I’ve seen the future!
25 May 2010
And I didn’t have to travel at 88mph and rely upon a flux capacitor.
Instead, British Rail, or whatever they’re calling themselves this week, whisked me at somewhat less than 88mph to a press conference in central London, where the EnOcean Alliance were demonstrating the latest wireless technology.
The EnOcean Alliance, created in 2008, is a consortium of companies working to develop and promote self-powered wireless monitoring and control systems for sustainable buildings by formalising the interoperable wireless standard. A group of companies across Europe and North America formed the alliance as a non-profit, mutual benefit corporation.
Under the banner of ‘No Wires. No Batteries. No Limits’, EnOcean wireless technology is able to generate a signal from a tiny amount of energy. In fact, from just 50µWs, a standard EnOcean wireless module can transmit a signal 300m. Incredibly, the entire process is started, executed and completed in no more than a thousandth of a second.
On demonstration at the conference was EnOcean’s third generation energy harvesting wireless sensors and iPhone application. The Dolphin platform, the first self-powered wireless sensor modules capable of two-way communications, will be featured in our June 2010 issue, but the ‘wow’ factor came in the visual demonstration of the iPhone App that was developed by BSC-Magnum. It monitors and controls EnOcean-enabled wireless solutions from virtually anywhere. By gliding a finger across the iPhone’s screen, lights can be switched on or dimmed, and remote control of electrical devices was possible. The App also provided a view of real time data such as temperature and humidity, enabling users to track total energy use.
It’s all fascinating stuff, and I wonder where it can go next. Well, someone else has thought of that. Solar-powered room temperature controls can now respond to setpoints and timer data received wirelessly from building automation systems. In this way, large hotels can control and reduce their energy consumption centrally, without having to set the temperature locally for each room. In fact, NH Hotels modernised a number of rooms throughout Germany with a disruption free and easy-to-retrofit wireless system from Omnio. In order to achieve their goal of cutting energy consumption and CO2 emissions by 20%, work commenced on retrofitting 25 hotels – more than 5000 rooms – with the EnOcean-based wireless energy management solution.
The self-powered devices can be placed wherever required without damaging the walls, and can be easily integrated into EIB/KNX, LON, BACnet or Ethernet networks for central energy management.
Furthermore, the keycard forms the basis of the self-powered system, acting as door key and master key for automatic activation and deactivation of lights, heating and climate control. The act of inserting the keycard into the wireless reader device generates sufficient energy to send a wireless command to turn on the lights. Removing the keycard upon leaving the room automatically turns off all electrical appliances.
In a further step to conserve energy, the rooms can also be fitted with solar-powered window contact switches which automatically detect whether the windows are open or not, and adjust the heating and climate control system accordingly. If a window is opened, the heating or cooling is switched off. The rooms were retrofitted with the wireless system during the course of normal hotel operation, and work on some rooms was carried out and completed in the short time between a guest checking out and the next one arriving.
Another company to take-up the wireless technology is Barclays Bank; aiming to cut its energy bills with the installations. Their flagship branches are having the wireless treatment , but you’d never know it if you step into one, as it can all be fitted without disruption.
Energy-saving devices are clearly the technology of the future, and with the technology I’ve seen, I’m looking forward to seeing the future.
Contact Details and Archive...
Most Viewed Articles...