Home owners hoping to attract buyers in  the midst of a housing slump are “teaching” their homes to save money on energy costs.

“Smart homes can be made even smarter if they are wired to control energy costs as well as water the lawn and arm the alarm system,” says Sheldon Anderson, president of Atlanta Smart Homes Inc.

In a “buyer’s market,” sellers are looking for every advantage and energy consumption is always high on the list according to realtors.

“One of the easiest ways to make a home smarter and more valuable is to reduce the amount of energy wasted each day,” says  Anderson. “If a home owner is going to have a house wired to control surveillance cameras, home theaters, blinds, sprinklers, and so on, they should seriously consider climate and lighting control systems too.”

According to Anderson home owners should install lighting timers and programmable thermostats to run systems. He said they should also consider putting incandescent lights on dimmers so that lights aren’t running at full capacity.  Anderson said that there are a variety of lighting and thermostat control products; dimmers, timers and sensors; fluorescents and LEDs; and other products that homeowners can have installed to save on their energy costs.

“In most homes, lighting accounts for nearly 25 percent of home electricity use,” he explains.  “The average household could cut a third – or even half – of its current energy bill by switching to energy-efficient appliances, equipment and lighting, which use less energy than standard products. An energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) uses at least 60% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and provides the same amount of lighting.” An automatic timer controls when and how long a light stays on and off. Dimmers enable home owners to adjust the intensity of light in a room manually.

Anderson claims that a programmable thermostat with air cooling set at 78 degrees F can cut cooling costs 15 to 25 percent with the actual savings dependent on climate, home insulation, and utility. For people with varying schedules these thermostats can be programmed for each day of the week or be controlled remotely from a computer or even a cell phone.

Consumers can access to the Energy Wizard that covers a range of topics from conservation and new technologies to generators and tax incentives, among others. Energy related questions can be submitted to energywizard@energywizard.info or go to http://www.energywizard.info/ to read the EnergyWizard columns. For more information about Atlanta Smart Homes Inc. go to http://www.atlantasmarthomes.com/ or call Sheldon Anderson at (404) 638-6791.

Showcasing exciting new directions in sustainable living and environmentally friendly technology, the Smart Home: Green + Wired exhibit will offer guests a view into the latest innovations in reusable resources, smart energy consumption and clean, healthy-living environments in a contemporary setting within the 2,500 square-foot home and surrounding gardens and grounds. Michelle Kaufmann Designs conceived the home and worked closely with the engineering and manufacturing team at the All American Homes manufacturing facility in Decatur, Ind. to complete this custom home. The design, called the mkSolaire™, was built for an urban environment and features inviting, family-friendly interior architecture. The home will demonstrate the benefits of energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems and earth-friendly building components to create a healthy living environment.

The seven modules, five comprising the house and two modules making up the garage, were manufactured at the All American Homes’ construction facility in Decatur, Ind. On February 11, the custom house was “test fit” or “soft set” at the factory prior to being transported to the Museum site where it will be set on its foundation. After the home is set in place using a crane, a process that can take one to two days depending on the weather, the finish interior work, furnishing and landscaping will be completed in preparation for the opening of the Smart Home: Green + Wired exhibit on May 8, 2008.

Quality Assurance Manager on the project for All American Homes, Dwight Martin, spoke to the complexities of building an authentically “green” home. “This has been an exciting project in that many of the environmentally friendly materials and vendors specified by Michelle Kaufmann Designs to build this home were new to us. From roofing, to rain shield barriers, to tile flooring materials composed of recycled goods and even uniquely engineered floor joist systems, this project has provided us with a better understanding of what it really means to engineer and build an environmentally friendly home. Green building is the future for All American homes and we’ll take this experience forward,” said Martin.

Rick Bedell, President of All American Homes, LLC, elaborated on the timing of the exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry and the green initiatives that the Company is now undertaking, “We are honored to be the builder of the Smart Home: Green + Wired exhibit. We are in the midst of evolving as a company towards designing and building more environmentally friendly, energy efficient and sustainable products. We will continue these efforts throughout our company with the philosophy that being green is good for the environment and good for business.”

Tickets for the Smart Home: Green + Wired exhibit, which opens May 8, 2008, are now on sale at www.msichicago.org.

About the Museum of Science and Industry

The Museum of Science and Industry’s mission is to inspire the inventive genius in everyone by presenting captivating and compelling experiences that are real and educational. The Museum first opened its doors on June 19, 1933. In 2008—more than 175 million guests later—the Museum commemorates its 75th Anniversary with a year-long celebration. Located at 57th Street and Lake Shore Drive, the Museum is open every day of the year except December 25. Regular Museum hours are 9:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. The Museum offers indoor parking and is accessible by CTA and Metra. The Museum is supported in part through the generosity of the people of Chicago through the Chicago Park District. For more information, visit the Museum’s Web site at www.msichicago.org or call (773) 684-1414 or (800) GO-TO-MSI outside of the Chicago area.

About Michelle Kaufmann Designs

Michelle Kaufmann Designs (MKD) is a full service design/build architectural firm that specializes in sustainable, innovative, high-quality modular architecture. Michelle Kaufmann has become the leader in home design, which creates a marriage of beauty and sustainability using modular construction. Working under the belief that sustainable, well-designed buildings should be accessible to more people, Kaufmann has simplified the process and chosen off-site modular technology as the means to create beautiful, eco-friendly homes and buildings. The goal of her company is to make it easier for people to build green and live a more sustainable lifestyle. The home being built for the Smart Home: Green + Wired exhibit is a new MKD design called mkSolaire™a three-story, loft-style home, suitable for an urban environment. The Museum’s home is the first mkSolaire™ to be constructed. More information about MKD can be found at www.michellekaufmann.com.