7 Ways to Integrate Lighting Control with Security

One of the greatest deterrents to nighttime residential crime is illumination. In a well-illuminated home, a thief cannot use darkness to conceal himself.

Only 36 percent of residential burglaries occur at night, according to FBI statistics. Why? During the day, a house is much more likely to be empty.

So why aren’t more security systems linked to lighting control? It’s a question Rich Matthews, residential sales director at Lutron, is asking.

“For security dealers, lighting control is an enhancement to their alarm system,” he says, adding that connection is simple using a RS232 or Ethernet port in the alarm panel. “Security dealers are more trusted than other contractors, often much more trusted than the A/V contractor.”

Here are eight ways to integrate lighting control with security.

Programmable Dimmers/Switches. Upon activation of an alarm, all dimmers and switches can be programmed to automatically go to “full on” levels. All keypads and switches can be automatically locked out from manual operation. When the alarm is disabled, control returns.

Flashing Exterior Lights. Upon activation of door or window contacts, selected lights in the home can be programmed to flash on and off. Matthews says lights for landscaping, front porches, garages and front windows are the best choices because it not only scares the intruder, but it makes it easier for police to find the house and alerts neighbors of a potential problem.

Timed Lighting When Homeowners are Away. When the system is in “Away” mode, various lights can be timed to go on and off in the house to give the appearance that someone is home.

Pathway Lighting. The system can be programmed to create pathway lighting that is linked to motion sensors. When the system is in “Sleep” mode, the perimeter security is activated while the interior motion sensors are off. This allows the homeowners to move around the home at night without tripping an alarm and still have the convenience of low-level pathway light.

Also, when delayed entry/exit keypad is being set, a dealer can program pathway lighting from the keypad to the exiting door and do the same for when the homeowner is coming home.

Remote Keyfob. A “Welcome” mode can be activated using a remote keyfob, which will illuminate certain lights before the homeowner even gets to the door.

Lights Turn on During Fire. Upon activation of a “Fire” alarm, pathway lighting can guide residents out of a smoke-filled home.

Reduce Cost of Cameras. For homes with CCTV cameras, lights can be used to illuminate the area in question following an alarm. According to Matthews, proper lighting can greatly reduce the cost of cameras because dealers will not have to install night-vision cameras with IR illumination features.

“The options for integrating lighting and security are limitless," Matthews says. "It’s up to the imagination of the dealer and the needs of the homeowner."

He cites the ability of Lutron’s RadioRA2 to connect to up to 200 devices and Lutron's HomeWorks line that has 4,096 available zones.

Since the residential security market has tremendous price pressure, cost can be a factor for homeowners. At the low end, Lutron offers the AuroRA system and a five-dimmer package with no programming for $950. A HomeWorks system could fetch an additional $3,000 to $5,000 beyond the cost of a security system in a mid-sized home, according to Matthews.