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Energy efficiency and technology are big topics at this year’s Greenbuild show taking place in Phoenix, Ariz., where the movers and shakers of the growing green movement are urging attendees to go beyond plucking the “low-hanging fruit” of energy savings and take the extra steps toward deep energy savings. “We are in a time now where we really have to make big changes,” said Al Gore, in the show’s opening plenary session on Wednesday night. “It’s time for us to shift to a new kind… View this story
Lighting Control • Fixtures and Switches • Power Management • Home Control Systems • Green Technology • Info and Answers

The world lives, eats and breathes for new technology. It’s what CE pros and enthusiast consumers do every day. The pursuit of technology is relentless. Everyone wants the latest in electronics, from flat panels to iPhones. It’s great news for integrators because it means upgrades, upgrades, upgrades. But are some of those upgrades even worse than the previous technology? A recent study revealed that in an effort to save fuel, trans-Atlantic freighters have cut their average speed to 10 knots. But cargo sailing ships from… View this story
Fixtures and Switches • Green Technology • Movies and Music • Info and Answers

Everyone knows that CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps) and LED (light emitting diodes) fixtures conserve electricity. CFLs are four times more efficient and last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, while LEDs use less than 10 watts of electricity and have even longer lifespans. They’re both great energy-savers, no doubt. But a 4,000-square-foot green home in Raleigh, N.C., proves that it’s possible to get even more efficiency out of these new lighting technologies. A variety of different occupancy sensors and timers installed inside the National Homebuilder… View this story
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Thinking of buying energy-efficient LED (light emitting diode) fixtures for your home? There are a lot of LED lights on the market today, but buyer beware. Good, long-lasting LED lights are also available—and will generally cost more. Here are some things you should check out as you shop: Where’s the power supply? Most LEDs require low-voltage, so they must have an AC-to-DC adapter, transformer, or power supply to operate them. These can be internal or external to the fixture. Color Temperature, or Correlated Color Temperature… View this story
Lighting Control • Fixtures and Switches • Green Technology • Info and Answers

Lighting control has become nearly as popular as home theater and security. The technologies of lighting control have are now much more accessible to mainstream consumers, enabling a growing number of homeowners to reap the benefits. Low-cost solutions and Web-based controls are fueling innovation in lighting control. But consumers are also attracted to the falling prices and the category’s eco-friendly qualities, including the ability to monitor energy consumption. According to the CE Pro 100 Brand Analysis, the five most popular lighting control brands are: Lutron… View this story
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One of the easiest ways to save money on your energy bills? Buy dimmer switches for your lights and use them. Dimming a traditional incandescent bulb just 15 percent, which is hardly noticeable, can save you 15 percent in electricity costs and triple the life of the bulb. Dim it by 25 percent and you can save 20 percent. A dimmer can pay for itself pretty quickly. Lutron is upping the ante with new Maestro and Meadowlark eco-minder switches that turn small LEDs on their… View this story
Lighting Control • Fixtures and Switches • Green Technology • Info and Answers

Lights are a staple in every home, but that doesn’t mean your switches should be like everyone else’s. With a few simple tweaks, the fixtures can do more simply illuminate your home as a bit of lighting control. They can curb your energy use, evoke ambiance, and protect your home, for example. Here are 10 simple ways to realize your lights’ full potential.  1. Put Them on a Timer. Most families follow a fairly routine weekday schedule: out the door at 7 a.m., back at… View this story
Lighting Control • Fixtures and Switches • Lighting Control Systems • Info and Answers

Concerned about swine flu or other bacteria? Purely Products sells a portable Pocket Purifier that uses a 4-watt germicidal ultraviolet bulb (UV-C) that sterilizes surfaces like countertops. UV-C technology is widely used in hospitals for sanitation—and it is used to sanitize water. The bulbs do contain mercury, though, so you be the judge on how green and healthy that makes them. If you buy a UV-C product, keep in mind that ultraviolet purifiers utilize germicidal lamps that are designed and calculated to produce a certain… View this story
Fixtures and Switches • Gadgets • Green Technology • Info and Answers

Lighting company Checkolite and powerline chip geeks Arkados are coming together to make the Reese’s peanut butter cup of home technology. The two are planning to develop a whole line of multiroom audio and lighting control products under the name iHome. You know iHome—the company that cranks out iPod clock radios and speaker systems. What makes the new products different is that not only will they combine lighting with audio, but the new products will be controllable, via a remote or computer. The duo says… View this story
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Thinking of buying energy-efficient LED (light emitting diode) fixtures for your home? There are a lot of LED lights on the market today, but buyer beware. Good, long-lasting LED lights are also available—and will generally cost more. Here are some things you should check out as you shop, courtesy of Philips Color Kinetics. Where’s the power supply? Most LEDs require low-voltage, so they must have an AC-to-DC adapter, transformer, or power supply to operate them. These can be internal or external to the fixture. Color… View this story
Fixtures and Switches • Green Technology • Buyers Guides • Info and Answers • Buy

Segway inventor Dean Kamen is on a roll again. This time the innovator is converting his entire “island nation” to energy-efficient LED lighting that will save an estimated 70 percent in the energy required for lighting. It is also estimated that the installation of all LEDs at Kamen’s island will reduce overall energy consumption by 50 percent. The LEDs are a big part of Kamen’s plan to make three-acre North Dumpling island, located off the Connecticut coast, achieve net zero energy, meaning its energy use… View this story
Lighting Control • Fixtures and Switches • Green Technology • Info and Answers

So what’s the best course of action for adding dimmers? Should you change out every single switch in your house or start with just a couple of rooms? According to the experts, you’ll get the biggest bang for your buck in the kitchen and bath. “These two rooms have a tremendous amount of installed lighting,” says Phil Scheetz, home systems marketing manager at Lutron Electronics. In a kitchen, for example, there might be recessed lighting over the stove and cooktop, pendants above the island, a… View this story
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