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Orem UT (USA) July 11, 2006 -- Ad
Hoc Electronics introduces its Battery-free Wireless Switch system, an innovative
wireless method to control the lights and fans in log homes. Based on EnOcean’s
revolutionary energy-harvesting switch technology, the log home system overcomes
two major drawbacks to installing electrical switches in log homes: the need
to drill channels into logs for wires and the need to route logs for wall switch
boxes.
The battery-free switches operate
like normal light switches except they transmit wireless signals to control
lights and fans. The switches are powered by energy harvesting technology where
the act of clicking the switch creates the energy necessary to control devices.
EnOcean-enabled switches are an excellent alternative to the traditional wired
switch as they are designed to last equally long but require no maintenance
and no wiring.
The enthusiasm for log homes continues
to grow in North America, where an expected 30,000 new homes will be built this
year. However, wiring a log home often presents a challenge. Log home builders
must drill channels within the logs to run cabling, and they must route cavities
into logs for switch boxes. This delays the building process, it’s time consuming
and costly, it restricts freedom to place switches where desired, and often
results in an aesthetically unpleasing appearance.
Using EnOcean’s Wireless Light Switch
Kit, switches simply screw in and snap. No timeconsuming drilling or routing
is required. A relay receiver is wired to a light or fan and a wireless switch
that controls the receiver is then mounted at any convenient location. On average,
Ad Hoc’s new wiring technique saves a third of the time spent wiring and approximately
one quarter of the length of wire used. The switches mount directly to logs
using screws or strong adhesives. This enhances flexibility, reduces electrical
contractor installation time and costs, and facilitates convenient switch location.
Contractors and log home owners can easily move or add switches after the home
is finished. The new system lets homeowners change their minds about switch
placement, and makes log home remodeling projects more efficient.
The communication from switch to
light is done wirelessly, which opens the possibility of full lighting automation.
A switch can communicate with an unlimited number of lights or fans, allowing
log home owners to have one master switch that will turn every light in the
house off or on. “ When I walk into my log home showroom I click one switch
and all the lights turn on” said Kent Huff of Timberline Log Homes. “ I used
to walk around the showroom and turn on every light but now I only press one
switch.”
Log home owners can leave a remote in their car or place a switch near the front door. When
leaving the house owners can press the switch and have the security of knowing that all the lights
in the house are off.
One light or fan can be controlled
by up to 30 Battery-Free Switches. This allows one light or group of lights
to be controlled by multiple switches, giving log home owners the ability to
place switches wherever they are convenient. This also allows the benefit of
creating lighted pathways. By programming a group of lights that creates a pathway
from one destination to the next, log home owners can safely navigate through
their home in the middle of the night.
Wireless Light Switch Kit Overview
The EnOcean-enabled lighting system
is composed of switches and receivers that are integrated into lights or fans,
as well as signal repeaters to increase the range for larger log homes.
The Battery-Free Wireless Switches harvest small amounts of energy when the switch is pressed,
then use that energy to rapidly transmit high-power radio frequency signals (up to 10 mW power
output) to wirelessly control lighting. The Battery-Free Wireless Switch is available in a dual or
single rocker, giving log home owners the option of having one or two switches at a single
location. The switches come with designer faceplates that are available in over 25 colors and
styles. There are also Decora switches available and remotes that come in white, black, or silver.
The complete system is available directly from Ad Hoc Electronics.
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