Automation... people hear this word and the first thought is expensive. Not so. Automation is simply just another way to control all of your devices. Think of it as your personal assistant.

The idea behind automation began with, “Can I get one system to control all my electronics in my house, make the equipment more energy efficient, and be able to adjust climate, lights and others from outside the house?” The answer is simple; YES. With automation in your residence or business, you can have a system that will not only control lights, climate, audio, video, sunshades, video surveillance, security systems, swimming pool and hot tub pumps and filters, and irrigation equipment, but many other sub-systems as well.

Home automation will control the electronics in your house effortlessly. The gear can be set to automatic, or user controlled. True automation will adjust the lights, climate, and other electronics on their own. For example, when it is raining, the automation system will receive a notice of cloud cover and precipitation. The lights will increase output by 10-15%, sunshades will be retracted, pool and hot tub equipment will not run, and your lawn irrigation systems will go to stand-by. This will save you time and money by not running unnecessary equipment. Nice, sunny, typical Texas summer afternoon….light system will only illuminate necessary rooms at a reduced capacity, sunshades will lower, ceiling fans will activate, and thermostats will set themselves to break the heat. When the sun goes down and we get to enjoy the night, lights will turn on, sunshades will retract, irrigation equipment will activate (night is the best time to water so we don’t burn up the grass or create mold), and pool equipment will start activating. All of this is possible without ever hitting a button. User controlled automation equipment will still use a lot of the same features; however the customer will need to press a button to activate the function.

There is also a need for automation in commercial applications. The equipment is generally the same for residential and commercial; we can use the same principals of controlling a house into controlling a business.

For example: you own a restaurant. The kitchen staff arrives at 8am to begin preparations for lunch. The servers, bartenders and other front of the house employees arrive at 9:30am to prepare for start of business at 10am. The restaurant closes at 12am and all the staff leaves at 1am after cleaning up. Automation will activate lights and climate before the staff arrives in the morning. When the next shift of employees arrives at 9:30am, the lights will activate and the sunshades will retract to prepare for business. At opening time, the audio/video system will automatically turn on and play. Throughout the day, the lights will automatically adjust their brightness depending on the ambient light level. The sunshades will automatically lower themselves to block the direct sunshine and will retract when it is not an issue. When a section closes, the lights will dim to a very reduced rate to allow cleaning, yet show that it is closed. At closing time, the lights will go to the full capacity to allow a full inspection and cleaning. After the alarm has been set for the evening, the lights and climate will adjust themselves for their nighttime settings.

One thing about this system is the flexibility. Even though the system is automated, the managers can adjust all lights, climate, and a/v systems thru a master touch screen, or an iPhone/ iPod touch.