Self-Powered Wireless Technology
To enhance the energy performance of buildings and to drive digital transition in buildings forward, the Smart Buildings Alliance (SBA) officially launched their “Ready2Services” initiative. The “Ready2Services” concept aims to evaluate the ability of buildings for multiple services, awarding buildings with a certain certification level whilst also creating the basis for implementing new service models. Self-powered wireless sensor solutions are a key component of this initiative. These maintenance-free solutions collect reliable data and can be flexibly expanded at any time, therefore further supporting the digitalization of buildings and enabling the implementation of innovative services. As interoperability and open standards are playing an essential role in the digitalization of buildings, the EnOcean Alliance with its broad ecosystem of interoperable devices using the EnOcean wireless standard (ISO/IEC 14543-3-1X) is an essential element of the “Ready2Services” initiative. More and more companies in the housing industry are already laying the foundation for digital functions in their buildings. A basic network can serve as a foundation for additional smart functions. At the same time, new service models can be derived.
Ready2Services label for intelligent buildings.
To drive digital transition in buildings forward, the Smart Buildings Alliance (SBA) in cooperation with Certivéa, a French certification body, presented the Ready2Services (R2S) label. This new concept aims to evaluate the ability of buildings for multiple services. The Ready2Services approach is based on three layers including equipment and interfaces such as sensors; a network infrastructure such as gateways as well as services and applications e.g. cloud solutions. Each layer itself should be replaceable, therefore providing multi-vendor interoperability.
The certification process can be carried out in a real estate program during its design, implementation or operation phase. Depending on the rating, the project wins one of four certification levels, ranging from “base” to “three stars”. Twelve buildings have already successfully received this certificate including BNP Paribas Real Estate, Ivanhoé Cambridge and Allianz Real Estate. Additionally, the Bouygues Construction building was successfully awarded certification, including self-powered wireless solutions using the EnOcean wireless standard, demonstrating that maintenance-free solutions on the EnOcean wireless standard are a perfect fit for the Ready2Service concept.
Building operators can now offer new automated service options to their tenants, for example in the form of an energy flat rate or payments according to the room temperature level per square meter of heated area. Here, the service provider provides the smart infrastructure in various packages e.g. security and refinances the investment, for example, by the energy savings achieved. Tenants benefit from more safety and comfort as well as increased flexibility and cost savings.
Self-powered wireless IoT solutions enabling a new era of building automation.
Networked devices form the basis of the Internet of Things. They process large volumes of sensor data to make our everyday lives easier, safer and more comfortable. EnOcean´s self-powered wireless sensors are the eyes and ears of the IoT, as they collect the required data to operate large numbers of IoT devices efficiently, without any need of a battery. EnOcean products use the energy harvesting principle, in which energy is obtained from the surroundings, to supply self-powered wireless sensor networks.
Self-powered wireless switches and sensors for maintenance-free applications optimized for building automation play a key role for supporting the digitalization of buildings and enabling innovative services by providing reliable sensor data. Only maintenance-free and flexible solutions, which can be adjusted or expanded as needed, can provide the basis for implementing various service models.
These self-powered wireless solutions are based on the EnOcean wireless standard (ISO/IEC 14543-3-1X) introduced by the EnOcean Alliance on the sub 1 GHz band, which has proven to be a resounding success in building automation and smart homes, due to its high reliability and a radio range of up to 30 meters. In conjunction with intelligent IoT systems self-powered sensor solutions help optimize the utilization of buildings, create new service models and make buildings more flexible, more energy-efficient and altogether more cost-effective.
“The EnOcean Alliance is a pioneer in providing energy-efficient solutions and supporting the transition of smart to cognitive buildings. We offer a proven ecosystem of self-powered wireless sensors and field-proven solutions for every layer of the Ready2Services concept, providing maintenance-free solutions for decades. Therefore, the EnOcean self-powered wireless standard is the perfect fit for the Ready2Services standard for smart buildings”, says Graham Martin, CEO and Chairman, EnOcean Alliance.
