlight to the best advantage is with window films. Choose an option that has a controller so you can set up how much light you want streaming into the room. The film will lighten or darken to give you what you want. In addition to sunlight, these films can also be used to help with heat control. On cold days, have the film set to allow the heat in even while no one is home so the room gets heated a bit. This will allow you to turn down the thermostat and save on your heating bill as well as your lighting bill.
Technology is ever changing and improving. You do not need to go around the house opening and closing blinds and curtains or turning the lights on and off so people can get through the house without falling over anything. Use sensors and controllers. It will keep people safe, set the mood, allow you to sleep better, and provide the lighting you need to read or do work on a computer.
Share10 May 2017
Keeping up with the latest gadgets is nearly impossible. As the parent of three teenagers, I struggle to keep up with all of the things that I need to know to ensure that my kids are safe when they are online using the different gadgets that they have. Knowing the basics of using these devices is imperative to keeping your kids safe. My blog shows you different ways to check the electronics your kids use and tips for optimizing their safety when they are online talking to people that they don't know and even the ones that they do know.
