Whole-Home Crestron System — Derby, AV, Lighting, Security & HVAC

Crestron Award Winner — Lighting Control & Design

This new build in the Derby countryside benefits from a full Crestron audio video, lighting, security and HVAC system — one of the most comprehensive whole-home installations in our portfolio, and the project that won Custom Controls the Crestron Integration Award for Brilliant Lighting Control & Design. It was also the first installation in the UK to use Crestron’s dimmable LED fittings end-to-end, providing a complete solution from light fitting through to control system. The project is one of the reasons Custom Controls are 5 x Crestron Integration Award winners, a record unique in EMEA.

Crestron HD Audio Video Distribution

A full Crestron Digital Media HD distribution system using Cat6 cabling delivers HD audio and video to 16 display zones. Sky HD receivers, Sony 4K Blu-ray players, PS4s and Apple TVs are all centralised and distributed, so every source is available on every screen without boxes in the living spaces. SpeakerCraft in-ceiling speakers and Samsung TVs complete the system, all controlled via CEC over HDMI. A dedicated home cinema room forms part of the wider AV system, with the same centralised sources available throughout.

The Crestron Sonnex multi-room audio system serves 24 audio zones, with room grouping for parties and optional subwoofer channel assignment per room. As on every whole-house system we design, each room runs independently by default, and rooms can be joined at a single button press so the same music can fill the ground floor while the upper floors stay quiet.

The services below formed the core of the Derby installation, from multi-room audio and the award-winning lighting design to climate control and security. Each was designed as part of one Crestron system rather than as a separate installation.

Crestron Lighting — First UK Crestron LED Installation

Over 350 Crestron LED fittings — each using approximately 18 watts while producing the output of a 50-watt halogen downlight — are controlled by a Crestron CAEN lighting system across 200+ channels. Six distributed lighting racks provide redundancy and clean cabling throughout the property. The client calculated that the whole house now uses the same amount of energy on lighting as was previously used by just the kitchen and dining room.

Scene setting, scheduling and remote access are all available from wall touchpanels, more than 50 keypads or an iPad. A single button press recalls a pre-set level for every light in a room at once, in the combination the lighting design set out, and, as on every system we install, the keypads are custom-engraved so each button says what it does. Fittings, control system and lighting design were delivered together as one Crestron lighting system, from the LED in the ceiling to the keypad on the wall.

Full Heating and Air Conditioning Control

The third-party HVAC system is integrated into the same Crestron interface, providing full authority over temperature and fan speed in any room, including underfloor heating, air conditioning and heat recovery units. Climate is managed alongside lighting and AV from the same touchpanels, with no separate controller required anywhere in the property. Because heating, cooling and ventilation sit in the same system as lighting and security, they can respond to the same scenes and schedules as the rest of the house.

Security, CCTV and Intercom

The high-end monitored security system is fully integrated with Crestron. A 15-inch kitchen touchpanel provides multi-camera live and recorded CCTV viewing with pan-tilt-zoom control. Internal and external security sensors are shown on a touchpanel floorplan with automatic “follow the motion” camera logic, so the relevant camera comes up as soon as a sensor is triggered.

Gate intercom is distributed via TPS-6L touchpanels throughout the property — answering the door, viewing the gate camera and opening the gate from anywhere in the home. The Crestron intercom extends to the garden as well as the house, so a visitor at the gate never depends on someone being near the front door.

One Interface for the Whole House

Every system in the house — audio, video, lighting, climate, security and intercom — is controlled from the same Crestron touchpanels, handheld remotes and iPad. The main touchpanel shows the whole house as a floorplan, from which any room can be selected and its lighting, climate or AV adjusted. For the family, that means one consistent way of controlling the home rather than a separate app or controller for every system.

Frequently Asked Questions — Derby Whole-Home Crestron Installation

How comprehensive is this Derby installation?
This is one of the most complete whole-home Crestron systems in our portfolio — 24 audio zones, 16 video zones, 200+ lighting channels, full security and CCTV integration, complete heating and air conditioning control, gate intercom and a dedicated home cinema room, all managed from the same touchpanels throughout the property.

What made this the first UK Crestron LED installation?
This was the first project in the UK to use Crestron’s own dimmable LED fittings end-to-end, rather than third-party lighting controlled by Crestron. Over 350 fittings were installed, each drawing approximately 18 watts while producing the output of a 50-watt halogen downlight.

How much energy does Crestron LED lighting save?
In this installation, the client calculated that the entire house now uses the same amount of lighting energy that was previously used by just the kitchen and dining room alone — a dramatic reduction made possible by Crestron’s efficient LED fittings across 200+ channels.

Can gate intercom be answered from anywhere in the house?
Yes. This installation distributes gate intercom via Crestron TPS-6L touchpanels throughout the property, allowing the door or gate to be answered, the camera viewed and the gate opened from any room.

Is heating and air conditioning controlled by Crestron too?
Yes. The third-party HVAC system is integrated into the same Crestron interface, giving control of temperature and fan speed in any room, including underfloor heating, air conditioning and heat recovery units, with no separate controller required.

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Project Gallery

The new-build house in the Derby countryside, followed by the control points used throughout it. The main Crestron touchpanel shows the whole-house floorplan, with the dining room beyond it, and the Crestron handheld remotes sit in the living spaces. The final image shows the iPad used for lighting control alongside the fixed touchpanels and keypads.