By Jim Cavan

If you were to Google “how to be more energy efficient”, you’d probably come up with a veritable laundry list of to-dos and not to-dos: change out these light bulbs; replace that window; be sure to shut everything off whenever you leave a room.

After a while, “going green” might start to look like more work than it’s worth. But what if you could be more efficient without thinking about it at all?

According to Paul Ford of Atlantic Home Systems, new technologies are changing the way people monitor and curb their energy use, making reducing their energy bills -- and their carbon footprint -- virtually effortless. They can even make going green fun.

“More and more we’re starting to see home control systems that actually make your house fun and entertaining, while saving energy and ultimately money,” says Ford, who launched AHS in 2005. “So installing one of these systems doesn’t have to adhere to just one perspective anymore.”

Specifically Ford is referring to the unique Control 4 line of home monitoring systems, one of the many home entertainment products offered by AHS. Control 4 allows a home owner to program and coordinate nearly everything in the house -- lights, televisions, motion sensors, even heating and cooling systems -- from a single, easy-to-use interface.

Based on you or your family’s schedule, you can program a Control 4 system to light your sidewalks, shut off a TV if no one is in the room, or turn off the heat or air conditioning if a window is accidentally left open. You can even adjust your programming remotely, meaning no more worrying about the lights or heat staying on while you’re on vacation.

Not only do the systems help you be smarter about your own energy use, but their continued growth has mimicked that of “smart grids”, power grids which deliver electricity to multiple homes and businesses based on super efficient two-way technologies similar to Control 4. In fact, the two technologies are so intertwined that Control 4 was recently honored with the SmartGrid.TMC.net Product of the Year Award.

Ford originally discovered the product while attending a Custom Entertainment Installation and Design Association (CEDIA) expo years ago. Since then it’s become a cornerstone for a business equally dedicated to helping reduce a home’s carbon footprint. In January AHS joined the Green Alliance, a Seacoast-based green business union, in order to bolster its sustainability efforts.

“It’s a unique technology that allows people to design their own energy architecture,” explains Ford, a Massachusetts native who worked for years in audio-visual retail before growing tired of the “quick-sell” mentality. “And the great thing is that, even though the technology is getting more and more advanced, it’s also becoming more and more affordable for the average homeowner.”

Rarely do the words “futuristic”, “green”, and “fun” intertwine. But for Paul Ford, it provides the perfect recipe for customers who don’t want running their homes more efficiently to run them ragged.

For more information about Atlantic Home Systems, click here.