CIE Components in Electronics
Within the past 10 years, the organisation has established innovative intelligent automation solutions for sustainable building-projects and the Internet of Things (IoT) and, in new partnerships with industry leading companies, builds bridges towards a global network in the IoT
At Light + Building 2018 (18-23.03.2018, Frankfurt am Main, Germany), the EnOcean Alliance will be celebrating their 10th anniversary. In 2008, leading companies worldwide from the building sector formed the EnOcean Alliance to establish innovative maintenance-free wireless solutions, which are used for automation solutions for sustainable building projects. Over the last 10 years, the organisation has been focused on their mission in promoting and enabling intelligent green buildings through the creation of a broad range of interoperable products, making buildings more energy-efficient, flexible and more cost effective. Basis for this is the international standard ISO/IEC 14543-3-1X, which is optimised for wireless solutions with ultra-low power consumption and energy harvesting. Since its foundation, the EnOcean Alliance has significantly expanded, and strengthened its programme in building automation and the Internet of Things, supporting the transition from intelligent to cognitive buildings. Today, more than 400 members are committed to the organisation, offering 1,500 interoperable products and promoting the standardisation of intelligent building solutions for the IoT. Together with a broad ecosystem of interoperable products and industry-leading partners, the EnOcean Alliance follows their goal to create a better, safer, cost and energy efficient, environmentally friendlier world through intelligent self-powered wireless sensor solutions.
The success history of the EnOcean Alliance began in 2008, when seven companies from the building sector merged to enable and promote intelligent and sustainable buildings by creating a broad range of interoperable products based on the EnOcean wireless standard. Today, the EnOcean Alliance has 400 companies that are wholly committed to advance the technology whilst boasting the largest and proven installed-base of wireless buildings automation networks in the world, paving the way for the Internet of Things.
The approach of interoperability
The first EnOcean-enabled products started to emerge on the market in 2002. As interoperability of products from different product manufacturers is one of the key factors for the establishment of self-powered wireless sensor solutions on the market, the EnOcean Alliance actively promoted the standardisation of communication profiles. Therefore, early 2009, the EnOcean Equipment Interoperable Profiles (EEPs) 2.0 were released and the development and release of various complementary specifications such as Generic Profiles, Remote Comissioning, Remote Management and EnOcean over IP followed.
Breaking down the barriers of isolated applications, the organisation is continually working to ensure and enhance the interoperability of EnOcean-based devices from different product manufacturers. To pursue this approach, the EnOcean Alliance launched the EnOcean Alliance Certification Program in March 2017, which enables and improves the user experience as well as the interoperability and performance of products from different manufacturers.
The self-powered wireless standard for smart buildings
EnOcean technology has already been installed in more than 500,000 buildings around the world and self-powered wireless sensor solutions have been in use for the past 15 years. These solutions are based on the EnOcean wireless standard introduced by the EnOcean Alliance (ISO/IEC 14543-3-1X) 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. Standardised sensor profiles help ensure the interoperability of more than 1,500 products from the EnOcean ecosystem, which makes it possible to develop interoperable system solutions. Due to the continuous further development of system solutions with maintenance-free wireless switches and sensors, the extensive EnOcean ecosystem helps make buildings more flexible, more energy-efficient and more cost-effective.
Way to a self-powered IoT
Based on 10 years of experience, extensive knowledge and a proven interoperable ecosystem, millions of batteryless wireless sensors already operate in buildings around the world measuring data and communicating with an intelligent system, saving up to 40 per cent of energy and significant percentage of installation costs.
Within the past years, the EnOcean Alliance has significantly expanded, and strengthened its programme in building automation and the Internet of Things with leading companies supporting the organisation as promoter members, such as BSC Computer GmbH, Digital Concepts, EnOcean, Honeywell, IBM, Pressac, Rohm, Vertuoz by ENGIE and ViCOS. Due to strong partnerships with leading organizations of the IT industry, such as the Open Connectivity Foundation, the EnOcean Alliance opens the world of energy harvesting wireless communication to develop interoperable self-powered wireless solutions as a standard for the Internet of Things.
With millions of connected devices and an infinite amount of valuable data generated by these devices, the Internet of Things offers huge opportunities to companies worldwide. However, it also requires being able to respond to changes and trends quickly and flexibly in order to take advantage of the IoT´s full potential. A network of strong and reliable partners is essential to meet these challenges. With being part of the EnOcean Alliance, companies benefit from 10 years of experience and knowledge, a proven technology and the international EnOcean wireless standard. Implementing these technical achievements allows a faster time to market. As part of an international community it is possible to benefit from an extensive and proven ecosystem and a huge network of strong partners. Furthermore, partners get the chance to be involved in the activities of the EnOcean Alliance and to substantially participate in new developments.
“We are honoured to have hit the 10-year milestone and for successfully establishing the EnOcean wireless standard for intelligent buildings and the IoT. Building on our long-standing experience and our co-operations with strong partners, we will further enhance and strengthen the proven EnOcean ecosystem, helping to develop energy-efficient innovative automation solutions to build the future of IoT,” explains Graham Martin, CEO and chairman of the EnOcean Alliance.
The future of intelligent buildings and the Internet of Things
Looking to the next 10 years, the EnOcean Alliance will be working on further enhancing a higher security of the EnOcean wireless standard as well as an advanced optimised profile structure. Furthermore, the organisation strives to develop an IoT certification, including electronic datasheets and advanced remote commissioning tools. This will further support the organisation’s IoT approach, helping to develop interoperable, easy-to-install self-powered wireless solutions as a standard for the Internet of Things.
Together with new partnerships, the organisation will develop standard-crossing self-powered automation solutions to further support the transition of intelligent to cognitive buildings and to build bridges for an interoperable IoT.
