Energy
The Power of Energy Monitoring: Save Energy & Money
30/01/12 23:22
How would you like to have direct access to the amount of energy you are using in your home or business at any given moment? Finally, you won’t have to hold your breath every time your energy bill is delivered to your mailbox!
A growing number of businesses and families are utilizing energy monitoring technologies such as Eragy or Powerhouse Dynamics to monitor their energy output 24x7. Both technologies offer a host of cutting-edge features that are sure to give you invaluable insights on your energy usage.
Eragy Home Energy Monitoring with Control4
Eragy runs in conjunction with the Control4 home automation system and an energy sensor that is installed prior to usage. Throughout the day, Eragy monitors energy usage and then sends data to their secure website. The system then correlates your energy usage with utility provider’s rates and projects your current costs.
To view energy usage and cost statistics Eragy utilizes your Control4 touch panel, TV, computer, iPhone, Android, or iPad. After viewing the data, users you can then make needed adjustments to your home or business to decrease energy usage.
Powerhouse Dynamics
Powerhouse Dynamics is an amazing system that takes energy monitoring to new heights. The system breaks down energy usage circuit-by-circuit and pinpoints various items in your home or business that are contributing to high energy costs.
It also has the power to monitor each appliance within a home and sends out an alert when one isn’t performing well. You are also given the ability to control the temperature of your home from anywhere via a smartphone. Additionally, if you utilize renewable energy sources such as solar power, Powerhouse Dynamic’s eMonitor will reveal if they are producing the amount of which they are capable.
When the system finds it necessary to alert you to a particular problem or unnecessary energy output, the system can be programmed to send you a text message or e-mail. You can liken the system to a home assistant that is there to make your live 100 times easier!
Smart Meters Installed Across BC to Improve Energy Costs & Efficiency
The idea of energy efficiency is also being taken seriously throughout BC. In fact, there is a BC Hydro Smart Metering Program that will see the installation of 1.8 million meters in home and businesses by December 2012. The meters are expected to save BC residents more than $70 million over the next three years and $1.6 billion over the next 20 years.
At Digital Smart Homes, we can provide you monitoring technologies that are compatible with Smart Meters. Additionally, we can provide you a full demo of the above systems. We invite you to drop by our showroom or contact me at 604-375-3474 extension #700 for more information.
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Homeowners Are Turning to Smart Technology to Streamline Their Lives and Reduce Energy Use
04/12/11 15:33
Article by Amanda Ash, Contributor for eHow
Long gone are the days when we read by candlelight and cooked dinner on a wood-burning stove. And for many North American homes as of 2011, the acts of flipping light switches and manually controlling thermostats are going the way of the dinosaurs.
The Green Revolution, coupled with incredible technological advances, has spawned tech-savvy "smart homes": digitally outfitted dwellings that may be programmed to do just about anything you can think of, except maybe clean your room.
Harry Saini, who owns Digital Smart Homes of Canada and has wired his Vancouver condominium to the hilt, believes that automating your home not only simplifies your life but also reduces energy consumption. Home automation technology is becoming more accessible every day, allowing the average person to transform a home into something straight out of "Star Trek."
"If you were looking at home automation five years ago, you'd easily be looking at 10 times the cost compared to now," Saini said. "And the number of dealers and retailers that are able to support that technology compared to five, six years ago has doubled---tripled, even.
"People used to think home automation is for lazy people, but that's not what it is. Essentially, everything talks to one another. Your lights talk to your stereo. Your alarm knows what your garage is doing. All your devices know what's going on."
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What is Home Automation or a Smart Home?
04/12/11 15:32
In today’s ultra-complicated and fast-paced world, home automation and smart home technologies were developed to simplify life! Thanks to revolutionary devices, you can now link and control all of the electronics and systems in your home from a single digital interface.
Digital Smart Homes links together onto one operating platform the following technologies and more:
- Home theatre systems
- Multi-room music & video
- Smart lighting & shades
- Advanced temperature control
- Safety and security devices
Transforming your living environment into a “smart home” not only makes life more manageable, it makes it more secure. For instance, let’s say that you head out of town for a weekend trip and you realize a few hours out of town that you forgot to arm the security system and program the porch lights to illuminate at dusk. All you have to do is pull out your iPhone, bring up the Control4 interface, and push a few buttons to secure your alarm & program your lights.
Is Home Automation Scalable? As you revolutionize and grow your home technologies, you may be wondering if home automation is scalable. This is actually the beauty of a system like Control4. You can begin with one or two technologies and then scale out to meet additional needs. For example, if you have an amazing home theatre setup and a security system, you can begin there and then add to your setup as time progresses.
What’s in a Smart Home Console? This is where the fun begins! Just to give you an idea, here are some of the things that Control4 can accomplish:
- Control your home theatre
- Dim the lights as the opening credits roll
- Turn off all your TVs when your kids should be studying
- Alert you when the garage door is open…and then close it
- Manage your lights, window coverings, and thermostats
- Monitor your locks, lighting, and security cameras
- Allow you to play music in any room of the house
Visit our fully featured hi-tech showroom in Vancouver at 1385 West 6th Avenue.
New RGPC (Richard Gray's Power Company) 200LD Power Delivery and Power Surge Protection System
10/11/11 07:31
The RGPC 200 LD is a compact Parallel Power Delivery Model designed to fit conveniently in tight spots, while delivering all the AV enhancements by utilizing the patented parallel technology. To receive the maximum performances install the RGPC 200 LD as close as possible to the AV equipment.
Introducing iRemote Reset by Technology on Demand
20/05/11 17:06
Have you ever had to go to your parents or friends home just to reboot a Cable/DSL Modem to fix "The Internet" going down or to just to cycle power on a device? Have you ever had to instruct your spouse where to find the power cord for a device inside a crazy-busy rack only to find you still have to go there or that it took longer to talk them through it than if you actually went there?
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Now Available! Temperature Control from Lutron
20/04/11 08:34
Add temperature control to the RadioRA 2 system for increased convenience and energy savings. Control temperature from keypads, mobile devices (iPhone, iPad, Android and more), occupancy sensors, and an energy-saving schedule. The three-part design puts each component where it makes sense.
- seeTemp can be mounted in locations which would not normally be appropriate for a thermostat, such as exterior walls and sunny spaces.
- The wireless temperature sensor is easy to position and allows the temperature to be measured in the optimum location.
- The HVAC controller installs out-of-sight
Download Lutron Thermostat Brochure
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Pakedge introduces the PDU-RM8 Modem/Router Boot Sequence Power Distribution Unit with Remote Power Cycling and Monitoring
07/03/11 15:30
The Pakedge PDU-RM8 modem/router power distribution unit gives you unprecedented convenience and control, including full remote control of on/off sequencing to power-up and shut down sensitive equipment in the proper sequence, and avoid power flooding at startup. Out of the box, the PDU-RM8 is pre-labeled for easy installation. Just plug in the modem, router and switches into the pre-labeled outlets, and you are ready to go.
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Introducing the Worlds Finest AC Power Regenerator - The PS PerfectWave P10
22/02/11 15:45
The PerfectWave Premier P10 Power Plant takes your incoming AC power and converts it to DC, and then with patented PS Audio technology, regenerates and amplifies new sine wave perfect, high current AC power. New high current, ultra low distortion AC Power created by Power Plant technology delivers stunning performance from your audio and video components. Unique heat sink design delivers a fan less design to ensure total silence for the most discriminating listening environments.
The PerfectWave Premier 10 is the highest performing, most powerful AC regenerator ever produced. Massive current capability redefines the performance of your gear.
PowerPlay technology on board provides unprecedented control and monitoring of all your connected devices. Automatically reboot routers, modems, and network devices when Internet dropouts occur. Schedule devices to power on and off automatically optimizing power consumption in your system. Receive emails automatically when power occurrences occur, as the PerfectWave Premier P10 is automatically reacting on it’s own. All made possible by PowerPlay technology and PS Audio’s unique Globalnet Server support.
The P10 - The largest and most advanced high-end AC power regenerator on the planet, the P10 is pure state of the art. Capable of powering any size system with pure sine wave power, nothing comes even close to a P10.
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Eragy Announces Second Generation Home Energy Monitoring Application and Service
24/01/11 22:49
Eragy’s Energy Monitoring Plus application empowers homeowners to identify specific areas of energy savings.
Eragy, Inc., a leading provider of smart home software applications and services for home energy management and monitoring, today announced a second generation version of the company’s home energy monitoring application and service. Read More...
Card Access™ Ceiling-Mount Wireless Motion Sensor
17/01/11 18:18
Card Access is pleased to announce the new Ceiling-Mount Wireless Motion Sensor. Using the same Control4 driver and providing all of the same functionality as our wall-mount Wireless Motion Sensor, the Ceiling-Mount Wireless Motion Sensor allows for convenient ceiling mount applications. This new product is a great way to add occupancy sensing capabilities to any room. We offer two versions of the Ceiling-Mount Wireless Motion Sensor: battery-powered and line-powered (9-24v AC/DC)
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Lutron: Dominating Eco-Lighting Control
10/08/10 17:19
According to Lutron, lighting can account for up to 20 percent of a household’s yearly electricity usage, and up to 40 percent a year commercially.
Its a fact that all dimmers save energy and that’s just the beginning of “green” lighting design. Lutron has also developed an extensive collection of eco-friendly light controls, systems and window solutions for any project, big or small. We guarantee at least a 15% cost savings in the first year! Read More...
Tips for greening your home
18/05/10 12:26
Whether you are looking to build a state-of-the-art, eco-friendly home or to make simple adjustments to lower your utility bills, there are effective ways to go green and save money at the same time. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) presents tips that range from no-cost habits to larger, green investments and show you how to green your home and still enjoy the latest technologies and entertainment. Read More...