Green-i Products from CP Electronics

UK-Automation stocks a wide range of products that are essential to the home automation industry and as part of an ongoing series, we will be bringing you the latest updates and best-sellers from our range of suppliers.

This month, we focus on CP Electronics sensor products. We at UK-Automation stock a number of the company’s dimmers, motion sensor controls and time switches.

First here’s a brief explanation of the products and how they are useful in a home automation environment.

Electric Dimmers by CP Electronics

Green-i Single Gang PIR Dimmer Switch
Green-i Single Gang PIR Dimmer Switch

Dimmers:  these provide variable indoor lighting and are designed to save energy by reducing the wattage. The Green-i Single Gang and Double Gang PIR (passive infra-red) Dimmers are offered as an energy-saving control with features including a switch with built-in presence detector to ensure the lighting turns on/off when needed and a dimming function with remote control. The Single Gang PIR product is designed to replace a single light, whereas the Double Gang replaces a standard twin light switch or dimmer. Both come with a security mode as well as a night light mode and a stylish appearance: a white fascia plate is standard, with brushed stainless steel effect and brushed bronze effect also available. These dimmers have a switch with a built-in presence detector to ensure the lighting turns on/off when needed

The company also provide sensors: movement sensor controls are designed to automatically turn lights on when there is movement, especially useful for outdoor lighting purposes to provide safety and security or internally for controlling lighting ambience in a room.

Sensors by CP Electronics

Flush Mounted PIR Movement Sensor by Green-i
Flush Mounted PIR Movement Sensor by Green-i
Miniature batten mount PIR movement sensor by Green-i
Miniature batten mount PIR movement sensor by Green-i

The Flush Mounted PIR Movement Sensor is a low profile, flush mounted movement sensor. Providing auto on/auto off switching, most types of lighting can be accommodated with a variable time delay from 60 seconds up to 30 minutes. It has a sensing area of 6m diameter when mounted 2.8m high. Other features include adjustable Lux Level Sensing but it is NOT suitable for use with LED lights or energy saving bulbs although Eco halogen bulbs are fine.

The GIMB miniature PIR (passive infrared) movement sensor can be used outdoors as well as internally. It is specifically designed for mounting onto a batten style luminaire and comes with 1m of connection cabling. As it is IP65 rated, it can be located outside as wet and damp will not affect it, and it has a detection range of 7m diameter when located at a height of 2.8m.

Everyone wants to be green so the next product from Green-i will appeal to the sustainably-minded home enthusiast. The Green-i Energy Saving Movement Sensor Switch has an auto off and optionally set auto on feature, which means it will switch itself off in the absence of anyone in a room and can be set to automatically switch on when someone comes in range. This product can switch any lighting, heating or ventilating equipment up to 10amps (2300W at 230VAC) and can be used with any type of light bulbs.

Finally, the Green-i time lag switches – simply press the button to bring the lights on and they will then switch off automatically when you want them too!

I Want One Of Those…

For anyone interested, or better, passionate about home automation, then read on. There have been a few homes in the media recently, including one in our very own London West End that have been making headlines and winning awards for their home automation innovations. And although the chances of you owning a home like these are at best ambitious, there’s no reason why you can’t aspire to have something similar.

From Rags to Riches

HCF Proactive Security System
HCF Proactive Security System - one of our new products (currently with 50% discount)

The first is the silver winner in the 2014 Electronic House Home of the Year Awards. And this house in Irvine, California is a superb example of a before and after project. It took nine months to convert the garage into a playroom for the kids, turn a guest room into a home theatre, change traditional to modern and install an automation system to manage all of the home’s electronics.

So now there are no light switches within eyesight, instead keypads take their place: as with the security system, surveillance camera, electronic door lock and thermostat, the lights can be operated with a mobile app on an iPad and iPhone.

Then an 8-by-10-foot space (formerly the guest bedroom) was transformed into a home cinema. With surround sound speakers in the ceiling and the projector in the garage, the house is now fully automated and the 60 light switches removed from the walls are simply a memory of an apartment that once was!

The overall Gold Winner of the 2014 House of the Year is what we all aspire to. It is simply the house I want. Now! Not content with just living in Hawaii, the owners of this house decided to creat a mini holiday resort! They have installed a 20-mile network of high-grade, low-voltage cabling internally to cope with the automation demands, which includes a two-tier swimming pool complex complete with diving cliff, underground water slide and grotto. Get this, one single APP on the iPad operates the swimming pool system, outdoor audio/video components, coloured LED landscape light fixtures and a sophisticated outdoor security system.

What Can Be Done

Finally we come to the Cornflake show apartment in Oxford Street, www.cornflake.co.uk which, although having been opened now for just over a year, is attracting more and more visitors.

The apartment is complete with living areas; kitchen, games room, den, cinema, all controlled by an iPad or should the customer want, an Android app. The Cornflake philosophy is all about combining technology and design “to create the best user experience possible”. The company can do this for you, and currently have nearly 50 live projects all over the world.

Owl USB Connect - energy monitoring
Owl USB Connect - energy monitoring

These projects show what can be done and what will be normal within the home automation industry within five to ten years. You might not aspire to a two tiered, Hawaiian-themed swimming pool but control at your fingertips, energy saving devices and a smart home are good places to start.

Take a look at our energy saving devices