Dynamic lighting - awesomeness

Path Illumination – When getting up at night to use the bathroom or to get a drink, sometimes it's difficult to see where I’m going or find the doorknob.  With the help of a motion detector and a little programming, a hallway light dimmed to 25% illuminates my path.  Both the hallway lighting and the bathroom lighting do not blind me (and consequently wake me up) but instead, give me just enough light to maneuver to my destination and back without the need to fumble for light switches or door knobs.
Another popular lighting function is triggering the mud room and the kitchen lights to turn on when the garage door is opened.  This is especially handy when arriving home from the grocery store; now there’s no need to fumble for light switches as you attempt to carry things from the garage into your home.
Outdoor lighting - Having the lights actually react to the astronomical clock is very beneficial in that there is no resetting timers or worrying about daylight savings time. Our system allows for the lighting to respond to the sunrise or sunset and adjusts itself.
Security - Clients who opt to have their homes fully automated and integrated can also tie the lighting control system to the security. If the alarm system is triggered at night or while you are away the entire house can be lit up inside. The program can also make the outdoor lights flash, which will make your home more obvious to the approaching police or fire vehicles. You can also have the lights turned on remotely before you arrive with the use of a wireless key fob; simply get in range(approximately 300ft) of the home and press the lighting button to activate your welcome home scene before you arrive. This makes homeowners feel very secure.

Smart Energy Management

The Future of Smart Energy Management Arrives with SilverSTAT 7 by SilverPAC, Fusing Together HVAC Control, Efficiency and Style

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- SilverPAC, a leading provider of innovative home entertainment solutions, announces the preview of their new SilverSTAT 7, advanced seven-day programmable thermostat. The company partnered with Windows Embedded to develop a truly innovative device that features a Smart Energy In-Home Display (IHD) to help monitor utility usage and expenses in style. SilverPAC has long been dedicated to the future of consumer electronics with its visionary universal remote controls and advanced digital picture frame. It continues to extend its reach by introducing the breakthrough SilverSTAT 7 with its commitment to smarter homes and smarter living.
The SilverPAC SilverSTAT 7 is embedded on Windows® CE 6.0 R3 and Intel (News - Alert)® Atom™ platform and aims to replace standard household thermostats with an advanced home climate control system. The device is elegantly designed with its seven-inch touch screen display that is able to illustrate the distribution of household energy down to individual appliances.

With its IEEE (News - Alert) 802.15.4 wireless interface, the SilverSTAT 7 will speak to the new smart meters that will have the ability to send information on real-time electricity and gas use in households directly to utility companies. This process eliminates the inconvenience of meter readings and the inefficiencies of controversial estimates.

SilverPAC seeks to provide an answer to this dilemma by helping to implement ‘demand response monitoring' systems with its SilverSTAT 7. The concept involves encouraging reductions in peak energy demand by providing customers with an instantaneous view of their ongoing energy usage and utility pricing on their networked IHD. Energy and budget savings can be achieved by turning off or rescheduling the use of appliances for a more cost efficient time.

The device has an 802.11 Wi-Fi interface that allows it to successfully communicate with a home network and Internet services, a Z-Wave Home Automation interface and Zigbee protocol for lighting and appliance control. Zigbee is among the list of communication protocol the US Congress has recently approved for devices supporting new Smart Energy grid system.

In a press release from the US Department of Energy, Gary Locke, US Secretary of Commerce, said, "President Obama has made a smart electrical grid a key element of his plan to lower energy costs for consumers, achieve energy independence and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Today, we took a significant step toward developing the open and transparent interoperability standards necessary to realize the Smart Grid vision." The SilverSTAT 7 is more than a seven-day programmable thermostat. It has the added benefit of useful smart gadgets to enhance the convenience of daily tasks with the attractive feature of streaming photos, music and content direct from Live.com and the PC. It even has the simplicity of time management with a calendar and scheduled alarm notices. Through Windows technology, users can control their digital universe with access to e-mail, stock prices, real-time weather forecasting, billing and price schedules for energy providers and more! SilverPAC is energized with the opportunity to help consumers manage their green energy with the SilverSTAT 7 - Smart Climate, Smart Energy, and Smart Living! The SilverPAC SilverSTAT 7 will be officially released in June 2010