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EnOcean Alliance publishes spec for energy-harvesting wireless sensors

November 11, 2009 -- The EnOcean Alliance , an international consortium of 120 companies from the building sector, announces the publication of its first global, open specification for energy-harvesting wireless sensors. Produced in the form of EnOcean Equipment Profiles (EEP), Alliance standardization guidelines ensure interoperability among devices of various manufacturers. Jointly produced by EnOcean Alliance members, the public specification is accessible to everyone and presently contains 50 equipment profiles supporting the development of a variety of solutions Currently available EEPs include switches, remote controls, sensors, sensor combinations and data of every kind.

Jointly devised specification
Graham Martin, chairman and CEO of the EnOcean Alliance, said, "Publication of the first specification for EnOcean sensors is extremely important for the EnOcean Alliance because it ensures continuing seamless interoperability between EnOcean-enabled solutions across the spectrum of manufacturers. Moreover, it's the first step taken by the Alliance towards formal recognition as an international standard."

The specification was devised by the EnOcean Alliance technical working group (TWG), which undertook the task of standardizing EnOcean technology on an international scale in order to assure full interoperability over a broad spectrum of sensor-based building automation solutions. EnOcean Alliance member companies currently offer 350 different products based on EnOcean technology, all of which provide true interoperability by virtue of their rigid adherence to firmly defined equipment profiles established in the EnOcean Alliance specification.

Non-proprietary communication
As a prerequisite for enabling equipment from different manufacturers to communicate and work together in building automation systems, interoperability demands adherence to clearly defined rules and standards. For example, all components must use the same data formats or protocols as set forth in the profile definitions. In a system with interoperable components that work according to a profile definition, it is possible to combine a receiver from manufacturer A with a sensor from manufacturer B and a sensor from manufacturer C performing the same function. In this way, non-proprietary, smart solutions for energy-efficient building automation are easily implemented on an enterprise-wide basis.

First open specification for energy harvesting wireless sensors
At present the published specification contains 50 EEPs describing different switching functions, remote controls, sensors and combinations of sensors for temperature, brightness, motion and humidity. Additional profiles are also defined for switching actuators, dimmers and other devices, with new EEPs under development, including Demand Response, Smart Grid and SMART ACK.

EnOcean Equipment Profiles define the functionality of EnOcean-enabled equipment independently of manufacturer. To ensure interoperability between all EnOcean-based products, every manufacturer must provide a binding declaration prior to product introduction demonstrating that their solution meets the EnOcean Alliance specification though compliance with one or more EEP.

The new document is the first official specification to compile and publish the EEPs, paving the way for global proliferation of EnOcean technology driving the development and manufacture of new types of equipment. For users, the directive means that they have an even greater selection and more implementation possibilities as a result of a growing number of products and suppliers.

About the EnOcean Alliance
EnOcean Alliance, a consortium of currently 120 international corporations, shares the common goal of standardizing wireless control systems for sustainable building applications. The core technology of the Alliance centers around EnOcean's patented energy harvesting and radio-frequency technology offering self-powered wireless operation in the form of flexibly positioned, maintenance-free sensor solutions. The goal of the EnOcean Alliance is to standardize and internationalize EnOcean wireless technology through the creation of true interoperability between all products produced by the Alliance's OEM partners. EnOcean Alliance is a California 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation headquartered in San Ramon, CA.

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