Watt Stopper's Miro Wireless Controls Contribute to Security, Ambience and Energy Savings for Massachusetts Condo
When Gary Letourneau specified finish details for his new 1,287-square-foot North Andover, Massachusetts condominium, he went beyond the standard list of upgrade options and called out Watt Stopper/Legrand’s Miro lighting controls throughout the home. Whole-house control was important to Letourneau who is disabled and wanted to be able to light up the residence at night for safety. He also wanted the convenience of being able to use a remote control device to change lighting levels.
Letourneau, who is an electrical estimator by trade, researched several competing lines of lighting control products and explains why he chose Miro. “The Miro line was selected over the competition because of the ease of installation, ease of programming, aesthetics, and the fact that it was the most cost effective.” He continues, noting, “After a one-on-one meeting with Watt Stopper District Sales Manager, it was clear that Miro was perfect for my application. The demonstration was great.”
Product application
The condo uses a combination of Miro Wireless RF Switches and Universal Dimmers to drive a variety of loads in the kitchen, living room, dining area and two bedrooms. Miro Architectural Wiring Devices, including Dimmers and Switches, were installed in the bathrooms to keep a consistent look throughout the home. The dimmers help to create a warm and cozy feel, and also save energy by reducing power consumption.A Room Scene Remote on a living room table actuates preset scenes in the open-plan dining/kitchen/living area. Letourneau reports using the scene controls constantly, and has set different looks for watching TV, cooking, dining, entertaining and reading.
A wall-mounted House Scene Controller at the entry and a House Scene Remote in the master bedroom allow one-button control of all the wireless devices for convenience and security. The scene controllers make it easy to turn unneeded lighting off when leaving the home or after exiting an area. Letourneau conserves energy by turning living area lights off when he has entered the bedroom, and turning all the lights off when he leaves for the day.
Installation and use
The only problem during installation involved a missing neutral for one switched circuit. Once a nearby neutral was located and wired up, all the controls worked as expected; they have continued to operate reliably since construction was completed in December 2006.Miro’s Wireless Lighting Controls use a sophisticated RF communications protocol instead of traditional control wiring, for both operational flexibility and ease of installation. In large installations, a Repeater may be added to extend the range of the RF signal. In this installation, the signal was being received properly throughout the home, but a Repeater was added for its occupancy emulation feature. When the Repeater is set to vacation mode, it will replay the previous week’s lighting changes to afford the home a lived in look when the owner leaves for an extended period of time.
Letourneau reports that, “The Miro product is used daily with great satisfaction. Everyone who visits my home comments on the look and function of the devices. I’d love to see them on the Condo Unit Upgrade sheet.”
At some point, he plans to upgrade the bathroom dimmers to wireless devices so that he truly can control the whole house from a single location. He also plans to wire the ignition of his gas fireplace to a power pack so that the fire can be included in the Miro lighting scenes. Because Miro does not require control wiring, it is easy and economical to expand or reconfigure the system at any time.
For more information about Miro lighting controls, visit www.wattstopper.com.
Watt Stopper/Legrand is a leading manufacturer of energy efficient lighting controls for commercial and residential use. We help customers find convenient ways to save energy, meet green initiatives, and comply with energy codes with our comprehensive range of products, programs, and services. Legrand, located in Limoges, France, is the world specialist in products and systems for electrical installations and information networks.
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