2011 HGTV Green Home includes Control4 automation, controlled by a customized iPad, and The Energy Detective monitoring system.
By Arlen Schweiger June 02, 2011
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HGTV is clearly starting to “get” the custom electronics industry.
Perhaps the most influential information tool these days for homebuyers (those who now must have granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and an “open and airy” floor plan), the network has added some high-tech spice to its most recent home giveaways.
Earlier this year, the network gave away its annual HGTV Dream Home, built in the very green state of Vermont, which featured Lutron lighting and shade controls for the 3,400-square-foot space.
Along with a Dream Home, HGTV also has a Green Home sweepstakes (entries close June 2) that takes the tech a step further. It includes Control4 automation and touchpad controls – something most viewers of HGTV have likely not heard of because technology is rarely mentioned on “House Hunters” and “Holmes on Homes.”
In a blog about “what makes this house green,” HGTV says: “The home’s security, lighting and sound systems can be controlled and the home’s energy usage monitored via a Control4 system accessed from a customized iPad.”
According to the HGTV Pro interactive tool that lets readers understand more about the Green Home’s energy-efficient and eco-friendly aspects, “The Control4 home automation system allows the homeowner to control electronic functions, from room temperature to lighting, via an Apple iPad or iPhone.
A keypad replaces a deadbolt on the home’s front entrance; securing the home is as simple as a click of the keypad. The Control4 system also controls sound (the family room, loft and patio areas are equipped with speakers) and monitors energy production and usage via TED, a real-time, in-home electricity management system.”
We are guessing HGTV viewers have heard of the iPad and iPhone, but for controlling all of those things in a home, probably didn’t know there’s an app for that!
The home was planned by Jack Thomasson, the man behind the plans of HGTV’s Dream Homes. HGTV lists other key personnel that went into the Green Home design and construction: Linda Woodrum, interior designer; Mike Woodley, architect; Infinity Home Collection, builder; and Forest City Stapleton, developer. There’s no bio for him, but check out the video below that features Phillip Lind, the “technology solutions specialist” who worked on the Control4 system.
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