Smart Homes
With energy efficiency as the foundation to the selection process, every electronic device was reviewed in terms of annual wattage, load requirements and integration with other subsystems before finally approved by the integration and design team. The home was structurally wired for a state-of-the-art whole house video, music, lighting, security and Internet. The home included a sophisticated wiring design which achieved the CEA’s TechHome Rating System Platinum rating and first Green rating, by reducing wiring needs by more than 50% through a centralized entertainment equipment room. The design was also submitted to the USGBC for consideration as a LEED-H Innovation & Design point for Green Wiring.

The Green Life Smart Life home featured the latest in lighting and HVAC control, security and surveillance, energy management and state-of-the art distributed entertainment. Project highlights include:

• An overall home control, energy management and entertainment solution provided by Control4. Utilizing the Control4® Operating System to consolidate into one platform and automate major subsystems such as lighting, HVAC, security and climate control, the Control4 platform uses a ZigBee enabled device to bridge data from the utility meter to the home control system. This energy management solution features:
  • Load shedding allowing homeowners to power down high energy consuming appliances during non-use period and schedule down times for max efficiency.
  • Single button trigger solutions for easy programming of sequenced power on and off scenarios throughout the home, including a "green" feature.
  • Communication system to monitor feedback from all electricity loads in the house with real-time analysis of usage and savings.
  • Occupancy, temperature, magnetic, and timed sensors as well as a self-activated "away" mode every time the security system is armed to ensure maximum energy efficiency, especially when the home is empty.
• Integral in minimizing the home’s energy consumption, Lutron HomeWorks lighting control system is programmed to include a high-end trim of 85% for every connected light in the house and features automatic control of motion and occupancy sensors.
• From music to movies and pictures to TV programming, the home features the latest in entertainment technology from Control4 and include an n9 Media Center server from Niveus Media.
• Whole home audio means all of your music is centralized. The home manages their music via the NuVo Essentia E6G, the first and currently only whole home audio system to earn the coveted ENERGY STAR® rating.
• Security and surveillance means safety for your family – Green Life Smart Life incorporates Kwikset Smart Connect automated locks through Control4 for complete protection of the home.
• The three flat panels in the house were affixed to the wall with OmniMount’s new OmniLite Series™ mounts – made from recycled materials and using minimal component parts without sacrificing quality or safety.
• Wired to meet the standards of the CEA TechHome Rating System, Leviton’s structured wiring solutions allowed the home to be outfitted for current as well as future needs.
• To help earn LEED points in Indoor Air Quality, an H-P Products’ VACUFLO system with Hide-A-Hose was installed in the home.

From centralizing the control hub to eliminating hundreds of feet wiring to specifying low-VOC conduit for future accessibility, Carolina, RI–based Robert Saglio Audio Video, in cooperation with the builder and homeowners, helped create standards for future electronic systems installers to potentially achieve LEED-H points and ensure that homeowners reach their optimal energy consumption goals.