Newport Beach homeowners expect technology to feel as refined as the homes themselves. Whether it is an ocean-view estate in Newport Coast, a waterfront home on Lido Isle or a modern build in Corona del Mar, the goal is the same: lighting, shades, climate, music and security that simply work, from one beautiful interface. Savant home automation is one of the leading ways to get there. This guide covers what Savant does, its top advantages, how Savant lighting panels work, and what to expect when you plan a system.
What Is Savant Home Automation?
Savant is a premium smart home platform built for luxury residences. It brings lighting, motorized shades, climate, whole-home audio and video, security, cameras and energy management into a single system you control with the Savant Pro app, elegant wall keypads, touch panels, a handheld remote or your voice.
Savant is known for a clean, intuitive app experience. Homeowners can create and adjust their own scenes without calling their integrator, while the professional installer handles the system design, programming and integration behind the scenes.
Top Pros of Savant for Newport Beach Homes
1. A Beautiful, Easy App Experience
The Savant Pro app for iPhone and Android is designed to feel simple for every member of the family. Rooms, scenes, music, cameras and climate are all in one place, and it works the same whether you are in the living room or traveling.
2. Scenes You Can Change Yourself
Savant Scenes let you set lighting, shades, temperature and music with one tap: “Good Morning,” “Entertain,” “Movie Night” or “Away.” With recent updates, homeowners can edit scenes directly in the app, so the system grows with the way you live.
3. Advanced Lighting and Daylight Mode
Savant supports tunable white and full-color lighting, and its Daylight Mode automatically adjusts brightness and color temperature through the day to support natural sleep and wake cycles. It is an ideal match for homes with large glass walls and changing coastal light.
4. Integrated Energy and Power Management
Savant Power brings circuit-level control and real-time energy monitoring into your electrical panel. During an outage, Savant can help manage available power from backup and battery systems so the most important circuits stay on. For homes with solar, batteries or EV charging, this is a major advantage.
5. Premium Keypads and Controls
Savant offers several keypad designs, including Metropolitan, Echo and the minimalist Ascend, plus 5-inch and 8-inch Savant Touch panels with intercom and paging, and the Savant Pro Remote with built-in voice control.
6. Voice Control
Savant works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and recent releases added Siri support through Apple Shortcuts for more natural commands such as “I’m heading to bed.”
Savant Lighting Panels: Centralized Lighting Done Right
In a traditional home, every light is controlled by a dimmer in a wall box, which leads to crowded rows of switches and limited control. Savant takes a different approach with centralized, or panelized, lighting.
How Savant Lighting Panels Work
- Modules live in the electrical panel. Savant lighting and power modules install directly in standard residential load centers instead of behind each switch.
- Dimming and switching per circuit. Dimming modules support forward and reverse phase (adaptive phase) dimming for compatible LED fixtures, while relay modules switch non-dimmable loads, fans and appliances.
- Energy data on every circuit. Because the modules sit in the panel, each circuit can be monitored, so you can see energy use by room and receive alerts for breaker trips or outages.
- Keypads replace switch banks. Clean Savant keypads communicate with the Savant host over the network, so a single keypad can control scenes, rooms or the entire house.
Benefits of Savant Panelized Lighting
- Cleaner walls, with one elegant keypad instead of a row of dimmers.
- Whole-home scenes, schedules and “All Off” control from the app, keypads or voice.
- Sunrise and sunset based schedules for landscape, pathway and exterior lighting.
- Centralized equipment that is easier to service and upgrade over time.
- A foundation for energy management, backup power and EV charging integration.
Planning lighting control for a new build or remodel? California’s Title 24 energy code includes mandatory residential lighting control requirements such as dimming, vacancy sensors and outdoor lighting controls, which your design team should plan for from day one. Learn more about our lighting control systems.
What Else Can Savant Control?
- Motorized shades that open and close on a schedule or with a scene to protect interiors from strong afternoon sun.
- Whole-home audio and video for indoor and outdoor spaces. See our audio systems and audio video integration.
- Climate control by room or zone, tied into scenes and schedules.
- Security, cameras and door entry, all visible in the same app. Explore our security and surveillance systems.
- Energy and backup power with Savant Power and Smart Panel technology.
Savant vs. Crestron: Which Is Right for You?
Both Savant and Crestron are top-tier platforms, and the best choice depends on your home and priorities. Savant stands out for its homeowner-friendly app, easy scene editing and integrated energy management. Crestron stands out for its depth, scalability and wide ecosystem of professional hardware. Read our guide to Crestron home automation in Newport Beach to compare.
Designing Savant for a Coastal Home
- Choose outdoor speakers, enclosures and hardware rated for salt air and coastal exposure.
- Place equipment racks and panels in conditioned, ventilated spaces with proper power protection.
- Build a strong wired and wireless network, since every smart home depends on reliable connectivity.
- Plan shading and lighting together to balance views, glare and privacy throughout the day.
Our Savant Installation Process
- Consultation and site visit to understand how you live and what you want to control.
- System design covering lighting, keypads, equipment, network and electrical panel requirements. Learn about our design and integration approach.
- Coordination with your builder, architect, interior designer and electrician.
- Installation and programming by our in-house engineering and programming team.
- Walkthrough and training so everyone in the home is comfortable with the system.
- Ongoing support with remote system management for updates and adjustments.
Why Choose Cali Automation
Cali Automation is an authorized Savant dealer and Orange County audio, video, lighting and automation integrator headquartered in Santa Ana, serving Newport Beach, Newport Coast, Corona del Mar, Balboa Island, Lido Isle and surrounding communities. We design, install and program integrated control, lighting and AV systems for residential and commercial clients. View our recent projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Savant a good choice for a Newport Beach home?
Yes. Savant is designed for luxury residences and is especially strong for homeowners who want an Apple-like app experience, beautiful keypads and deep lighting and energy control. It scales from a single condo in Corona del Mar to a large estate in Newport Coast.
What are Savant lighting panels?
Savant lighting and power modules install directly inside a standard electrical panel instead of behind every wall switch. Each module controls and monitors individual circuits, so dimming, switching and energy data are handled centrally, while elegant Savant keypads replace banks of dimmers on the wall.
Can Savant lighting be added to an existing home?
In many cases, yes. Savant offers wireless keypads, smart bulbs and panel-mounted modules designed for standard load centers, which can reduce the amount of new wiring needed in a finished home. A site visit is the best way to confirm what your electrical panel and wiring can support.
Does Savant work with Alexa, Google and Siri?
Savant supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and recent updates added Siri control through Apple Shortcuts, so you can use natural voice commands alongside the Savant Pro app, remote and keypads.
Savant or Crestron: which is better?
Both are premium platforms. Savant is known for its polished, homeowner-friendly app, easy scene editing and integrated energy management. Crestron is known for its depth, scalability and extensive commercial-grade ecosystem. The right choice depends on the home, the existing equipment and how you want to live with the system. As an authorized Savant dealer that also works with Crestron, Cali Automation can help you compare both options for your home.
Schedule a Savant Consultation in Newport Beach
Ready to see what Savant can do for your home? As an authorized Savant dealer, we design, install, program and support Savant systems throughout Newport Beach and Orange County. Contact Cali Automation or call (855) 300-2030 to schedule a consultation.