Introduction to Home Lighting Control
Lighting controls, including dimming and switching, can be used to increase flexibility and security, set a mood, save energy and extend the life of your light bulbs. They are one of the fastest-growing home technologies because they offer a measurable impact on quality of life and home value. They’re not gadgets. They’re lifestyle enhancements. And with declining costs, less upfront design and more options, lighting controls aren’t just for the rich and famous anymore—you’ll find them perfectly suited for homes as small as 2,000 square feet.
Enhancing Convenience and Lifestyle
Many of today’s homes feature value-added design, appliances and materials. A lighting control design allows you to take in the full beauty of your home without the fuss of adjusting several switches to achieve a desired look. The simple tap of one button can softly adjust the room so that granite sparkles, walls feel spacious, cabinets define the room, guests feel welcome. Another tap, another totally new look within the space, another mood. This can be achieved without creating a lot of wall clutter generally caused by many dimmers on the wall.
Automated lighting control can deliver a theater experience in the home, create varying moods and scenes, activate outdoor lights during an intrusion, and allow you to turn the entire home’s lighting on or off with a single button. You can activate exterior and interior entryway lighting from the safety of a car using a remote control. You can go away on vacation and schedule some lighting to automatically turn on and off to make the home appear occupied. During an emergency, lighting can automatically activate to light a path out of the house for your family. The controls can be programmed for child comfort based on your children’s schedules. There are literally dozens of examples of how automated control can enhance comfort and safety.
Enhancing Security
A feeling of being secure is one of the biggest reasons homeowners choose lighting control. One of 
the most valuable benefits of lighting control is that one button is all that is needed to instantly turn selected lights on in an emergency. Additionally, the home’s lighting can interface with a security system to turn on in an instant or signal for help. Security lights on motion detectors, especially on the outside, can illuminate when someone approaches the house and then turn off minutes later or remain on if so desired. For added security, lighting control systems can be operated by a time clock, car sun visor, key fob, and cell phone—just to name a few.
Saving Energy
Dimmers allow you to adjust the light output, with a resulting change in input watts. Suitable for any living space, they can be as simple as a single room dimmer on the wall up to whole house control systems. Vacancy sensors automatically turn off the lights after you leave a room, and are suitable for utility spaces such as garages and closets and some living spaces such as bathrooms, hallways and bedrooms.
According to research conducted by the California Energy Commission, a dimmer is expected to reduce average input watts in the controlled space by 20%, allowing you to reduce utility costs and your family’s carbon footprint while enhancing your lifestyle. What’s more, dimming incandescent and halogen lighting will extend bulb life—doubling it for every 10% dimming.
Easy to Install, Simple to Use
Today’s products are easier to install and simpler to use than ever. Many functions can be used either manually with one touch control or programmed to happen automatically and require no user operation. The user is in control of what to control and how to do it. 
Some basic systems can be installed on a do-it-yourself basis while more advanced systems are better left to professionals such as electricians, systems integrators and low voltage installers.
Single Switch to Whole House Control
Today’s lighting control systems offer scalability, allowing you to select a system that is tailored to the size and use of your home. Additionally, smaller systems typically have the built-in ability to grow, so expanding later is generally an option. The three basic levels of lighting control are:
Single-light dimmer—one dimmer controls a single “zone” of light (one or more light sources controlled simultaneously by a single control device).
Room control—every light in the room can be controlled individually or in conjunction with other lights to create various lighting scenes.
Whole house control—lights in each room of the home can be controlled as part of a larger whole-home system so that they can be turned on and off from anywhere in the home, including the bedroom, family room or even the car.
Wired, Wireless
A lighting control system takes advantage of controlling your home’s lighting fixtures in the same basic way a standard switch might. Some systems use a dimmer panel, while others use smart dimmers that directly replace your wall switch.
These systems are designed to install in new construction and/or existing homes. Some systems use a dedicated wire to send lighting commands, while others make use of the existing wire within your home. The industry is currently pioneering wireless radio-frequency controls. Most systems easily interface with structured wiring panels, security systems and home automation systems.
Add Control to Your Lifestyle 
Flipping a light switch is one of the things you do more than anything else in your home, but there is a distinct difference between controlling the lights and lighting control. With a switch, you turn on only the light in one area while the rest of the room or house remains dark. The lighting is static. With a lighting control system, you light the room and you can do it dynamically based on your individual needs and preferences.
Ask yourself: What do I want my lighting to do? How do I use my home—specifically, each room—each space in each room? The desired level of control will determine the required type of control.
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