Tips From The Top

  • Your Ceiling Fan Just Got Smarter

    Spring is here – which means home energy management is quickly shifting from saving on heating costs to cutting back on cooling costs. Ceiling fans can play a big part in reducing cooling costs. When used correctly, a fan can mean small adjustments to your thermostat which result in large savings. The average ceiling fan at high speed consumes about 75 watts. To compare, an air conditioner consumes up to 2,000 watts. According to the University of Florida Cooperative Extension, a ceiling fan can reduce a room’s cooling costs by as much as eight per cent.

    And a smart ceiling fan? Even better.

    This spring, lighting pioneer Lutron Electronics releases its newest offering in its Caséta smart lighting system: the new Caséta by Lutron Fan Speed Control. You can now adjust your ceiling fan with the Lutron app on your phone from anywhere – in or outside your home. As part of the Caséta smart lighting system, you can seamlessly integrate your ceiling fan with pre-set Caséta scenes and schedules

    Since 2014, Caséta by Lutron is the most connected smart lighting control system. Besides offering a wide variety of smart light options, the system also works with automated shades, smart speakers, smart thermostats, and more. When the system is fully integrated, supported by Lutron’s Clear Connect Wireless technology, you control everything from your mobile device with the Lutron app. You can also control the system with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant. 

    Four fan speeds allow you to set your favorite speed setting, and you can seamlessly integrate the fan into your pre-set Caséta scenes and schedules using the Lutron smart bridge and app. For example, when you press “Goodnight” at the end of the evening, the lights will dim, shades will lower, and fans will be set to low. Away” can turn ceiling fans off, since ceiling fans do not necessarily reduce the temperature in a room; rather, they circulate the air to make the room more comfortable for the people in it. If nobody’s home, there’s no need for the fan. And if you forget to turn the fan off when you leave, no problem; your pre-set scene “Away” will take care of it.

    Lutron has also introduced a new fan Pico remote, for when you don’t want to use voice commands or your app to adjust the ceiling fan. The battery-powered Pico remote has a 30-foot range and multiple mounting options.

    “Caséta by Lutron has been a popular choice with some of the nation’s largest home builders,” said Matt Swatsky, Lutron Vice-President of Residential Mid-Market Business, in a public statement. “The new ceiling fan control paired alongside Caséta dimmers, switches, and Pico remotes provides a clean, coordinated look throughout the home.”

    A global pioneer in lighting management, Lutron Electronics offers more than 15,000 energy-saving products – from dimmers to total home lighting management systems, sold in more than 100 countries. In the United States alone, Lutron products save an estimated 10 billion kWh of electricity, or approximately $1 billion in utility costs per year.

    To learn more about how integrating your ceiling fan with Caséta by Lutron can help you save energy costs, call us at Jackson Hole AV. We’d love to discuss the possibilities.