New homebuyers often have a long list of features that they want to have in their new home, and over the years having a ‘smart home’ has moved higher and higher on that list. Cedarglen Homes has made it easy for homebuyers to have an all-in-one solution that will be able to control the various smart features throughout their home. We are pleased to share that we have added a Lutron promotional package to the essential specifications for our homes (with the exception of our paired homes in The Parks of Harvest Hills). This package includes the addition of the Lutron Caseta Smart Bridge to our move-up homes, along with some dimmer switches throughout the house. Homeowners also have the option to easily add on features to their home either at the time of building, or in years to come, and it will integrate seamlessly with the smart bridge feature. Visit our showhomes and speak with one of our Area Sales Managers for more information on what all will come included in your new Cedarglen home.
We recently asked our representatives at McKenna Agencies LTD to tell us a bit more about Caseta Wireless by Lutron, and here is what we learned:
What is Caseta Wireless by Lutron?
Caseta Wireless by Lutron is a powerful home lighting system that allows for control and automation of lights, window shades and much more by use of dimmers, smart phones & tablets or even your voice.
How do you control the features of Caseta?
Caseta uses specialized dimmers and wall-switches that replace the standard light switches on your walls to operate the lights within your home. Additionally, our remotes; called “Picos,” offer extra points-of-control to any room in a sleek, minimalist device. But the heart of the system is our processor, the “SmartBridge.” This allows you to control your Caseta Wireless system from anywhere in the world where you have data access using your smart phone or tablet.
Can you expand on the SmartBridge?
The SmartBridge is what fully unleashes the power of your “smart home.” It grants the homeowner the ability to add schedules, scenes, geofencing (Arriving/Leaving Home), voice control, security integration…the list goes on!
What are the benefits of scheduling?
Also known as a timeclock, scheduling provides hassle-free automation of lights, scenes and even window shades within your system. For example, you could schedule your exterior lights to turn on at 50% brightness at sunset each night, just for some added security and peace-of-mind. They could then be scheduled to turn off at a precise time later in the night or even at sunrise the next day.
Can you explain what ‘scenes’ are?
A “scene” is an action that sets any number of lights and shades within your home to a user-defined level from a button press or voice command. For example, let us say you are rolling out of bed to get ready for work; you could activate a “Good Morning” scene from your phone. This single button press, or voice command could turn the lights in your bedroom up to a soft 20%. If you have a virtual assistant like Alexa or Google Home, your “Good Morning” music playlist could start playing or the morning news, weather & traffic report could be read to you while you get ready. To take it a step further, if you have Lutron Automated Window Shades, you could have them automatically open for you to let the natural morning light into your room, helping to wake you up before you even touch your coffee cup!
How does geofencing work?
Geofencing (AKA: the ‘Arriving/Leaving Home’ feature) allows a homeowner to create a perimeter around their home within the Caseta Wireless app. It then uses your phone or tablet’s GPS/Location Services information to notify the system when you are approaching or leaving home. This in turn will automatically activate a ‘welcome’ scene before you enter your home or neighborhood for that matter. Imagine arriving home to your perfectly illuminated home each evening during the dark winter months…it is a very powerful feature.
Can you add products on later?
Absolutely! Caseta is designed to be retrofit friendly. Additional dimmers, remotes (Picos) and even Automated Window Shades can be installed at any time and easily programmed into the system via the free Caseta Wireless app.
What is Clear Connect Wireless and what are the benefits of Caseta being linked to it?
“Clear Connect” is the name Lutron has trademarked for the wireless protocol that Lutron devices communicate on. It is a Radio Frequency (RF) signal that Caseta uses, not a data signal like WIFI or Bluetooth. Using an RF signal instead of Wi-Fi/Bluetooth provides a much cleaner command to the Caseta devices in your home while avoiding interference you would otherwise experience. Have you ever been at home and seen all the WIFI signals available to your phone from your neighbors’ homes? All those signals are operating on the same wavelength simultaneously, this can cause interference and ultimately makes your home WIFI feel slower than what you are paying for. With Clear Connect, when you issue a command to your Caseta Wireless devices, the system reacts instantly, every time with no interference.
Does Caseta sync with other smart home devices and services? If so, which ones?
You bet! We have integration relationships with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Siri & Apple HomeKit. We are also fully integrated with SONOS, Alarm.com, Logitech Harmony media remotes and compatible HVAC systems – and much more. The smart home possibilities are virtually endless. There is a list of all our partners online here if you want to explore even further.
Thank you once again to our friends at McKenna Agencies LTD for providing us with more information on just how amazing this product can be. For more detailed information on Caseta Wireless, click here.
To learn more about what is included when you build with Cedarglen Homes, please speak with one of our Area Sales Managers by booking an appointment.
