The Integrator's Voice

Washington firm helps city dwellers save some green

• By Leslie Stevens
• Aug 17, 2007

ALTHOUGH there was once a mere scattering of green buildings across the country, eco-friendliness is now rapidly expanding into multi-dwelling units (MDUs). As these communities have the ability house 6,000 homes within a city block, energy costs are an enormous concern for builders.

At one time, developers were slow to convert to green due to the perception that going green meant higher costs and less-desirable aesthetics. Today however, developers realize that green technologies add no more than 2 percent to costs, which is easily recouped through energy savings. Furthermore, builders and homeowners alike have found that many green technologies even advance the aesthetics of the home.

:Rick Strauss of The Music Room has been successful in integrating lighting and shade control to facilitate green within MDUs while also adding to the aesthetics of the home and enhancing customers' lifestyles.

Q. How has your lighting control solutions contributed to a green home, specifically in an MDU environment?
A. All of our Lutron lighting control solutions offer green options for builders of single-family homes and MDUs. In general, dimming electric light saves energy and extends lamp life. By simply dimming incandescent lights to 50 percent light level, one will gain 40 percent energy savings. Additionally, if lights are dimmed to a 50 percent light level, then those lamps will last 20 times longer than normal—increasing savings in both energy and replacement costs. @Text:Specifically, in the MDU's we work in, control of natural light through automated draperies and shades plays an important role in cutting down on solar heat gain and reducing the energy needed for even advanced HVAC systems. End users really appreciate natural lighting control in an MDU environment, as so much of their unit is exposed to the outside world.

Q. What features in your shade control solutions facilitate eco-friendliness?
A. We incorporate several strategies to maximize both the green and eco-friendly benefits of shading solutions. First, we use daylight harvesting whenever possible, as it can easily be achieved with a shading control system. Daylight harvesting is adjusting shades and lighting based on the amount of light desired in the space at a certain time of day. For example, during midday, my lighting control system may automatically open my shades to fill the home with light instead of using electric light to illuminate the home. Obviously, natural light is a free, eco-friendly and efficient way to light a home.

Second, many fabrics for roller shades are green, meaning that they are made of materials that do not give off gas chemicals into the home. Many roller fabrics have chemicals like PVC, which tend to “off-gas,” or slowly let out chemicals in a gaseous form over time. Today there are newer fabrics on the market that do not have this effect and are thus considered eco-friendly. We offer all our clients green fabrics in addition to our normal assortment of fabric options.

Third, and perhaps most important, shading control systems really help reduce heating and cooling costs. MDU units tend to have entire walls made of glass. Uncontrolled, the sun drenches the unit with heat and forces the homeowner to rely on air conditioning systems to cool the space. In the winter, shading systems help insulate the home by trapping much of the heat generated inside the home. High-rise condominium units that do not use shading control systems unnecessarily waste energy and money. Even though we have a lot of high-end clients, they are very conscious about wasting energy for both financial and environmental reasons.

Q. What elements in your lighting and shade control solutions contribute to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)?
A. Both lighting control and shading play a part in gaining points towards LEED certification. By using Lutron lighting and shade control, developers can commonly accrue the majority of points needed for their buildings to gain LEED certification. For more detailed information, the U.S. Green Building Council lists all this information on their Web site at www.usgbc.org.

Q. What costs does the builder typically incur when deciding to go with your lighting and shade control solutions?
A. It really depends on the person making the decision, whether it's the end user, developer or architect. Generally, I advise developers to start small, with a basic system that allows them to tout the project as green but does not require a huge capital investment. These solutions can cost as little as $250 per unit if a builder installs dimmers on five to 10 of the most frequently used lights. However, if the homeowner is making the decision for lighting control, it is not uncommon to spend $10,000 or more on a lighting and shading control system. @Text:Builders and developers can gain insight into pricing for lighting control solutions by picking up the phone and calling lighting control manufacturers or speaking with their security and technology provider. For a builder, choosing the right lighting control system is like choosing the right car—there are all types of brands and models that represent different types of functionality, costs and results.

Q. How does the builder and/or developer recoup these costs?
A. First, the builder realizes faster turns on their inventory by marketing the convenience, safety, ambiance and green benefits of a lighting and shading system. Lighting control manufacturers commonly have some type of marketing program that allows builders to easily broadcast this message. Also, security and technology providers, such as ourselves, assist the developer with their sales center.

Second, the builder adds lighting controls into their options mix. I have been involved with several MDU projects that allowed the developer to realize incremental profits from option sales on lighting and shade control systems. On average, homeowners seem to choose lighting and shade control systems 60 to 80 percent of the time when it is properly presented to them, and the developer has invested a minimal amount into the infrastructure that allows for an easy upgrade. In a tower with 150 to 300 units, lighting control upgrades can be a significant source of incremental profit for the developer.

Q. Will expenses increase or decrease for a homebuyer in the short term and long term?
A. Yes and yes. Lighting and shade control will definitely decrease expenses for the homebuyer in the short and long run. Energy savings and lamp-life extension are critical benefits that start from the first second the homebuyer uses the system. The only cost incurred is the initial price of the system. However, an investment in lighting and shading control should be viewed as one that increases the value of the home, allows for dramatic energy savings, and protects carpets and furnishings from harmful UV rays. If the homebuyer is planning on staying in the home for a few years or more, it is definitely a wise investment.

Q. How do your lighting and shade control solutions help with aesthetics?
A. Interestingly enough, most people seem to buy lighting and shading control systems simply for the aesthetics, and the energy savings are just a nice byproduct. These systems allow end users to paint with light, and different lighting inspires different moods. A properly configured system will allow end users to accentuate their homes' finest details, highlighting art and furniture and making decorative chandeliers appear dazzling, not overpowering. Additionally, high-end draperies and Roman shades can now be easily automated. With the push of a button, fashionable window treatments move vertically and horizontally, along with lighting that dims up and down to a desired scene, like “entertain,” “romance” or “movie.”

Q. How do your lighting and shade control solutions improve lifestyles?
A. For starters, it makes life much more convenient. A simple button press controls both lighting and shading. No more running around at the end of the night turning out lights. Instead, simply press the “all off” button when it's time to go to sleep. Or, in case there is an emergency, simply press the “all on” button to turn all the lights on. Because homeowners are constantly turning lighting on and off, and closing and opening window treatments, automating a home's lighting and shading is very practical and convenient.

Q. What can a builder and/or developer do to leverage lighting and shade control?
A. Through a simple investment in wiring, a builder/developer can market all the benefits of a lighting and shading control system. It also is crucial that the builder operates or has access to a suitable showroom environment that properly demonstrates lighting control. Lighting and shading control is an abstract concept, and it is difficult for homeowners to really grasp its full power. Only when end users interact with a lighting and shading control system will they truly begin to understand its true value.

Q. How do your lighting and shade control solutions improve the marketability of an MDU?
A. Lighting and shade control is one of the only home products that increases end-user satisfaction, saves energy, makes the home safer, looks better and is tech-savvy. These are relevant, powerful benefits that the developer can market to expedite the sales of their units. Additionally, high-end projects around the world have been incorporating lighting and shading control systems as a standard item over the last few years. Adding some element of lighting and shading control allows a developer to put their project on the same level as glamorous, high-dollar projects for a fraction of the price. Designed and configured properly, lighting controls should represent a tremendous return on investment for the MDU developer.