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| Thinking Outside of the Wall Box Published February 2021 “Alexa, dim the living room lights!” This is building automation made simple in today’s world. Previous hardwired wall boxes and switches represented connectivity to every device that required line voltage – from indoor lights to outdoor security cameras. Technology has integrated into our daily lives and now provides portals into smart devices using wireless communication tools that are controlled through pre-programmed mobile applications. The traditional wall box is becoming solely a power receptacle to only deliver AC power. Motion sensors are being installed in commercial buildings and advanced residential buildings to allow hands-free and touchless communications to smart devices. This has become more prevalent due to COVID and a new changed world as people return to office buildings and students to schools. As a result, manufacturers of these devices are keeping ahead of technology by providing contractors with unique solutions that integrate building automation through voice-activated commands or sensors. This has created a change in perspective and new processes and procedures for electrical manufacturers, distributors and contractors. Trying to understand and keep up with all of these new technologies can be mind-boggling. The result is creating partnerships with electrical distributors to provide education and access to the newest products by leading manufacturers. It’s a tall order for distribution to stay on top of the constant product enhancements and new product developments. Leviton works with their distributor partners to make sure that they are armed with the technical expertise, as well as the right products to stock. A Whole New World Building automation is not a new concept. The term “building automation” system, loosely used, refers to any electrical control system that is used to control a building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. In the 1980’s the conversion from pneumatic to electric controls began with digital computers taking over that process. By the late 1980’s the central computer began to give way to distributed digital computers (essentially process controllers) located on individual devices and communicating back to the central system. By 1995, the central controller began to communicate with the Internet through IP addressing. Central control automation hardware has given way to cloud-based software operated from any web linked computer. Today building systems are integrated to provide control and monitoring capabilities through mobile devices. Building automation has evolved to become an intelligent building. “Technology moves quickly,” states Greg Rhoades, Director of Marketing, Smart and New Technology Products for Leviton. “Fifteen years ago, when I first started in building automation, there was so much complexity and education required, and now we see laser-focus on the customer’s experience. That’s how our team has approached smart applications, to be the best smart lighting provider that can easily be integrated with voice controls, such as Alexa, or even through Internet providers such as Comcast,” Rhoades adds. Application integration and controls started with motion sensors and were mainly for commercial uses. Now the residential market has adopted smart building concepts and COVID has contributed to its quick adoption because of the “touchless” factor and ease of use. With integrated applications, building owners and occupants can set their own preferences for applications such as lighting, HVAC and any other device that can be connected through Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Being able to pre-program lights to dim or turn off at certain hours, as well as controlling heating or air-conditioning saves energy and costly expenditures. Taking it Past the Limit Leviton takes it one step further to offer device management, controls and updates through the My Leviton app for residential applications. For commercial and industrial use, there is the Leviton Inform™ which provides real-time monitoring of critical systems.
Leviton’s free “My Leviton” app, specifically designed by the internal Leviton Smart Team, is accessed on customers’ smart devices (phone, tablets, laptops). This app is customized to each home and each user’s needs, depending on the applications and devices to be controlled. From this app, all Leviton devices that have Wi-Fi technology, such as Decora smart products (light switches, fan controllers, etc.) can be easily programmed and managed by all registered household users. This app is constantly changing and automatically upgraded because there is no third-party software involvement. One of the most advanced features of the My Leviton app is being able to tie into the breaker box by installing a smart sensor into each circuit breaker, which allows the owner to access each breaker separately and view their usage through the data in the load center section within the app. “These smart devices can easily and quickly pop in to Leviton circuits to make them a smart breaker to allow the home owner to compare energy bills and even remotely trip the breakers,” explains Rhoades.
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