NEW YORK – Connected lighting and energy conservation are near the top of the list of smart-home products desired by consumers, and suppliers are giving consumers plenty of choices.
The following suppliers have unveiled new products in both csegments:
Belkin, Osram: The two companies teamed to offer three starter sets consisting of Belkin’s WeMo Link ZigBee-to-Wi-Fi bridge and these Osram Lightify LED lighting products.
Curb: The start-up plans September availability of an energy-monitoring system that connects to a home’s circuit-breaker box to monitor energy usage by zone or by appliance in real time.
Honeywell: The company is offering a free upgrade for its Wi-Fi thermostat in conjunction with Weatherbug to Texas consumers. The upgrade will roll out to other markets in the coming months.
The upgrade promises to reduce energy costs by, among other things, creating a thermodynamic profile of a home and using Weatherbug’s hyperlocal weather information. The thermostat will then be able to more accurately determine buildup times for the air conditioning system to bring a zone to the temperature set point.
A thermostat home-energy meter projects monthly HVAC costs, energy use and a home’s carbon footprint when a consumer slides the thermostat’s setting.
The thermostat will also help balance overall grid demand by raising temperatures modestly while keeping the customer as comfortable as possible.
MiPow: The start-up will expand its selection of Bluetooth-controlled Playbulb LED lights with the July shipment of the $39 Garden, a solar-charging garden light that stakes into the ground.
Sengled: The company plans a Wi-Fi version of its Pulse LED light/Bluetooth speaker, which fits in BR30 5-inch in-ceiling cans and features JBL speakers.
The Pulse Wi-Fi will ship in August or September at $99 each to create a wireless multizone audio system when multiple Wi-Fi speaker/lights are installed throughout the house. It will be waterproof and hardened for outdoor use. Each speaker delivers mono, or two can be pressed into service in a room as separate left-right speakers. Pulse Wi-Fi supports more than eight speakers depending on a home’s Wi-Fi bandwidth.
The company’s Pulse Bluetooth speaker/light also enables multiroom but not multizone audio. A Bluetooth source delivers music to a Pulse master bulb from up to 30 feet away, and the music is redistributed up to 100 feet away to Pulse satellite bulbs. Each bulb delivers mono or can be set to reproduce left or right channels. A $169 starter kit consists of one master bulb and one satellite, with additional satellites costing $79 each.
The company also plans the $199 Snap LED light/Wi-Fi camera, a PAR38 bub that’s wet-rated and hardened for use in outdoor spotlights. It’s due in the fourth quarter and incorporates mic and speaker for two-way communication. The company also offers the $59 Pulse Solo LED light/stereo Bluetooth speaker and Boost LED light/Wi-Fi repeater.
See TWICE.com for more details of the Belkin, Osram, Curb and MiPow products.
