Effective use of lighting can make all the difference between a gloomy winters evening and a cosy, Christmassy night in. At this festive time of year the cold and dark outside gives us the opportunity to feel truly warm and snug inside our homes, and the use of decorative and atmospheric lighting can ensure you make the most of it. As well as the dainty Christmas tree lights that shine from sitting room windows, many households introduce a whole range of festive lighting over Christmas, both indoors and outdoors. An intelligent home lighting system can be particularly helpful during this time of year in helping to avoid the rigmarole of switching on and off so many lights, not least the awkward sockets behind the tree.
Homes with intelligent lighting systems such as DALI installed give occupants total control over their home lighting environment, both in achieving a desired atmosphere and to automatically illuminate spaces when required, and according to preset levels. Using KNX technology this can also extend to the control of specific power sockets, including those used for external lighting – both temporary and permanent. Meaning that your festive array of Christmas lights can be included in home settings.
One feature within an intelligent lighting system that could help with your Christmas illuminations is scene setting. Through this feature it is possible to arrange a selection of pre-set lighting scenes ready to come on at either scheduled intervals, a pre-determined level of external light, or manually. For example, you could set your external Christmas lights to come on as the light intensity outside drops, and go off again either at a pre-determined time or as the sun comes up in the morning, meaning that they manage themselves, with little intervention needed from you.
Indoors you could manage your lights according to the time you’re due home (even remotely from your smart phone) or alternatively opt to use a welcome scene. A home welcome scene can incorporate all lighting within the home, including lamps, and temporary lighting i.e. Christmas decorations, and also set those with dimming capabilities to whichever intensity you desire. This can also be linked to other controlled elements such as to close curtains or increase the heating as you enter. So with the push of one button as you come through the front door your home will remember just how you like it.
Come Christmas Day you can further utilize some of your pre-set scenes to create perfect atmospheres as the day pans out. I.e. a morning scene with tree lights and main lights for the kids to open their presents, an afternoon scene with pleasant wall lighting in the dining room for Christmas dinner, and then a soft lit and decorative evening scene ready to settle down with a Christmas film. Perfect.
If you would like to learn more about using intelligent controls in your home then please drop us a line. Intecho wishes you a peaceful and relaxing break this Christmas, and happiness and success in the new year.
