Smarthouse Blog

Florida’s first-ever beer garden focuses on the beer and lets the ELAN control system manage all the audio, video, lighting, security, surveillance cameras and HVAC.

Launching a restaurant is often a sink-or-swim moment. It’s stressful, exciting and demanding, so any help keeping things organized and flowing smoothly is essential. Just ask Rebekah Gelvin, the proud owner and operator of the new Mandeville Beer Garden in Sarasota, Florida. With 30 draught beers, 150 bottles and a classic beer garden-style food menu, the last thing the staff wants is to have to remember tricky proce- dures for operating TVs, stereos and other utilities on site.

As the citys first-ever beer garden, Gelvin knew it might be popular, but was pleasantly surprised at the community’s overwhelming response. Luckily, she thought ahead and outfitted the establishment with advanced technologies designed to lighten the load for her and the staff, centered around an ELAN control system that automates the audio, video, lighting, surveillance cameras and HVAC.

“It’s nice not to worry about turning things on and off,” Gelvin said. “It might seem like a little detail, but there are hundreds of little details that we need to nail every day, so anything that checks a couple items off the list is a big help. As far as grand openings go, ours has been wildly successful, but that does mean that the staff can sometimes be racing around to keep every customer happy. In that environment, giving the bartenders the ability to change TV channels or turn up the music from their personal smartphones is a big help. It saves time and frustration, and even attracts the customers’ attention when they ask how we did that.”

Automating the utilities of the beer garden was a core consideration dur- ing construction, according to Mark van den Broek, owner of the Sarasota based electronics integration firm Smarthouse Integration.

Technology is basically a given for a modern bar or restaurant, and Rebekah knew that going in,” van den Broek said. “But where legacy owners might see TVs and speakers as the end-all be-all, she recognized that more could be done to simplify operations and free up staff to attend to customers quicker and more effectively. In addition, the energy savings can be considerable. For instance, the beer garden’s lights, TVs and speakers all automatically turn on 30 minutes before opening and off 30 minutes and after closing. This eliminates the need for a worker to be responsible for these duties, and ensures that it always happens. Even if someone did turn on a light after closing, Rebekah can see that and turn it off using the ELAN mobile app on her smartphone or tablet.”

In addition to the automated on/off settings, van den Broek worked closely with Gelvin to create a smart lighting timeline that self-adjusts the lighting levels throughout the day to match ambient light. Combine that with an intelligent HVAC schedule, an integrated security system, 10 IP surveillance cameras and three separate zones of audio and video, and it’s clear the ELAN control system plays an es- sential role in the beer garden’s operations. It even gives the staff instant control over the beer garden’s functions through their mobile phones. “Another thing we knew going in is that every customer wants WiFi. They want to take pictures, upload them, search for our beers on apps and be as connected as they are at home,”

Gelvin added.
To satisfy this insatiable desire to be connected at all times, van den Broek installed Luxul networking equipment to provide a private network for the staff and a public network for customers. To keep customers informed of specials and restaurant info, two commercial LG display panels show special info and menus as well as TV programming through digital signage software.

The installation includes a variety of indoor and outdoor speakers from JBL and SpeakerCraft with Niles and Crown amplification, all distributed through the ELAN system. Each audio and video zone can be controlled independently from the ELAN mobile app or a 7-inch ELAN touchscreen mounted behind the bar. To keep all the equipment running smoothly and reliably, van den Broek utilized the Panamax MB4315-Pro Power Manager to deliver clean, consistent and protected power.

ELAN®, from Core Brands, offers an award-winning line of whole-house entertainment and control solutions distributed through a comprehensive channel of select dealers throughout the United States and in more than 58 countries worldwide. To learn more, visit www.elanhomesystems.com.

Headquartered in Petaluma, California, Core Brands combines the product and marketing strengths of iconic and award-winning audio, power management and control brands. For further information, visit www.corebrands.com.

Core Brands is a Nortek company. Nortek Inc. is a global diversified com- pany with leading brands and innovative, technology-driven products and solutions for lifestyle improvement at home and at work. For further information visit www.nortekinc.com

Sarasota, Florida’s first-ever beer garden focuses on the beer and lets the ELAN control system manage all the audio, video, lighting, security, surveillance cameras and HVAC.

PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA, July 22, 2015 – Launching a restaurant is often a sink-or-swim moment. It’s stressful, exciting and demanding, so any help keeping things organized and flowing smoothly is essential. Just ask Rebekah Gelvin, the proud owner and operator of the new Mandeville Beer Garden in Sarasota, Florida. With 30 draught beers, 150 bottles and a classic beer garden-style food menu, the last thing the staff wants is to have to remember tricky procedures for operating TVs, stereos and other utilities on site.

As the city’s first-ever beer garden, Gelvin knew it might be popular, but was pleasantly surprised at the community’s overwhelming response. Luckily, she thought ahead and outfitted the establishment with advanced technologies designed to lighten the load for her and the staff, centered around an ELAN control system that automates the audio, video, lighting, surveillance cameras and HVAC.

“It’s nice not to worry about turning things on and off,” Gelvin said. “It might seem like a little detail, but there are hundreds of little details that we need to nail every day, so anything that checks a couple items off the list is a big help. As far as grand openings go, ours has been wildly successful, but that does mean that the staff can sometimes be racing around to keep every customer happy. In that environment, giving the bartenders the ability to change TV channels or turn up the music from their personal smartphones is a big help. It saves time and frustration, and even attracts the customers’ attention when they ask how we did that.”

Automating the utilities of the beer garden was a core consideration during construction, according to Mark van den Broek, owner of the Sarasota-based electronics integration firm Smarthouse Integration.

“Technology is basically a given for a modern bar or restaurant, and Rebekah knew that going in,” van den Broek said. “But where legacy owners might see TVs and speakers as the end-all be-all, she recognized that more could be done to simplify operations and free up staff to attend to customers quicker and more effectively. In addition, the energy savings can be considerable. For instance, the beer garden’s lights, TVs, and speakers all automatically turn on 30 minutes before opening and off 30 minutes and after closing. This eliminates the need for a worker to be responsible for these duties, and ensures that it always happens. Even if someone did turn on a light after closing, Rebekah can see that and turn it off using the ELAN g! mobile app on her smartphone or tablet.”

In addition to the automated on/off settings, van den Broek worked closely with Gelvin to create a smart lighting timeline that self-adjusts the lighting levels throughout the day to match ambient light. Combine that with an intelligent HVAC schedule, an integrated security system, 10 IP surveillance cameras and three separate zones of audio and video, and it’s clear the ELAN control system plays an essential role in the beer garden’s operations. It even gives the staff instant control over the beer garden’s functions through their mobile phones.

“Another thing we knew going in is that every customer wants WiFi. They want to take pictures, upload them, search for our beers on apps and be as connected as they are at home,” Gelvin added.

To satisfy this insatiable desire to be connected at all times, van den Broek installed Luxul networking equipment to provide a private network for the staff and a public network for customers. To keep customers informed of specials and restaurant info, two commercial LG display panels show special info and menus as well as TV programming through digital signage software.

The installation includes a variety of indoor and outdoor speakers from JBL and SpeakerCraft with Niles and Crown amplification, all distributed through the ELAN system. Each audio and video zone can be controlled independently from the ELAN mobile app or a 7-inch ELAN touchscreen mounted behind the bar. To keep all the equipment running smoothly and reliably, van den Broek utilized the Panamax MB4315-Pro Power Manager to deliver clean, consistent and protected power.

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Structurally, there are endless ways to beef up a home’s energy efficiency: install highly insulated doors and windows, outfit with Energy Star appliances, and ensure a tightly constructed shell. Florida builder Josh Wynne of Josh Wynne Construction, Sarasota, Fla., has made a name for himself as a premier provider of award-winning LEED homes with a unique formula that combines environmentally kind materials and a modern, energy-conscious design with sophisticated technologies such as home control systems. “Energy efficiency is always the underlying theme of Wynne’s homes, but never at the expense of the home’s design,” says Mark van den Broek of Sarasota-based SmartHouse Integration, a firm that has designed and installed many of the electronic systems used in Wynne’s super-smart, super-efficient homes.One of van den Broek’s latest partnerships with Wynne, “the Pearl,” achieved LEED platinum certification; remarkably, it bears no resemblance to the stereotypical green house where solar panels and rain cisterns are common elements.

The owner wanted to feel comfortable in her home and to “enjoy the finer things in life,” van den Broek explains, so rather than incorporate amenities that could possibly interfere with her quest for comfort and convenience, Wynne enlisted van den Broek to install an Elan g! home control system. It goes a long way toward providing the lifestyle the owner coveted, while covertly curbing wasteful energy use. Without even realizing it, the homeowner, through her daily interaction with the Elan g! system, effectively minimizes the energy consumption of her home’s lights and heating and cooling equipment, both of which are tied to the Elan g! HC6 processor. For example, an ALL OFF command, which can be engaged via the screen of an Elan g! 10-inch wall-mounted touchpanel (two are installed in the house; one in the kitchen and the other in the master bedroom ) or an iPad or iPhone, sweeps through the 4,096-square-foot home turning off every light, most of which happen to be of the LED type.

Thanks to the settings programmed into the Elan g! system by van den Broek, these lights never brighten to full intensity, which is another effective and effortless way to reduce electricity consumption. The 90 percent setting supplies ample illumination for any task, says van den Broek, and the lights can be dimmed even more via up/down arrows on touchpanels, iPads or from any of several wall-mounted Lutron RadioRA dimmer switches installed throughout the house.The HVAC page that’s also found on the screen of the owner’s iPad and the touchpanel screens, meanwhile, displays the current temperature and humidity level of the house. From that page, the owner can quickly and easily adjust the thermostat settings if necessary. For the ultimate in convenience and smart energy use, van den Broek programmed the Elan g! system so that the lights and HVAC, as well as the audio and video components, would all respond to an Away command. As the name of the command suggests, it is intended to be launched when the owner leaves the house, and synchronously switches off any light, TV or audio component that might be on. The command also adjusts the temperature to an energy-saving level and also arms the DSC security system.

While she’s away the owner can check up on the status of the various systems via the Elan g! mobile app on her iPhone, and even view real-time scenes from surveillance cameras. Should a car pull into one of three driveways, a sensor trips and signals the Elan g! to activate select indoor and outdoor lights and to send the owner an alert on her phone. When she’s home, the camera images are displayed on the touchpanels.

This well-secured, comfortable and energy-wise environment creates an atmosphere where relaxation comes easy, and again, the Elan g! system precludes any complications or confusion when operating the home’s cutting-edge entertainment systems. The owner can peruse music and movies accessible via a variety of components that are neatly tucked away in an equipment rack, select the room in which she’d like to listen or watch, and adjust the volume all from her iPad. One of the best places to settle in, says van den Broek is the living room, where a 75-inch Samsung TV with an Artison soundbar deliver the movie magic. The owner can always beef up the audio, whether it’s movie dialog or songs lyrics, by adding the “invisible” Stealth Acoustic speakers to the audio mix. Installed between the rafters in the ceiling and covered with the thin coat of drywall, the visually imperceptible speakers blanket the space with even, well-dispersed sound. “The open design of the room wasn’t able to accommodate a traditional surround-sound system with rear and side speakers, so we overcame that by providing the owner with a system of pure horsepower, where the sound literally rains down on her,” says van den Broek. And like all technologies in this unassuming green house, they fit right in with the stunning, modern architecture.

Read The Story Here
http://www.electronichouse.com/daily/home-energy-management/environmentally-sound-and-technologically-smart-home/

Modern luxury homebuilding isn’t just about square footage and exotic materials. The best new homes today incorporate smart designs that minimize energy usage, maximize living comfort and provide aesthetics that perfectly match the owner’s personality. Florida homebuilder Josh Wynne of Josh Wynne Construction knows this better than most, and it’s why he combines designs that utilize the natural elements of a building’s lot with smart home technologies that make home life simple and efficient.

In his latest award-winning LEED-platinum certified home, dubbed “The Pearl”, Wynne has taken eco-conscious design to a new level, achieving the highly regarded certification without the use of solar panels or rainwater cisterns. In addition to making the home friendly to the environment, Wynne made sure the home was friendly to the owners, installing the Elan g! Entertainment and Control System that gives them complete control over everything from climate to pool controls with the Elan g! mobile app on their iPhones and iPads.

The home is custom designed from top to bottom, including exposed trusses that Wynne hand-built himself. Because the owner likes to host parties but is also a private-minded person, the home features a progression of public spaces, intermediate spaces and private spaces, both indoors and in the landscaping.

Home on an iPhone
To make all these spaces comfortable and easy to manage, Wynne had Mark van den Broek of SmartHouse Integration design and install a variety of high-tech systems. With van den Broek’s help, Wynne delivered the owners a level of home comfort that they couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago. Everything in the home – lights, air conditioning, heating, irrigation, TVs, multiroom audio, security, surveillance and even pool controls – can be turned on and off, scheduled and adjusted from a single iPhone app.

It’s a home that uses technology to simplify living.”
“This home is a culmination of the owner’s aesthetic tastes, my unique mind for sustainable luxury design, and Mark’s technological know-how,” Wynne said. “Walking into the huge open kitchen and living room area, the sense of space and freedom is incredible. We were able to extend the awe even further by implementing smart home systems so the owner could walk into that room and hit a single button to dim the lights, turn on their favorite playlist and adjust the climate to the perfect temperature. It’s a home that uses technology to simplify living.”

Smart Systems Throughout
With TVs, speakers and lights both indoors and outdoors that can be controlled on an iPhone or iPad, every area in the home can be custom programmed with scenes for different scenarios such as cooking, hosting a party, movie viewing, or even an “Away” mode that turns off most systems and automatically sets the security and surveillance systems. One special part of the security system is a custom-designed digital “gate” on the driveway that alerts the homeowners whenever a vehicle approaches.

According to van den Broek, “The home has three driveways, so a gate wouldn’t have been feasible. I came up with a solution using laser triggers on each driveway, so when a vehicle crosses the beam a video feed of the driveway comes up on the large touchscreen in the kitchen and master bedroom. And if the home is set to ‘away’ mode, the system turns on indoor and outdoor lights and sends an alert to the owner’s cell phone.  It’s a surefire way to protect the house when they are away and a convenient way to see when friends are arriving.”

Easy Control, in Their Hands
The most important aspect of the home’s technology is that the owners can use it without any training, without any hassle, and without any stress. When people drive up, the camera feed simply appears on the touchscreens.  When they are away, they can open the Elan g! Mobile app and check their surveillance cameras and even view histories of which lights have been on and what the indoor temperature has been.

If they are home and want to watch a movie, all they need is an iPhone to turn off the lights, turn on the TV and Blu-ray player, and raise the volume. For parties, switching audio sources to different zones and adjusting volume is a breeze with the on-screen sliders. All in all, the owners of this beautiful Florida home have total control in the palm of their hands, and they don’t have to worry about a thing.

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A cinema under the sky can be an amazing home theater option. It turned out to be just the ticket for this Florida family who lives in sunny Sarasota and spends a lot of time outdoors. The backyard entertainment area with its swim-up theater is so well-engineered that, at first glance, it’s impossible to guess what went on behind the scenes to make it all happen.

Originally, the idea was on the scale of a tiki hut with a TV, but as discussions ensued with the enthusiastic homeowner, it escalated into a mega project. In the end, a pool house, deck, and projector shed were all constructed from the ground up. But before any work began, the existing pool had to be sealed and resituated from its original location to where it is now. Taking 18 months from concept to completion, the project set a new benchmark for Sarasota-based SmartHouse Integration, which handled the job.

According to SmartHouse President Mark van den Broek, the Odegards wanted a stylish, relaxing, outdoor entertainment center where they could watch movies and sports all year long while lounging at the pool. The decision to do new construction in the backyard created the opportunity to pull out all the stops.

Admittedly, van den Broek says, he had done nothing quite like this outdoor theater before, but he and his team quickly got their minds around the job. “We had some minimum throw distances for the projector to work around, and that determined where the screen would go, how big a projector was needed, and how big a structure we needed to fit that screen size,” he says.

An immediate challenge was the tight backyard space. The neighbors have structures that closely adjoin the property on two sides, so there were no buffers, and it wouldn’t do to chew up a big chunk of valuable living space to accommodate the projection gear. “We had to come up with a design that would optimize every square inch available,” van den Broek says.

The result? A custom shed—both air-conditioned and insulated—was built and elevated off the ground so it wouldn’t count as a footprint. Situated at the end of the pool, directly opposite the new pool house, it houses a permanently installed 102-inch Stewart StarGlas rear-projection screen. Inside the structure is a Digital Projection M-Vision Cine 400 projector with 5,500 lumens of light output, which is powerful enough to make daytime viewing possible. A fun but practical addition is a retractable bimini top that serves as a brim for the screen when the sun comes overhead and tries to wash it out.

SmartHouse worked with Gregory Arthur of Onyx Development Group, who was instrumental in the construction of the pool house, deck, and projector shed.

The shed is attached to a fence right up on the property line and isn’t an easy or convenient place to access, so the rest of the gear resides in the pool house. An OmniMount rack holds a Samsung Blu-ray player, a DirecTV HD receiver, a Yamaha Aventage RX-A2010 receiver, as well as two Crown Audio power amplifiers. Video signals run the long distance from the equipment room to the projector house over a fiber-optic HDMI balun kit.

For sound, van den Broek installed a meaty, 2,000-watt, surround sound system driven by the Crown amps; the Yamaha A/V receiver was used only as a source switcher and surround processor. Odegard, who likes sports (hockey and football), is also a big fan of action flicks like 300, Top Gun, and Twister, so van den Broek went for the extra juice. “It’s tough to pressurize outside, so you need it for that,” he explains. “You’ve got to be a good citizen, but there are times you need to be a rock star—and then you have the horsepower.”

A pair of JBL Professional CBT 70J weatherproof speakers sit on either side of the screen for the front channels; each is a large 27-inch-tall column with four 5-inch woofers and 16 1-inch dome tweeters in a coaxial line array. A JBL Professional Control SB210 outdoor subwoofer with dual 10-inch woofers—which van den Broek jokes is the size of a Volkswagen—is hidden behind the wood fascia right below the StarGlas screen. A pair of JBL Professional Control 25 loudspeakers mounted under the pool house eaves serve as surrounds.

The pool house is equipped with an Elan g! Series HC4 system controller and an M86A integrated audio/video controller for multiroom audio; along with handling control for the theater system, the M86A manages the pool house’s four interior audio zones and two additional exterior zones. All the zones—including the theater system—are tied into a Sonos music server that feeds another eight-zone system in the main house.

Everything—including the multiroom audio, projector, LED landscape lighting, pool house HVAC, and even the pool equipment—can be controlled via an iPad or iPhone using the Elan g! system controller. This was a draw for Odegard, a self-described non-techie but big Apple advocate, and he’s thrilled with how easy it is to operate. “I don’t want to manage 15 remotes, and I love running the whole house on my phone,” he says.

“We have a real common-sense approach,” van den Broek says. “He’s an Apple guy, so this was a perfect fit with the Elan system. When he presses Watch TV, the receiver and amps turn on and everything comes to a preset volume. We have it dialed in where it really is the touch of a button.” An Elan TS2 in-wall touchscreen in the pool house allows anyone to control the whole system from inside as well.

So far, the system provides the fun in the sun it was designed to. “On Masters Sunday, we had the kids in the pool, friends over, and golf on the TV all day,” Odegard says. “It was like being at a resort right in our own backyard.”

Equipment List:
Elan g! Series HC4 System Controller
Elan M86A Integrated Mulitroom A/V Controller
Elan TS2 2-inch OLED Touchscreen Wallpad
Stewart 102-inch StarGlas Rear Projection Screen
Digital Projection M-Vision Cine 400 Projector
Yamaha Aventage RX-A2010 A/V Receiver
JBL Professional CBT 70J Line Array Outdoor Speakers
JBL Professional Control 25 Outdoor Speakers
JBL Professional Control SB210 Subwoofer
Crown CDi1000 Power Amplifier
Crown CDi2000 Power Amplifier
Samsung BD-C6500 Blu-ray Player
DirectTV Satellite TV Receiver
Sonos Z90 Zone Player
Samsung UN40D6500 40-inch 3D LED LCD HDTV
ELAN MP800 In-Wall Speakers
ELAN MP800C In-Ceiling speakers
Niles Audio OS6.3Si Outdoor Speakers
Omnimount RE18 Rack System
Panamax M4300-PM Power Conditioner/Surge Protector

Smarthouse Integration, Sarasota, Florida (941) 404-4470, smarthouseintegration.com

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Susan McCart, a Florida franchisee and now part-owner of premium frozen yogurt chain Yogurtology, uses modern automation and control tech to help manage growing company.

PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA, August 19, 2015 – No matter how hard you try or how little you sleep, you can’t be in two places at once. That’s why operating multiple businesses requires handing off some control and responsibility. But what if you could literally check in on your properties from home at any time and see what is happening on site? Susan McCart, a franchisee and now part corporate owner of Yogurtology, a premium frozen yogurt store chain, found that with the ELAN control system pulling together the lighting, HVAC, audio, video, energy management, security and surveillance, she’s never more than a smartphone tap away from the pulse of her businesses.

According to Sarasota-based electronics integrator Mark van den Broek, the ELAN system made such an impression in the first store that McCart is going to install nearly identical systems in her other four franchise locations in the next two months.

“When we talk about control systems in food establishments it’s usually focused on audio and video, and maybe security,” van den Broek said, “but together, Susan and I created a very powerful tool for her to manage her multiple locations. Once all five stores are finished, she’ll know for certain that all the lights, TVs, audio equipment and registers turn on 30 minutes before opening and turn off 30 minutes after closing. She’ll know how many people are going in and out of each store each day through intelligent software that parses the surveillance camera recordings. Best of all, she’ll be able to quickly login to each location from the ELAN g! app on her smartphone or tablet, from anywhere in the world, any time, and view live video feeds plus see the status of the lighting, A/V and climate control at each store.”

Consolidating the utilities of multiple physical locations into a single smartphone app is a monumental shift in small business management. While individual locations obviously still require managers, franchise owners with this kind of instant access can get the truest sense ever available of what goes on in their restaurants. Beyond the owner accessibility, automation offers promises to cut maintenance and daily hassles from the staff, freeing them up to interact with consumers and enjoy their work more. By scheduling lighting, A/V and HVAC systems, the owners can closely monitor and adjust their energy usage across multiple locations. The ELAN system’s climate history feature provides a snapshot of energy use over time, which can help guide decisions and ultimately provide significant energy and cost savings.

The first Yogurtology store to receive the ELAN system features seven 42” TVs, seven speakers from SpeakerCraft and Niles, eight IP surveillance cameras, a 4TB NAS drive to keep surveillance footage, Lutron Radio Ra2 lighting, Leviton HVAC control and a commercial WiFi access point to provide consistent coverage throughout the store.