A smart phone can now control a smart house.

Lumenhaus, Virginia Tech's third solar decathlon entry, departed for Washington, D.C., on Monday, September 1st chock full of new technology and applications. Project coordinator Joseph Wheeler said a new feature of this entry allows the user of the house to monitor energy usage. "We have a way, using technology, to allow the user of a house to view where the energy is going". The house's energy can be viewed and controlled on an Apple iPhone."With the iPhone and Siemens control system, you have access to everything going on in the house".

Lumenhaus is Tech's entry into the Solar Decathlon sponsored by the Department of Energy.

Read whole story in the Collegiate Times

Related articles: Virginia Tech solar house on exhibit at National Building Museum Sept. 5-27.