California has been at the forefront of the green home movement since 2011 when the state passed the CALGreen code requiring new homes meet certain green building standards. While the law focuses on reducing water consumption, building with renewable materials and reducing pollutants, there are other ways to make your Mission Viejo home environmentally friendly. A home lighting control system makes it easy to reduce your energy usage on a monthly basis in the following ways: 

SEE MORE: How to Bring Out Your Home’s Style With Elegant Lighting

Upgrade to LED Light Fixtures

The first step to a more eco-friendly lighting solution is upgrading to LED lights. Not only are they easier to manage than fluorescent lights—letting you adjust intensity, color, and even color temperature—but they consume considerably less energy. While a typical incandescent bulb uses 60 watts, a LED one uses only 10. This means you can light up your home with one-sixth of the energy with this simple change.

Conserve Energy with Dimmers

One of the ways a home lighting control system helps you be more energy efficient is by letting you dim your lights. Many people make the mistake of using all their light fixtures at 100 percent intensity when the occasion rarely requires it. Most lights can be dimmed by 20-30 percent without affecting your day-to-day activity. And a lighter glow can even enhance your interior décor! According to a study by Lutron, a leader in lighting technology, dimming lights by 25 percent can lead to energy savings of up to 20 percent every month.

Reduce Waste with Occupancy Sensors

A common way that energy is wasted-- leaving lights on in unoccupied rooms. This can be especially true in large luxury homes where it's hard to keep track of which areas are being used. You can resolve this problem with occupancy sensors that respond to the slightest movements. Lights turn on as soon as someone walks in and turn off when no motion is detected for a period of time.

Regulate Climate with Smart Shading

Most lighting control systems also include motorized shades to manage the amount of natural light in your home. But that’s not their only purpose. They can also help you regulate your indoor temperatures. Many luxury homes include large floor to ceiling windows; these are ideal for your décor, but they can also turn your space into a sweat lodge when hit directly by sunlight. Program your shades to close during the hottest times of the day to cool down your home.

Harvest Natural Light with Daylight Sensors 

Why waste energy illuminating your home when the sun is there to do it for you? Daylight sensors adjust your shades and light fixtures according to the amount of sunlight available. During sunny days, the shades open and the lights dim. If clouds pull in later in the day, you’re not left in the dark. Your lighting control system adjusts, closing the shades and brightening the lights for ultimate comfort.

Automate Savings with Smart Scenes

There are some scheduled scenes you can incorporate into your lighting control to reduce your energy usage on a daily basis. An “Away” scene turns off all the lights as soon as you leave the house, so you’re not wasting energy illuminating an empty home. Have a similar scene when it’s time to go to bed to turn off all indoor lighting when you go to sleep.

Do your part to help the environment with a lighting control system that lets you reduce your energy usage on a monthly basis. Reach out to a local BRAVAS partner to find out how to incorporate this technology into your home.