2009 Solar Decathlon Competitor Cornell University to Feature INSTEON as Their Energy-Efficient Home Automation Solution

ITHACA, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SmartLabs, Inc. announces that Cornell University has chosen INSTEON® home automation technology as an integral piece of their home build in the 2009 Solar Decathlon at the National Mall in Washington, DC, fall of 2009.

“recognized the INSTEON family of products as the right technology to help automate and control our solar powered home…where responding to the environment and controlling the house accordingly is critical, INSTEON provides a simple and reliable solution for helping meet our home control challenges.”

The competition is comprised of twenty University based teams, each given $100,000 to showcase the design, build and operation of a home completely powered by solar energy. INSTEON was selected by Dr. Bruce R. Land, Cornell University Faculty Advisor, who said they “recognized the INSTEON family of products as the right technology to help automate and control our solar powered home…where responding to the environment and controlling the house accordingly is critical, INSTEON provides a simple and reliable solution for helping meet our home control challenges.” Smarthome representative Steve Lee felt the competition will “show the complete depth of INSTEON, by using it as a full communication protocol through the management of lighting, appliances, contact closures, thermostats and IR control. We are building a seamless integration of INSTEON products with other home systems towards a common goal of total energy efficiency.” Realizing the potential energy savings and convenience home automation can provide, Cornell is looking to add other INSTEON-compatible control systems.

Over the next year, Cornell’s team will work with Smarthome to build a power efficient, reliable, affordable and convenient solution. The partnership should provide an example of how the home of the future will use INSTEON automation to effectively manage resources and save energy.

For more information:

http://www.solardecathlon.org/.

http://cusd.cornell.edu/cusd/web/index.php.

About INSTEON

SmartLabs' INSTEON home control networking technology uses a simple, low-cost combination of wireless and power line communications. With over 170 INSTEON-compatible products, it is easy to link together home systems such as lighting, security, HVAC (comfort control), A/V, appliances and sensors, allowing them to be controlled or monitored from anywhere in the world.

About SmartLabs, Inc.

Founded in 1992, SmartLabs, Inc. is the world's leading authority on home automation. SmartLabs is organized into three divisions: SmartLabs Technology, the pioneering architects of INSTEON wireless home control technology; SmartLabs Design, creators of best in class home control products and Smarthome Direct, which includes Smarthome.com, "the Amazon of home automation" (Newsweek, 2004). SmartLabs is headquartered in Irvine, California.

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