I suggest you go with 5" Halo/5020H line voltage and use a Philips 60 watt Par 30 IRC. The lamp puts out close to what a 75 watt typically does. Eventually there will be a screw in replacement LED in the par 30 size. There are improvements in driver heat control, light output and color quality occurring to enable this. Philips has some interesting screw in products now with more on the way. Here is a link that might be useful: Philips

David, the law should have been written to encourage the purchase of the most efficient lighting, (IE they get the credit for now many watts the lights save, instead of the bassakwards law they wrote where you add up the watts of the non-incandescent lights you bought and gets a "Credit for that"----so that encourages people to buy those non-incandescants (at the highest wattage), so they can use an incandescent (as computed by our idiots)! If you live in Calif, there is NO WAY, you can miss all the windmills out here, and there are credits (US & Calif), I believe for purchasing Solar Power. Let me give you another example of why I call these "So Called Thinkers", idiots. My wife works for a huge company, with TONS of computers. Just about all the computers are still using Cathode Ray Tube Monitors (There not nearly as efficient as LCD Monitors). There is NO incentive for companies to update monitors (Government wise--Especially CAlif Govt). In fact , you are penalized if you update the monitor, first the sales tax, but worse than that is a law our "Idjusts" passed---The so called "Monitor Recycling Fee". If you are a business, in Calif, You have to "Guesstimate" the number of monitors you will buy in the calendar year. Then you pay a Fee based upon your number (of course they Keep an Eye on ya). This law was passed when (due to the Terminator), no new taxes would be passed in Calif---or at least it would be difficult "Political wise" So the Legislature came up with all kinds of "Fees", this being one of them. They kept coming up with new fees until the "Hammer Fell". Monitor's that are recycled, make money for the recycler so it had nothing to do with the disposal costs of old monitors! One of the many reasons the State is Broke, is because we duplicate so much of what the Fed Govt is already doing, and I for one, don't Appreciate Our Idiots "Granstanding" and passing laws that have the opposite effect of maximizing Energy Savings!!! Gary

There are lots of technologies: X10, Insteon, Z-wave, UPB. Most of these use some form of wireless technology. I'm not sure I'd want to do a hardwired system. You really need to plan really well. If you have good vision to know where you want controls and remote switches, I guess it has benefits. I don't expect to know how we will use lighting controls until we are living in the house. Do I want to be able to turn lights off from my smartphone in bed. Dim them. Close the garage door. All questions I think you have to be living in the house to learn the answer. I plan on doing standard switches and replace them later with smart switches and controls. Hardwiring also binds you to that company. Our family got an Amazon Echo for Christmas. This thing has great home automation possibilities. It's a voice activated device (similar to smartphone Siri) that can be connected to a smart home. Say "Alexa, turn living room lights on" and voila they are turned on. Home automation can be overwhelming. So many possibilities and decisions. My plan is to pull wire and figure it out later. CAT5 is cheap by the box. Pull plenty of cable. A cable to a blank plate for a future audio distribution control or alarm panel. Pull speaker wire to each room ceiling, mark it and let sheetrockers do their thing and I can cut speakers later. Once the house is built and we are living in it, I'll research switches and controllers and pick a technology and replace the switches. Read that document. It has LOTS of ideas. Such as running a dedicated circuit to a home theatre or an exercise room to power treadmills etc. eg: Interesting Electrical Options These are items that you might want to consider in preparation for future projects. Some are not really HA/HT related, but just nice to have. Of course, making your home more enjoyable is the reason for HA, so maybe they are HA related. Holiday lighting Put switched outlets under the eaves and in a few places at ground level around the outside of the house for decoration. If you have a large Christmas tree, or use lots of lights, consider a dedicated circuit for it. If you have a large room, also consider putting receptacles in the middle in the floor. These can provide power for a tree or lamps in the middle of the room, without having to run extension cords. Make sure there is an outlet (preferably switched) near the front door for a wreath, or similar lighted options. Be sure to include spare outlets in attics for an ultrasonic pest repeller and such. It also allows you to plug in a fan when working up there. Consider switched attic lighting, so when you go up there you can flip a switch and see. Code requires a minimal number of outside outlets on the house. You might want to have an outlet on each side of the house so you don’t have to run an extension cord all over the place to power the hedge clippers. If you plan on having security cameras, consider the power needs for the type of camera you intend to install. Some units require power at the end destination, while other will require it at the camera location. Do you intend to have a fishpond, fountain, or other outside water attraction? You might need power for pumps, lights, etc. How about a birdbath heater? Note: There are extra code requirements whenever you mix water and electricity (or more accurately, whenever you DON’T want to mix them). Make sure you do things correctly. If you plan to have decorative yard lighting (either LV or HV), you will need power for them, and some way to control them. If you plan one controlling them from a plug-in module, try to locate the module someplace protected from the elements. If you have a larger yard, consider running power to other spots on the property. These additional outlets can be used for decorations, yard work, or someplace for the kids to plug in their boom box. Plan for task lighting/floodlights outside. These lights should be mounted high on the sides of the house, and can be either halogen or regular spotlights. If you plan to control them remotely, make you stay within the switches power limits. Spotlights, especially halogens, add up quickly. Look around for places that you MIGHT want electricity in the future, either for electrical appliances, or lighting. Some suggestions that require either a switch, or receptacle are; Lighting for picture frames or artwork Lighting for cabinets holding collectables Bannister lights In the kitchen * Under cabinet lighting * In cabinet lighting * Above cabinet lighting * Kick-space lighting * Decorations * Do you want a fan over the kitchen table? On the deck/patio * Lights on/under the railing * Accent lighting * Task lighting over the grill * Decorations In the bedroom * Do you want a ceiling fan? * Up lighting in a tray ceiling * Task lighting around the mirror In the living/great room * An outlet near the fireplace mantle for decorations or lights * Spotlights on the mantle * If you have a “stone” chimney, consider putting lights on the ceiling, around a foot from the chimney. These lights will bring out the texture of the chimney * Ceiling fan(s) Consider putting lights in the closets. There are in-expensive switches that can be put in the doorjambs that will automatically turn the light on and off Depending on how much you plan on installing automation, you can wire the house without 3-way (or 4-way, etc) switches. Then install the loads in out of the way locations and put multi-button remote control at the locations where you normally would have had switches. When you do this, it eliminates the "switch banks" that normally crop up around the doorways, especially exterior doors. Very versatile, and it removes a lot of visual clutter. In some locations, increase the size of the box by one space (i.e. 1 single gang is replaced by a 2-gange, a 2-gange by a 2-gang, etc.). The extra space can be used for a multi-button remote control. Plan for future LCD/Plasma installations. If you know where they would go, you should power for them now. Don’t forget the LV connections either. If it’s a large house, consider installing power for a high-speed hot water recycling pump, such as THIS (gothotwater.com). This will provide hot water --Russ

Thanks for the informative post Nicpedia and others. For those unaware of the energy and indoor air problems introduced by recessed lighting, Ban the Can and Kick the Can might help. Uncontrolled air movement (even with ICAT) is the main issue, contributing to ice dams, wasted energy, moisture transport and possibly backdrafting combustion appliances, sucking in attached garage air or soil gases like radon. Non-AT cans reportedly leak as much as 20 CFM but even 2CFM times X number of can lights can add up to the same amount of air movement as a fan. I think well designed can lighting has a role to play, particularly for artwork and kitchens. David's threads in lighting forum is helpful for novice can designers and this kitchen design article in FHB has graphics but requires subscription. LED and evolving lighting technology requires special dedication for best enlightenment. From what I understand, manually sealing holes in any recessed cans is a fire hazard and why most experts recommend custom enclosures or tenmat hats as outlined at bottom of this recessed can lights article on FHB. It's a laborious PIA, falling outside typical subcontractor scopes adding to can's upfront costs. Be careful thinking that 1st level or conditioned, unvented attics are safe for cans. Homes leak at floor framing bands and the attic, even with spray foam throughout. Blower door tests prove that recessed can lights are major pathways for unwanted air movement. The bulb acts as the "fire" for the micro-chimney effect. As for gaskets included in trim kit, don't expect the electrical sub to include them. Roof details are often contentious and I agree that spray foam at roof deck is on the rise throughout, mainly thanks to stricter building codes. The point is to never install ducts outside the conditioned space (vented attic or vented crawlspace.) Spray foam at roof deck doesn't necessarily mean better. The main thing is that the spray foam industry is falsely advertising and recommending below code levels of insulation. R-value is a different measurement than air-leakage (blower door). Spray foam insulation should not be allowed to use anything "air movement" to prescribe R-value. R38 = ~11" of open cell (R3.5 per inch). Others seem to go with 5.5" - 7" thick, which is R20 to R25, barely half of prescribed code minimum! Along with the pathetic energy performance of thin spray foam are the moisture concerns. From the research I've read, best practice includes a supply and return from the HVAC system in the attic. If not, spray foam could be contributing to high moisture content in the structural sheathing. Tough to argue with Joe Lstiburek who points to a best case vented attic AND having ductwork in conditioned space. Building higher performing vented (unconditioned) attics requires some important considerations. Eliminating storage, raised heel trusses, and sheathing/taping entire upper ceiling before building interior walls is often necessary. Flat roof lines and full vault ceilings do best with insulation at roof deck but on top of structural sheathing. We often use SIPS for this, especially with timber framing. Open web trusses and walkout basements are better at hosting ductwork. Achieving current code minimum or better energy performance can eliminate the need for long duct runs to exterior walls and windows. Well designed systems have centrally located mechanical spaces, cleverly hidden trunk lines, and supply registers at interior walls. Ducted and ductless mini-splits are other possibilities. It's great to involve an energy rater in upfront decisions but be careful with applying simple paybacks to individual components. Few raters have the experience for proper input, often involving many assumptions at the design stage and the software is designed to not overpromise. Best to follow or exceed current international code minimum prescriptions, especially blower door requirements for cost-effective results.