What Makes Lutron RadioRA2 Our Favorite Lighting Control Solution?
Flexibility, Scalability and Capability
Start here to learn everything about Lutron smart lighting.
A few months ago, we talked about the Lutron RadioRA2 lighting control solution. When it comes to lighting control, we favor Lutron, which has been an industry pioneer for decades in everything you can think of in residential and commercial lighting. Lutron makes several lighting control solutions, which can serve DIY and small home setups, medium to large homes, and extensive properties. While all of Lutron's products exemplify the company's excellence in lighting control, Bravo AV prefers to work with Lutron RadioRA2. It's like the Goldilocks of lighting control systems—just right for a wide variety of installations. Let’s take a closer look at Lutron RadioRA2 and why we recommend it as the go-to smart lighting solution for your New Jersey home.
Easy Retrofitting Lutron RadioRA2 is perfect for both new and existing homes. The system doesn’t require you to replace all your regular light switches with smart Lutron switches or keypads. To get started, Bravo AV installs the RadioRA2 controller or “brains”, and you can then select which area of your home’s lighting you’d like to automate. For example, an excellent place to start with lighting control is with your garage, mudroom area, kitchen, and family room. This central area is one of the most heavily trafficked in most homes. Lighting control can light a path for you when you arrive home, and one button - or even sensing your location from your smartphone - can activate the perfect “welcome home” scene when you arrive in the core of your house. If you only want lighting control over some parts of your house, a popular option that we highly recommend is the master suite. By installing a keypad control in the master suite, you can control any of the automated lights in your house. Imagine being able to hit a button labeled “all off”, and all the lights turn off, without walking around the house flipping switches – that’s convenience, and also energy efficient.
Scalability Scalability is part of what makes Lutron RadioRA2 our Goldilocks choice. The system controls up to 200 devices, which includes recessed lights, accent lights, custom LED lights, or practically any set of fixtures, outside lights included. What kind of home does that serve? Based on standard lighting guidelines, RadioRA2 can typically cover homes up to 7,500 square feet. Bear in mind not every light in your home needs to be managed by lighting control – such as a decorative bedroom lamp – but you can if you so desire. 200 devices go a long way. RadioRA2 is right at home in a 3,000 square foot home and gives you the headroom to add more lighting control for future additions such as outdoor landscape lights, a pool, or new guesthouse. A system with room to grow is always a wise choice.
Flexibility Most Lutron lighting solutions provide extensive options, and RadioRA2 is no exception. The reliable wireless capability that Lutron calls ClearConnect is a great option. ClearConnect is the company's proprietary radio frequency communications protocol for controlling devices. It offers utmost flexibility in retrofitting lighting control into existing homes with a minimum of rewiring. It also provides the ability to install a control keypad wherever you want them for convenience and design. Stylish keypads like the GRAFIK series can be custom etched and backlit and are just one of the ways you can control lighting with a Lutron system. The variety of control options Lutron offers with this system makes it an excellent fit for most lifestyles. Aside from the elegant keypad choices, occupancy sensors can manage lighting for efficiency by turning lights on and off only when a space is in use. If smartphone control is your preference, the Lutron Bridge connects your system with the internet to offer you full control while at home or away. The Lutron Bridge also connects with popular voice control assistants like Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Google Assistant, so your voice is all you need to set the right lighting scene when your hands are occupied.
Capability
One of the best features of the Lutron system is the ability to work with other solutions to provide comprehensive smart home automation. Lutron has an open integration protocol that lets other systems easily connect with Lutron solutions. This means that any device that can send commands through standard RS-232 and IP mechanisms - like AV equipment remotes and networked devices - can integrate with Lutron lighting. More importantly, it makes a future upgrade to a comprehensive home automation systems like Savant much easier, should you decide to add that later. No lighting control system is worthwhile unless it offers effective control of light. Lutron does that job in superior fashion, with fast wireless response, precise dimming control, and the capability to manage large electrical loads with significant numbers of fixtures. Lutron recently purchased Ketra, one of the leading companies in tunable lighting, and is incorporating the ability to tune white light into its systems as well. This can help you maintain the right balance of cool to warm light in your home to correspond with your body’s natural cycles, making lighting an integral part of keeping you healthy.
For additional resources, please visit our page on Lutron Lighting Control with articles like this on everything you need to know. Additionally, you can check out our photo gallery to explore our previous work.
Bravo AV is proud to be an HTA (Home Technology Association) Certified Installation Firm and professional A/V experts. Tom Curnin, the owner of Bravo AV, is a CEDIA Professional Designer, a certified THX Level 1 home theater professional and a member of the Home Acoustic Alliance trained to Level II. You can contact Tom directly at (908) 953-0555 or through email at tom@bravoav.com.
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