August 21, 2008
Episode 50: Eric Smith, Control4
In this episode of Horsepower, Eric Smith, Chief Technology Officer of Control4 explains their approach to home automation and how their technology makes every electrical system in the home part of a larger system. Twelve Horses President and host of Utah Tech Spotlight, Steve Spencer, learns how the Control4 approach allows your home’s systems to work together to do things none of them can do on their own. Home automation systems also to greatly increase efficiency of a home allowing you to optimize energy use. The only fully LEED certified home in the world uses Control4 and only draws 300 Watts when in shut down mode. (My architect friend points out that buildings are LEED certified and architects and LEED accredited. So note that and avoid implying that your friends are inanimate objects…)
The options with the Control4 Technology are amazing. You can store music and video in multiple, or central locations, and it catalogs it all and auto detects it’s presence. It also links systems so that if there is a fire the alarm sounds, lights come on, blinds open, fire trucks are called, the HVAC shuts off to avoid spreading smoke and feeding flames, and the front porch lights start flashing so the emergency responders know which house their looking for. Simply amazing. And the ability to catalog and view 400 movies at a time isn’t bad either!
It’s awesome to have so many leading technology companies for neighbors in Salt Lake City. If there is another company that you’re dying to learn more about please let us know and we’ll go see them.
-Mike
Posted in Horse Power Podcast, Podcast, Salt Lake City
August 25th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Hate to burst anyone’s bubble but what a load of cr@p. C4’s reputation in the industry is anything but stellar and this is another example of why. The claim that their product is in the only LEED Platinum rated home in the world is ridiculously false. How do I know? Because I installed an automation system in the FOURTH Platinum rated home in the world last November in Flagstaff, AZ and there have been more built since then. By the way, I DID NOT use C4’s product in the project. It would be nice to see them retract the statement from their pitch.
August 25th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Not sure it’s part of their pitch, he just mentioned it to us. Now that I think of it I’ll have to go back and see if he said “only” or just “first.”
-M
August 25th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Actually, Mike, it’s neither first or only. I’ve been involved with GBC and LEED certification for some time and I can assure you that this was a classic example of “Greenwashing”. As I recall, the first residential Platinum rated project was completed in early ‘06. Like I said, it would be nice of them to retract the statement as it’s clearly untrue. I suppose I shouldn’t assume that it was a lie as they may just be ignorant but, neither option is good.
August 26th, 2008 at 7:49 am
Anthony,
Good points, it is neither the first, nor the only… We do appreciate you bringing this to our attention, and we spoke to Control 4 to clarify. So, just to set the story straight, there are surely other Platinum LEED certified homes now, and hopefully that list will continue to grow. As to the first, well, I have to say, that I have not contacted the folks that issue LEED certifications, so know that this is “unofficial”, but the home from that claims to be the first, from 2006 ( http://www.achrnews.com/Articles/Breaking_News/714fd9b877d8d010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0____ ) is by Living Homes. If you have a look at http://www.wired.com/promo/wiredlivinghome/ , specifically the logos at the bottom, you’ll see that Living Homes uses Control 4 for their automation.
So while this is not the first (and we appreciate you pointing that out), it would appear that Control 4 was in fact used in the first.
As a note, a link to the home referred to in this interview can be found at:
http://www.electronichouse.com/article/technology_fuels_the_ultimate_green_home
Also, bear in mind we are just reporting the news so to speak
, so we appreciate your clarification and correction on this.
August 26th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Steve, I would argue that just because the particular builder, who is credited with first Platinum rating, apparently uses the product line, it doesn’t mean that the line is in the first. I think further research is needed.
August 29th, 2008 at 6:42 am
I thought I’d pop in and mention that this topic has moved to automation centric forums and has, as of this morning, been discussed or read by approx. 1000 people. These are people who are either interested in or installing automation systems. With that in mind, I think C4 would be best served by actually addressing it. I may seem petty and like I have an axe to grind but, such is not the case. I have no particular beef with C4 and rather like what they do with media (of course, that’s the only integration of their’s that I like. I’m just sick of “big boys” getting away with whatever they want to say and it being accepted as the gospel truth. Particularly when it’s a case of “greenwashing”.
December 27th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
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