Remember when a lighting system just controlled lighting? Lutron is certainly making the RadioRA 2 into a multitasker, announcing the system’s first thermostat product.

First introduced at CEDIA 2009, Lutron’s RadioRA 2 system handles lighting, shades, and stand-by power from small appliances. It certainly makes sense to add temperature controls into that mix. Using Lutron’s Clear Connect wireless, RF technology, RadioRA 2 is scalable to 200 devices.

The RadioRA 2 thermostat features a three-part design. The first part is the seeTemp home interface (pictured), which can be wall-mounted in almost any area—even in those sunny spots, where you wouldn’t normally find a thermostat. Available in different colors, seeTemp is powered by 24V or 120V AC and offers up a little energy savings through an eco button, which can adjust the temperature +/- 2 degrees.

Next up are the wireless temperature sensors, which allows the temperature to be measured in the optimum location. Boasting up to five years of battery life, this sensor doesn’t need any additional wiring.

Last, but certainly not least, is the HVAC controller. Designed to be tucked away in a basement or other out-of-sight space, this piece of the puzzle can connect to HVAC equipment using standard 24V relays and wirelessly communicate with sensors.

Adding the thermostat into your RadioRA 2 mix means that you can control several home features at the touch of one button. For instance, at the end of the night, one button press can kill the interior lights, lower shades, turn off A/V equipment, and drop the temperature a few degrees.

All RadioRA 2 features can be controlled from keypads and mobile devices, including Apple’s iPad and Android products.

Rachel Cericola - Contributing Writer

Over the past 15 years, Rachel Cericola has covered entertainment, web and technology trends. Check her out at www.rachelcericola.com.