There are a number of ways to save energy in your home. By conducting a simple audit, homeowners can identify where energy is being used and where it’s being wasted. With a home lighting control system, you can reduce energy consumption, cut costs, and improve your lifestyle.  We’ve put together a short list of eco-friendly facts and the benefits of installing lighting solutions in your New York home.  Some are often overlooked and a few might even surprise you. 

1. Lutron dimmers extend the life of your light bulbs

Typical light controls consist of a simple on/off switch, rather than a dimmer. Whether it is the middle of the day or late in the evening, each fixture emits the same amount of light. With dimming, you can reduce the amount of power to a lighting source, thus saving energy and extending the life of the bulb. All types of bulbs can be dimmed including halogens, CFLs and LEDs. Halogen bulbs can last up to 20 times longer when used with a dimmer, and dimming them 35 percent reduces energy use by 28 percent.

2. Lutron lighting control improves productivity and increases comfort

Through dimming, homeowners can easily control the quantity of light in a room to fit a specific task or create a special mood. This in turn not only improves ambiance, but also saves energy in the process. Plus, increased comfort levels lead to increased productivity.

In today’s globalized economy, the workforce is made up of more remote and mobile employees, customers, partners and colleagues.  Thus the ability to collaborate at any time, in anyplace is vital to a company’s success.  Due to the changing workforce and the new economy in which we live, the demand for web and video conferencing has exploded.  The majority of business professionals agree that the best alternative to in-person meetings is video conferencing rather than phone calls.  Whether your headquarters are in located in New York, California or Florida, or if you have remote offices across the world, you’ll want to be sure your boardroom audio and video is up to the task for true collaboration. 

With a variety of dedicated video-conferencing and web based conferencing tools out there, how does one know which type of technology will best suit their needs?  We’ll cover the advantages and disadvantages of both traditional video conferencing and web-based options.

Traditional Video Conferencing Services

If you’re looking to build a dedicated boardroom to host meetings with participants near and far and make everyone feel as though they are in the same room, then traditional conferencing – along with a properly engineered multiple microphone system - is best situated to meet your needs.  This system allows for the ultimate viewing experience by utilizing large screens and video walls.  Meeting hosts can slice up content on multiple screens, keeping everyone on the same page during presentations.

Because stand-alone video conferencing systems often utilize multiple cameras, your presentations and sales pitches become more impactful. Because the cameras can detect motion, they’ll seamlessly transition views when a different participant begins speaking.  Traditional video conferencing provides the same level of real-life interaction as watching a professional football game on TV; participants experience all the hard hitting action from multiple camera angles.

The emerging wearables industry promises to improve sleep, enhance communication, and motivate you to move more.  From smartwatches and heart monitors to pedometers and VR headsets, wearables are more than a tool.  They’re about a personalized experience and an expression of one’s tastes.  The same could be said about Audio Command Systems.  We’ve designed and installed thousands of custom systems for some of the most discerning clients across the country.  We’re excited to bring you technology that helps bring a human touch to your integrated systems.

The Apple Watch™ is by far the most ambitious and well-constructed smartwatch on the market. Interacting with the Apple Watch is as intuitive as using an iPhone or working on a Mac, and was designed to enhance the way you live.  Apple and lighting control leader Lutron Electronics have expanded their harmonious alliance, allowing you to get personally connected to your home – first from your smartphone and now your wrist.

Control your home from your wrist

Lutron’s QS Wireless system will connect people with their homes through the Apple Watch, allowing homeowners to conveniently control lights, shades, and temperature right from their wrist.  Whether you’re sitting by the pool, driving home from the office, or miles away on a vacation, you now have control anytime anywhere.  Turn lights on before the kids arrive home so they never have to enter a dark house, or easily transform the dining room into an ideal place to host a dinner party.

See your home at a glance

From smart TVs and refrigerators to laptops and tablets, nearly every device we own is connected to the Internet.  The quality of the network is the foundation for a great system be it a home theater or fully automated house.  Today’s fast paced lifestyle and need to access everything at our finger tips makes a reliable, robust, and secure home network a requirement for most families.  We’ve come to think of a reliable wired and wireless network as another utility within our homes.  We depend on it to conduct business, stream music and videos, download files, and play online games.  The networking staff at ACS is poised to build a rock solid network for your New York, Florida and California residence.  Read on to learn about the key features of a network designed and installed by ACS.

Quality equipment, superior configuration

Audiovisual technology of today has transformed our lives and require a reliable network to perform properly. Gone are the days when you could visit an electronics store, buy the necessary networking equipment and set it up using the default settings. We install networking components from partners like Ruckus, Dell, and Cisco to bring you the best quality network solution. But that’s just the first step. Having high quality equipment is not enough. The efficiency and strength of a professionally integrated network is what sets a home system from ACS apart. We’ll eliminate disruptions and interference from other networks; program your network to prioritize different activities like streaming movies and downloading music, so all of your favorite activities remain uninterrupted.

Secure, reliable and robust

A hard-wired network is more secure and we recommend that it be business grade. There’s invisible protection built into the way the network is designed. We can further protect your home network by building you a guest network that prohibits access to other devices. Your entire network is protected without undo interruption. The network is there when you need it and can deal with increased capacity during parties and holiday gatherings. Whether you’re streaming your favorite Netflix sitcom on a tablet or your kids are finishing homework on their laptops a robust network supports all these activities so everyone gets what they want no matter where in the house they are at. In addition, we’ll proactively monitor the system so we know when there’s an issue before the homeowner does. These alerts keep the equipment performing and in turn last longer.

Light in your home is not merely functional; it’s part of the décor, enhancing every experience within the space.  Whether it’s an evening curled up on the sofa with a favorite movie, a laughter-filled dinner party, or a serene afternoon in a quiet corner with a best-selling novel, Lutron offers an unrivalled range of lighting control solutions that can create and enhance a mood.  Strong and bright, soft and subtle, or dramatic and theatrical; see what light can do for your life.  ACS’ years of experience allow us to deliver a truly individual solution for your home. For decades ACS has partnered with Lutron for its continual advancement in redefining how you control light in a space. The latest innovation is the Palladiom™ keypad.

With Lutron’s Palladiom keypads pressing one button can lower light from table lamps and recessed fixtures, and adjust shades to create the right atmosphere for enjoying the latest movie.  Another button will adjust the lighting level to a brighter setting for shooting a round of pool.  Wall stations incorporate temperature along with lighting and shades, providing the optimal user experience.

The Palladiom keypads combine subtle elegance with architectural design. To give the keypads a consistent aesthetic, the buttons and faceplate are flush with each other and made from the same material; 10 architectural matte colors, 11 metal finishes, and clear glass, making it easy to complement any décor. Choose light almond to match a neutral color palette throughout your home or antique bronze to coordinate with your faucet, handles and knobs in your kitchen. Your wall and fixture coordination along with the ease of controlling lights, window treatments, and climate, will never be the same.

As part of the Lutron HomeWorks® QS system, wired Palladiom keypads and Wall Stations can control Lutron wireless QS dimmers and switches, making them an ideal choice for new construction or minor renovation. Lutron and ACS offer an unrivalled range of lighting solutions and installation expertise. Regardless of the size of your project or budget, from New York to California and Florida, call ACS to learn about “smart” solutions for your home.