Technical building equipment is becoming increasingly digital, which is why smart homes and smart buildings are now standard. The connectivity of devices is a fundamental requirement that manufacturers must take into account. Janina Müller, PR & Communications Manager at EnOcean GmbH, gives a total of six reasons why manufacturers of technical building equipment should consider EnOcean wireless.
Reason 1: Performance
The EnOcean wireless standard is optimised for particularly low energy consumption. With a transmission power of up to 10 milliwatts (mW), it therefore only requires 50 microwatt seconds (µWs) per individual telegram for radio transmission. In addition, various sensors can be combined to form a multi-sensor. This reduces the total number of devices required, benefiting manufacturers and consumers alike.
Reason 2: Telegram length
The minimum telegram length of the ISO/IEC standard is 0.7 milliseconds (ms) at a data rate of 125 kilobits per second (kBs). Compared to other wireless technologies, EnOcean is therefore more resistant to interference and more reliable when transmitting data.
Another major advantage of EnOcean wireless is that there is no interference with wireless technologies in the 2.4 GHz range. Wi-Fi devices in particular are widely used in almost all homes and can therefore be used in the vicinity of EnOcean without causing interference.
For manufacturers, these two advantages ultimately result in a flawless user experience for their devices.
Reason 3: Radio range
Due to its low power consumption and optimised design, EnOcean radio is highly reliable and achieves a greater range than other wireless technologies. A wireless range of up to 30 metres is possible within a building. This is particularly important for manufacturers of building automation systems where a reliable wireless connection over long distances is required.
Reason 4: No batteries
One of the main advantages of EnOcean over other wireless standards is the fact that no batteries need to be replaced in switches and sensors when using EnOcean wireless. EnOcean uses energy harvesting technology to obtain the necessary energy from the environment: for example from movement, light or temperature differences. This means that devices can be supplied with power without the need for batteries or cables. This not only saves costs and time, but also minimises the ecological footprint and increases the reliability of the system.
Even if the regular battery life is usually between two and five years, depending on the sensor type and wireless standard, it can be as little as six months. In a smart home, in which 30 to 200 intelligent products can be installed, battery-operated devices therefore quickly result in a correspondingly high expense if the batteries have to be constantly replaced. In addition, high costs also accumulate over time. In addition, low battery warnings are usually triggered in the middle of the night. Most people who have installed a battery-operated smoke alarm know this annoying beeping only too well.
Thanks to energy harvesting technology, devices such as the FKS-SV actuator from Eltako do not require any additional batteries.
Reason 5: Interoperability
Thanks to standardised sensor profiles (EnOcean Equipment Profiles, EEP for short), EnOcean offers a high degree of genuine interoperability between different providers. This means that solutions from different manufacturers can communicate seamlessly with each other. This is particularly important for manufacturers who want to offer their products in an integrated system.
Reason 6: Proven in practice
After all, EnOcean has a proven track record with 20 years of practical experience in millions of buildings and thousands of products from over 400 member companies of the EnOcean Alliance. Manufacturers can therefore rely on a proven technology that is already being used successfully by other companies.
The Austria Roadshow 2023 offers the opportunity to get in direct contact with some of these manufacturers and discover the possibilities of EnOcean radio for sustainable, energy- and cost-efficient smart buildings.
Standard for smart buildings
Roadshow Austria 2023
The EnOcean wireless standard offers good prerequisites for achieving the sustainability goals for existing buildings. The EnOcean Alliance's Roadshow Austria 2023 provides a comprehensive system overview of the battery-free wireless technology used by the various EnOcean devices. Concrete applications show how the pioneering technology can be used in practice. The roadshow will also provide an opportunity to exchange experiences with manufacturers and users. Register now: