Use Smart Home Technology to Reduce Energy Waste on Your Property

Did you know that Americans spend a combined $130 billion a year on wasted energy? If that made your jaw drop the same way it made ours, don’t worry. We’re here to help, and we know exactly how you can reduce the amount of energy wasted in your Lahaina, HI home.

Whole-home automation can increase your property’s convenience and security, but did you know that it can make your house more energy-efficient, too? It’s an added benefit that puts your mind at ease while making a small difference for the environment and your monthly electricity bill. 

In this blog, you’ll learn how to use whole home automation to reduce your carbon footprint and make your living space energy efficient. Let’s get started.

Consistent Connection at Home Has Never Been More Important

2020 is not the year for slow-moving internet. On top of more people working remotely than ever before, all Hawaii public schools are required to participate in virtual learning this year. You’re already learning how to juggle all the responsibilities of your job on top of helping your children adapt to virtual learning. Spotty Wi-Fi is the last thing you need to be dealing with during your workday.

Your home network is the backbone of successful remote work and learning, and without it, you’ll struggle to keep up. If you already know that your home networking could use a boost, our team highly recommends Ubiquiti’s UniFi.

In this blog post, we’ll unpack how Ubiquiti’s UniFi gives you the Wi-Fi connection your Maui, HI home needs to handle remote work and virtual learning.

Don’t Leave These Spaces Out of Your Whole-Home Audio Setup!

Many times, when people talk about distributed audio, they are referring to a multi-room setup that transmits sound to common areas, home theaters and bedrooms. Even if your audio only reaches a few spaces — your living room, media room, upstairs entertainment area and primary bedroom, for example — you’re still not getting end-to-end, whole-home audio.

Ready to take your AV distribution to the next level? We suggest adding sound to more rooms, even some that many homeowners bypass during their initial audio installation, like the recommendations you’ll find soon. Curious? Read on to learn more!

A Few Tips to Bring You That Next-Level Look

If you’re still passing most of your days at home, you deserve spaces that look and feel less confining. We can’t think of a more relaxing place to retreat than an attractive entertainment area that lets you escape after a long day.

Some home theater designs we’ve seen lately bypass the traditional look or customize it to meet the customer’s aesthetic. While many people still envision the single-screen concept with clean rows of cineplex-style chairs, 2020’s media spaces invite us to get creative for Makena, HI, clients and make truly memorable projects along the way. Curious to see what you can implement in your theater? Read on!

Whether you’re looking to create a bright and festive atmosphere or something cool and subdued, installing the right lighting technology and user system can make it happen.

Smart lighting can have an immediate impact on the quality of your life as well as the value of your home. It can also ensure a level of security, save you money on energy bills, and make life all the more convenient.

In-home lighting control systems, designed and integrated by Control Freaks in Maui, HI, can be accessed through the smart device of your choice whether it be your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. With this kind of sophisticated lighting setup, you’re guaranteed to give your family and friends a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

SEE ALSO: 4 Ways to Enhance Your Smart Home Design

After months of staying at home, some of us are finally starting to return to work, even if it’s just part time. As a Kona, Hawaii business owner, you face a lot of pressure to maintain a pleasant work environment, now that the physical office is back into focus.

Prospects, clients, contractors and visitors will start to trickle in more often as travel opens up. Their first impression could make or break a deal or an employment contract, and your building’s lighting can influence how someone might perceive your space.

One of our favorite ways to enhance any building’s comfort, convenience, wellness and modernity is by implementing motorized shades. They save energy while also fulfilling your lighting design goals. Though they look unassuming and are usually relegated to the bottom of your commercial project to-do list, we’ve found some surprising reasons that you should add automated window treatments to your building this quarter.

SEE ALSO: Let’s Debunk Some Motorized Window Treatment Myths!

Although we all appreciate our breezy, balmy island, we know how warm it can get during the summertime, often uncomfortably so. Those who don’t have a smart home will have a much more difficult task managing the heat. For example, they might have to walk around the house turning on fans or lowering shades - a bothersome, time-consuming task if you have a large or multi-level Lahaina home.

Facilitate your most luxurious island life with a little help from smart home technology. We install convenient tools like climate control that let you manage temperatures from your phone or with your voice. Motorized shades will stabilize temperatures throughout the day (No more mid-afternoon heat waves!) and help you lower energy bills. And you can stay cool by the pool or patio with automated fans and fun pool setting controls. Learn how these technologies coexist to give you a comfortable, energy-efficient Hawaii residence or vacation home.

SEE ALSO: Smart Home Updates to Add Soon

You’ve spent more time this year looking at your four walls than you usually do, and sometimes that view gets a bit stale. During these last few months, many homeowners have seen their Kona, Hawaii, homes in a completely new light: The increased exposure caused many of us to explore upgrade opportunities, paint the walls a different color, or look into a higher-performance internet service.

You might assume -- and reasonably so -- that adding technology might clutter or otherwise mar your smart home design. But when we look more closely, you’ll find that strategic use does wonders for your design goals, whether you’re fond of traditional looks or ultra-modern themes. We’ll explain how integrated technology, when well designed, improves how your residence functions AND looks.

SEE ALSO: Still Stuck at Home? Don’t Miss These Outdoor Entertainment Ideas!

Minimize Wires

We can all agree that so much feels uncertain right now. However, one element that everyone can control is their home security. Though stats generally reported lower crime throughout the pandemic, increased home time drove bigger investments in DIY and professional smart home security products in April and May.

One of the risks that perpetuates Lahaina, HI, homeowners’ vulnerability to crime is a lack of accurate information. Many of these assumptions find their way into our thoughts and practices, deluding us into believe we’re safer than we are, or that specific circumstances will protect us when they will, in fact, endanger us. If you want to learn what we mean and how to best protect your family and property, keep reading.

SEE ALSO: Smart Home Security Elements to Add Soon

We can all agree that social distancing has changed some aspects of our lifestyle, from our ability to freely roam around Maui to our tourism slowdown. At this point, shopping centers and restaurants are reopening, but it’s still less safe to go out than it used to be.

Many people still choose to spend most of their time at home, but it can get old staying cooped up within your four walls. We know you probably miss the carefree shopping and movie theater nights; however, with some creativity and help from a professional, you could have fun options even closer to you. Keep reading to uncover some outdoor entertainment ideas that will help you and your family stay happy and healthy at your Hawaii home.

SEE ALSO: How to Optimize Your Outdoor Entertainment Setup

Pool Movie Night

If you have worked with us before, you know why we think there are plenty of reasons to make Control4 your choice home automation system. It features many customization options, including a vast network of 14,000 third-party integrations to enjoy, such as music and video tools, security devices and much more.

Last year, Control4 set a precedent within the automation industry when they released their Smart Home OS 3 system, full of user-friendly enhancements that allowed customers more intuitive control of their whole home, from one platform. More recently, the company purchased the Neeo remote specifically with Smart Home OS 3 suite in mind, while giving Control4 users a remote that appealed to their need for buttons and a touchscreen. The Neeo features an attractive interface and a sleekly designed aluminum body that holds up to everyday wear and tear.

As your Kihei, HI, Control4 dealers, we look forward to showing you more details about the Neeo remote, including three reasons it might be what’s missing in your smart home.

SEE ALSO: Why Should You Enlist a Home Automation Company?

All too often, it’s easy for business owners to take commercial surveillance systems and alarms for granted because most news stories involve residential incidents. Plus, you might assume that there’s a “strength in numbers” phenomenon that protects you from burglary, natural disaster or other compromising situations. In this blog, we’ll expose some of your vulnerabilities and explain why you might need a commercial security system sooner than you think.

Is your Maui, HI, office truly protected? If not, read on to see which tools you should implement soon and why.

SEE ALSO: Why Network Control Is a Smart Move for Your Business

Every day, we see a new integrated home technology emerge in a big box store. Security systems, lighting control and others arrive on shelves and promise comprehensive solutions for Lahaina, HI, smart homes. However, none of these standalone products boasts the reliability, scalability or convenience of a professionally installed, fully supported smart home that Control Freaks Hawaii custom-builds for clients like you. Keep reading to understand why working with a home automation company surpasses a DIY install every time.

SEE ALSO: How Control4 Smart Home Technology Can Improve Your Home

We get it: It’s easy to chalk multi-room audio and video technologies up to a “nice to have” item, especially if we’re talking about something flashy like massive digital signage panels or music zones inside every room, including your restrooms.

But did you know that you can find practical applications for distributed AV? Take a look to see why it might even increase profitability within your Maui, HI, office. Keep reading for some signs that your office could use a distributed AV system.

SEE ALSO: Key Features to Add to Your Boardroom Automation in 2020

Because we live in a warm-weather vacation spot that’s surrounded by beaches, Maui, HI, residents are the envy of much of the continental U.S. One of the most notable perks of warmer weather is getting plenty of sunshine year-round.

It stands to reason that your home should reflect your environment. Savor every island breeze with an outdoor entertainment setup that optimizes your home’s best spaces: your patios, porches and poolside areas. Ready to learn what Control Freaks Hawaii suggests for optimizing your audio and video? Keep reading to learn more! 

SEE ALSO: 3 Fun Applications for Your Home Theater System

Have you ever noticed that some of the best entertainment arrives during the winter season? Not only do streaming services like Netflix offer some of their choicest picks during the winter, including Oscar shoo-ins like Marriage Story and The Irishman, but you also have exciting sports events and awards coming your way soon.

Here in Lahaina, Hawaii, we get the best of both worlds because we can also take this exciting entertainment outdoors to the patio. Even though cold weather doesn’t affect us, keep reading to see why we suggest updating your AV system before spring. Whether you wish to host parties or spend time unwinding in your home, all of the ideas below require high-quality sound and video, as well as comfortable seating. Why should you upgrade your home theater system now? Read on.

SEE ALSO: 3 Easy Design Tips for a Home Theater You’ll Love!

We are lucky enough to live in Kihei, Hawaii, where we enjoy warm weather and sunny skies nearly every day of the year. So you might be surprised to learn that you can still reap the same benefits and more from residential climate control systems as someone living in the snowy mountains of Vermont. Since our weather is temperate throughout the year, as opposed to the “peaks and valleys” much of the continental U.S. experiences, we see incremental benefits year-round.

We’re here to show you some unique, perhaps unexpected facts about the importance of residential HVAC automation and how Control Freaks Hawaii can help you manage your smart home’s temperature. Discover more by reading below.

SEE ALSO: A Few Ways to Save Energy With Smart Climate Control

Homeowners often gravitate to Control Freaks Hawaii because of our decades-long electrical installation expertise that sets us apart from most integrators. Often, people seeking our wiring services do so for two reasons: Either they’re having a new home built, or they’re retrofitting an older residence.

From your multi-room AV and lighting control to your networking and HVAC, you won’t find a single home system that isn’t directly impacted by your electrical setup. Let’s explore two instances where we can help homeowners have cost-efficient, smooth-running and safe homes, no matter how old your Maui, HI residence is.

SEE ALSO: 3 Unique Perks of a Low-Voltage Electrical Installation

Motorized shades might not come to mind when you think of lifestyle and entertainment features you can add to your smart home. Though they can’t boast the flashiness and pure entertainment value of your 8K TV, you’ll learn what an integral part they play if you try to complete a smart home without them.

Are motorized window treatments the missing piece to your integrated home? As you’ll learn in this blog, they can fulfill your design and entertainment goals in unexpected ways. Read on to see why we recommend them.

SEE ALSO: Harvest the Daylight in Your Home!

Upgrading your Maui, HI, home has never been so simple - or so complicated. On one hand, smart home security devices and systems grow more sophisticated every year, which streamlines operations within your home. But this also means you see a dizzying number of products to choose from, including the infamous DIY offerings that might not fully protect you.

The time leading up to the holidays provides the perfect season to add smart security to your integrated home. For example, during this time, we start to see a rapid uptick in preventable crime, like package theft, and more home fires from cooking and fireplace mismanagement.

In this blog, we drill down into some solutions we recommend to not only prepare your home for safe, happy hosting but also future proof your space for a new decade. Keep reading below for more!

SEE ALSO: Automate the Heart of Your Home with a Smart Kitchen!