Leading Eco-Friendly Modular Homebuilder Recommends The Elan g! System To Every New Homebuyer

Calgary, Alberta-based modular homebuilder Karoleena Homes designs, engineers and builds each and every home to the highest standards of craftsmanship, design aesthetic and eco-friendly operation.  Because their clients are increasingly requesting home control and entertainment systems that can be accessed and monitored remotely, the company is now recommending the ELAN® g! Entertainment and Control System to every new buyer.  And they’ve put their money where their mouth is by installing complete ELAN g! systems in both of their brand new show homes, which made appearances at two home shows in February. One of the new show homes will also be on display at the Edmonton Home & Garden Show from March 22-25.

Partnering with the custom installation experts at Avalanche Electric, Karoleena Homes has constructed a base ELAN g! system to offer every new client, which can then be expanded on or augmented to meet the exact needs of the homebuyer.  The base package includes everything needed to provide simple, consolidated control of a multi-zone audio system, security system, 10 automated lighting loads and one integrated HVAC zone.  The package includes one in-wall touch panel and an iPhone/iPad app for controlling the system, with the ability to add more touch panels as desired.

According to Karoleena Homes President Kris Goodjohn, “A lot of our clients are building second homes and vacation homes, and most of them want to be able to check in when they aren’t there.  The ELAN g! system has finally given us a tool that provides remote access plus all the bells and whistles such as the multi-zone audio system and the lighting control.  One of the biggest concerns we had when looking at control systems was that a lot of our clientele are older, so we needed to find the easiest-to-use solution. 

“We’ve committed to using the ELAN g! system in all of our future homes because it is so easy and because it can start as a small, one room solution and expand to control everything from motorized shades to irrigation and surveillance cameras.  Our friends at Avalanche Electric say it’s the best because it’s easy to install, doesn’t require a lot of maintenance, they can access and make fixes or changes remotely, and it’s capable of expanding to do just about anything.”

Kent Mountenay, owner of Avalanche Electric, said, “Our partnership with Karoleena Homes pairs a custom homebuilder with a custom electrical contractor and systems integration team, so the results are fantastic.  I believe more and more homebuyers are going to want home automation packages right from the start, so we are getting ahead of the game in a very good way.  The ELAN system is my top choice for home automation for several reasons, one of which is the consistent updates, improvements and additions to what the system can do and the third-party components it supports.

“Using the ELAN g! system is as easy as it gets, and it’s just the right mix of price, capability and expandability, so it makes a good base system that can grow to do just about anything the homeowner can think of. Especially for second homes, what people really want is something that is easy to use.  No one wants their home to be confusing or difficult to use or look after when they’re away.”

Integrating the ELAN g! system into Karoleena’s modular homes is a natural next step in the evolution of modern home building.  Since the company began building modular homes in 2005, they have become the preeminent source for affordable, eco-friendly, technologically advanced modular homes.  Employing the best designers, architects, engineers and carpenters, they deliver custom homes in less than half the time required to build a home in the traditional style.  Because the company builds its homes in a climate controlled indoor facility, they are not subject to cost overruns or delays due to weather or outside circumstances.

“We have streamlined the building process like Henry Ford did for the automobile industry,” Goodjohn said. “Because we eliminate the unknowns associated with home building, we are able to use the best materials and run a very eco-friendly operation.  In fact, our building process generates only five percent of the waste a traditionally built house would create. 

“With the ELAN g! system our clients can lessen their environmental impact even more through lighting and heating schedules, which that they can adjust as they see fit and monitor when they are away from their new dream home.  Most of our clients have iPhones and iPads and love the simplicity modern technology can offer, making the ELAN g! system a natural extension of their digital lives. I have a feeling that once they see how easy and useful home control can be with ELAN g!, a lot of our clients will expand on the base package.”

Karoleena homes build modular homes for about the same price as traditional homes, and they are guaranteed by the Alberta New Home Warranty Program.  Because they often require shipment across thousands of miles and are hoisted up to 30 feet in the air for placement, Karoleena’s modular homes must be built to a more rigorous standard than traditional homes, so they are reinforced by approximately 30 percent more material, which also provides improved insulation. 

The ELAN g! Control System provides users with the most uniform and intuitive icon-based control from their favorite devices including TVs, touchscreens, touchpads, PCs, iPhones and iPads. The standardized interface works across platforms, so that the trendy g!Mobile app users love on the iPhone appears and works similarly on ELAN touchscreens, valets and handheld remotes as well as users' televisions and mobile devices. And the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room - or across the globe.

Individual "apps" for each subsystem allow the user to control security, climate, lighting, media, irrigation, pool/spa, messaging, video and photos with the flick of a finger. Access is fast and secure through any ELAN home interface or globally with mobile Internet enabled devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Netbooks and PC Tablets. Since the intuitive interface empowers users with personalized scheduling and detailed history views, high consumption subsystems like lighting and climate can be closely monitored and managed for a greener lifestyle - and substantial energy savings.

About ELAN Home Systems:

Since 1990 ELAN® Home Systems has been an industry leading manufacturer of innovative, award-winning Multi-Room audio/video systems. ELAN systems were the first to integrate audio, video, phones and third-party products to create a seamless, easy-to-use "whole house" solution. ELAN systems and products are distributed through a comprehensive channel of select Dealers and Distributors throughout the United States, Canada and more than 58 countries worldwide. ELAN Home Systems is part of The AVC Group.  To learn more, visit www.elanhomesystems.com.

About The AVC Group, LLC:

Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, The AVC Group, LLC is a portfolio of pre-eminent manufacturers and marketers of state-of-the-art consumer and commercial audio, video, and control system solutions.  The AVC Group is comprised of the following industry leading brands: Niles®, ELAN® Home Systems, Xantech®, ATON® and Sunfire®. The AVC Group, LLC is a subsidiary of Nortek, Inc.’s Home Technology Group.