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What is the “Internet of Things”?

Posted by Jimm Reifsnyder

Dec 2, 2014 1:38:36 PM

You may have heard the term Internet of Things….but has anyone explained what this is? The Internet of Things (Commonly referred to as “IoT”) is the interconnection of uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices within the existing Internet infrastructure.

It is expected that 26 – 30 billion devices will be wirelessly connected to the Internet of Things by the year 2020.

Since smart home devices have intelligence and connectivity to the internet, this product category is a huge opportunity for growth to lighting and electrical professionals looking to grow their revenue.

Understanding the Opportunity for the Smart Home Market

The market for smart home devices is wide open. Grow your revenue and understand the market. Several characteristics describe the consumer for smart home products:

  • Low Familiarity: Consumers may not be aware that these products exist
  • Low Awareness of Sales Channels: Consumers may not be aware of WHERE to purchase smart home products
  • Low Brand Awareness: Consumers are unfamiliar with who manufactures smart home products
  • Repeat Buyers: Once a household has one smart device, there is a 1-in-2 chance they will purchase another device within a year

Don’t be left behind! Contact Western Energy Control Solutions today to find out how you can profit from smart home technology. www.westernecs.com

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Topics: energy control

Powerfull Systems Featured in CE Pro Magazine

Posted by Natalie Young

Feb 26, 2014 12:30:00 PM

powerfull shalom illouzYou may have seen a familiar face on the cover of CE Pro this month. One of our integrators- Powerfull Systems in Los Angeles, was featured on the cover of the magazine. What should interest distributors, contractors and lighting specifiers is that Powerfull Systems has built a successful business by focusing solely on shading systems and lighting control.   

Powerfull Systems started in 1998 when lighting control was a luxury. Working with high-end homes with lots of windows, he started encountering the need for shade control on many of the lighting projects. About this time Lutron Electronics was entering into the shading market and together Shalom and Lutron have grown the category to where it is today.

Shalom estimates that the shading accounts for 60% of their business with lighting control accounting for the other 40%. By focusing and specializing on these two components – Powerfull systems has created a niche with jobs that cost as high as $400,000.

If you are interested in growing your electrical business and becoming an expert in shading and light control – we suggest you take a look at the following classes descriptions HERE

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Topics: energy control, dimming automation, IPAD Control Home Lighting, control; automated home window treatments, integrated lighting systems

Where Do SOCAL Homeowners Want Light Control? Everywhere!

Posted by Jimm Reifsnyder

Dec 17, 2013 4:30:00 AM

Where do SOCAL homeowners want light control everywhere

Once upon a time, a “light control system” meant that a homeowner got up out of his chair, walked around the house, and turned off unnecessary lights manually. Those days are long gone. Today’s homeowner wants control over the lighting in every area of her home. And she doesn’t just want to turn lights on or off: She wants to control the ambience and have the lighting match the activity in any given room.

If you design, install or specify lighting systems, you can help your clients get the lighting—and control—they want for every situation in any room. And you may even be able to help them find solutions for situations they hadn’t thought of. And we can help. Here are just a few of the applications we can help you offer your clients:

Home Theater/Family Room

With a light and shade control system, a wall dimmer or a wireless control, your clients can turn their family room into a home theater experience. They’ll be able to dim lights to the perfect level, recreating that moment when the lights go down and the show begins in the theatre.

Home Office

If your client is planning a home office, you can help him make business hours more enjoyable, productive and efficient with built-in light and shade controls.  He’ll be able to easily dim lamps or overhead lights for any task, or to control natural light to reduce glare on the computer screen by adjusting the height of window shades at the touch of a button.

Kitchen

Help clients make the heart of their home more versatile. Show them how the use of dimmers or a total control system, can make the kitchen a space that’s ideal for cooking, dining, entertaining, or even doing homework. You can help them set the perfect light level for any activity and control daylight with automated shades. You can even give them the option of adding temperature control to maximize comfort.

Basement

Whether your clients plan to use their basement as a playroom, a storage area, an entertainment space or a combination of all of them, you can help them create the perfect light control solution. Dimmers can help set the right light level and occupancy sensors can help them save energy and money by ensuring lights are turned off automatically when the room is unoccupied.

Utility Room

Speaking of saving energy, how many times do homeowners leave the lights on in seldom used rooms like a utility room. With an occupancy or vacancy sensor you can help customers save by ensuring that lights will turn off automatically after a room has been vacated.

And More

You can offer clients solutions for children’s rooms, guest rooms, bathrooms and even special solutions for families who have elderly family members living with them.

We’ve got great Lutron solutions for each of the areas mentioned here—and more. Give me a call at 310-948-9818, or shoot me a note at jimm@westernecs.com. We’ll be happy to help you find the right lighting control solutions for any of your Southern California residential clients!

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Topics: energy control, energy savings, Southern California residential lighting, whole home lighting solutions

You Know Lighting. Use That Knowledge to Your Advantage!

Posted by Jimm Reifsnyder

Apr 24, 2012 1:02:00 PM

If you’re in the lighting and energy control industry you think about lighting a lot. Whether you marketing tipsspecify lighting control systems, manufacture them, or distribute them—you know lighting. So how can you use that knowledge to your advantage?

Believe it or not, what you know about light, lighting systems, and which solution to use in which situation makes you a genius in some people’s eyes. There are builders, specifiers, designers, and building maintenance companies that need your expertise in order to make good decisions about which lighting control system is the right solution for their residential or commercial property.

How can you make sure these folks are coming to you for this information instead of your competitors? Start putting your knowledge and information out there for people to find. Where do people look for information about lighting control? The same place they look for any other kind of information—online. That’s why it’s so important that you make your website the resource of choice for your clients by providing them with easy-to-access product information, helpful technical data, online training, and straightforward answers to the questions they have.

One great way to get that information out to your clients is through regular blog posts. You can share helpful information, bring clients up to speed on the latest industry trends, and educate them about new product offerings—and new ways to use these products.

You can also use your website to distribute white papers and special reports that help establish you as an industry expert—and allow you to “touch” prospective clients multiple times. The fact is, you’ve got knowledge your clients want. And knowledge is power. You can take advantage of your website to use that power to your advantage.

If you’d like to know more about how to do this, shoot us an email. We’ll be happy to help! 

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Topics: energy control, lighting solutions, Marketing for Lighting Products

Southern California Lighting Blog

This blog provides the latest news and information about Western Lighting & Energy Controls, its product lines, and other information to the lighitng industry.

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