Research and development have been continued by an offshoot of that project called the Smart House Limited Partnership. They currently sell a complete wiring system for new smart house construction. Although they have developed and marketed a number of complete intelligent systems, with a variety of options, complete systems can be very expensive. Except for low-end security systems with some lighting and climate control added, they are targeted at the new luxury home market. Vendors believe that the technology of home automation systems will also save significant amounts of energy.
Direct savings come from automatic shut-off features and occupancy sensors.
When used as individual device controllers, these technologies have a proven track record of energy savings. They are also the first energy-saving applications in home automation systems. Occupancy sensor technologies save the automated house owner energy and money by limiting lighting, appliance, and space conditioning use when rooms or zones are unoccupied for a certain length of time. Photosensors adjust the lighting in a room to take advantage of daylight. Systems connected to a home automation system can also be turned on by telephone, so the home is comfortable when the owner arrives.