The
best part of home innovation is that it has little to do with
the infrastructure in your house. So, even older homes can
take advantage of the home innovation products on the market
today. From wireless dimmers, to a home battery, chatting with your appliances to a speaker light bulb, new products do not require remodels of your home, but things that can be used now!
Here’s
a look at the products featured and discussed by members of the Coldwell Banker Home
Innovation Panel from April 2015:
1.
Caséta Wireless Dimmers by Lutron. Control your lights,
shades and temperature from anywhere, whether you’re
home or away. Caséta Wireless dimmers and switches
install in minutes, work with numerous bulb types
– including dimmable LEDs and CFLs, and bring the
convenience of a connected home to your fingertips. “Smart lighting may be special now, but it’s
going to be part
of a smart home going forward,” says Matt Swatsky,of
Lutron Electronics product management director.
2.
Tesla. We’re all enamored with Tesla Motors. Who doesn’t
want a car that drives like a dream, runs on electricity
and gets new features every time the system is
updated? Now, the company is offering the TeslaPowerwall.
It’s a home battery that charges using electricity
generated from solar panels, or when utility rates
are low, and powers your home in the evening. It
also fortifies your home against power outages by providing
a backup electricity supply. Automated,compact
and simple to install, Powerwall offers independence
from the utility grid and the security of an
emergency backup.
3.
LG HomeChat. Start chatting with your home appliances
on your mobile messenger. Heading to the store
but not sure if you need milk or not, text your refrigerator
and it will tell you. What is your refrigerator doing
right now? Is your washer not working properly? Isn’t
it a hassle to have to find your audio and play music
every time you come home? HomeChat will take care
of everything. “HomeChat is a digital personal assistant
that you can text and tell the refrigerator to make
more ice or download new wash cycles on your LG
washing machine,” says John Taylor, vice president
of
public affairs and communications for LG.
4.
Sengled PULSE speaker bulb. Each intelligent bulb has
a JBL
multi-channel stereo wireless speaker hidden within.
You can simply screw the bulb into your existing
lamp socket and pair with your Sengled PulseMaster
bulb; download and install the app on your smart
devices. Instantly stream music and regulate the
lighting. They also have lights that offer wireless security
cameras, so cool! Because you don’t need to buy
or adapt infrastructure, said Robin Foreman, vice president
of marketing and business development, “You can
make an impact on day one with just one bulb.
5.
Nest. “We transform unloved home products,” said Ben
Bixby of NEST. The company offers a thermostat that
can program itself. Most people leave the house at one
temperature and forget to change it. So, the Nest Learning
Thermostat learns your schedule, programs itself
and can be controlled from your phone. Teach it well
and the Nest Thermostat can lower your heating
and cooling bills up to 20 percent.
