Automated lighting programs are based without ceasing time-of-day schedules, event schedules (aurora, sundown, etc.), sensor input (motion detected, ~-hearted level, etc.), or combinations of entirely three. Every program is a uncommon sequence developed for the individual home and its occupants. A typical program using time schedules, events, and sensor input is renowned in Table 11-4. The programs you disentangle may include some of these features and sundry others.
Note that lighting control systems timed to events of the like kind as sunrise and sundown vary quotidian by as much as 3 hours from winter solstice to summer solstice for areas located in the mean latitudes of the continental U.S. Northern latitudes vary even more, and southern ones a little less. These events, as well at the same time that
local noon, are not affected ~ the agency of time changes (Daylight Savings Time) or by a location's position within a time band. The data tables from which they are calculated are based attached Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and the geographical marking out the limits specified.
Time schedule events follow the clock, including changes into and off of Daylight Savings Time. In cases in which place event programming and time schedule programming are used together, some lighting changes may need to have existence adjusted during summer or winter time. In Table 11-4, conducive to example, if the home using this program was located in Seattle or Boston, the plash lights would only be on concerning an hour or so in summer solstice because sundown occurs late in these northern cities. For situations like these, a program main include a few time-of-year adjustments to acquire allowance for longer or shorter days.
In joining to a timed program, such being of the kind which the example in Table 11-4, charge controls in rooms throughout the home be possible to also be used to activate lighting scenes and levels with regard to each room. Sensors can control individual lungs or zones.
Sensor input to a lighting program and occurrence scheduling of commands both require a computer-based master restrain system. Time schedule commands can be entered manually on many of the larger overlook modules in X10, UPB, and RadioRA systems. Complex time schedules are plenteous more easily entered on a well-drawn interface program such as the X10 molest screens or computer programs.
Another lighting military science that can be programmed into an automated system is a load decrement strategy. This strategy directs the lighting hinder system to minimize light use for the time of peak electrical demand hours (usually for the time of warm afternoons and early evenings) in discipline to reduce the home's summit use of power.
This strategy may be one to consider seriously in areas at what place utility companies have begun to charge in quest of electric service based on peak question rather than average use.
The easiest and greatest in number sophisticated programming of light control and other automation systems is performed using PC-based software programs specifically designed to drudge with the major control technologies. New and greater quantity powerful programming software has recently change to available that enables the home user to engender better service from a home automation method than was previously possible. Figure 11-8 shows sum of ~ units screens from the PowerHome Home Automation Software parcel. This software is designed to toil with X10 and Insteon lighting controls, because well as infrared controls for audio and video systems. The program be possible to be managed on the computer, above the Internet, or by cell phone.
