Hardwired vs. Wireless Lighting Control
By Jason Knott
In existing homes, wireless systems beat hardwired when considering labor costs, project size, system reliability, product cost and client satisfaction.

When homebuilders were constructing 2.1 million homes per year, who cared about addressing existing homes? Now with just 300,000 predicted to be built in 2010, existing homes are the last bastion of revenue.

As the market continues to transition, integrators sometimes face the choice of installing hardwired vs. wireless.

Here are five factors to consider when making that decision.



Product Cost: In general, hardwired lighting control systems tend to be about 20 percent to 30 percent less expensive than their wireless counterparts. That pricing difference also extends into the motorized shade control category, which is a form of natural light control.

One variable these days is the cost of copper wiring. It is a commodity that fluctuates. Right now, it is relatively low compared to some of the high spikes the market has seen in the past few years. A 3,500-square-foot home will require several thousand linear feet of wire, according to David Weinstein, vice president of residential sales for Lutron. Advantage: Hardwired

Reliability: Consumers, even more than integrators, are becoming comfortable with wireless technology. The pervasiveness of wireless computer networks, iPhone, iPads, etc., have even made older homeowners less fearful of “invisible” technology. On the other hand, hardwired systems are 99.9 percent bulletproof.

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