An innovative wireless switch could cut home wiring costs in half.
A researcher has developed, for less than $1, a wireless switch that operates without batteries and could reduce the cost of electrical wiring in a house.
The battery-free invention works by capturing ambient energy, potentially making homes more energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, and affordable.
An engineering researcher at the University of Alberta has created a wireless switch that could cut the cost of wiring a house by 50%.
Wireless switches, consisting of a transmitter on the switch and a receiver near a light fixture or other device, have been around for many years and have been proven to reduce material and labor costs for home wiring, explains Mr.Moez, director of electrical engineering in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. However, they require batteries to function.
"If you have 50 wireless switches in a house, it's very inconvenient for an average homeowner to run around and replace batteries constantly," he explains.
What makes his system unique is that the switches operate without batteries, harvesting energy from ambient sources such as radiofrequency signals. Instead, each floor would be equipped with one or two radiofrequency (RF) power transmitters to power all the switches inside the house.
So far, Mr. Moez has developed a prototype switch that be installed anywhere on a wall. The system is "scalable, easy to replicate and adopt, and can be customized to meet the specific needs of homeowners, contractors, and regulators," he says.
The switch can also accommodate temperature, humidity, and occupancy sensors that can significantly reduce energy consumption.
"Imagine heating a 279-square-meter house, but you're only using one room at a time. If your house is equipped with wireless-controlled vents, you can close the vents outside of that room, or maybe a few bedrooms," explains Mr. Moez.
The "perfectly automated" system could also turn lights on and off as occupants move from room to room.
Source: University of Alberta
5 Replies
"By enabling wireless control of every part of the house, our solution prevents unnecessary energy consumption, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions," says Mr. Moez.
What do you think?
The wireless switch developed by the researcher is a game-changer in home automation, offering an innovative and sustainable solution. Eliminating the need for batteries and harnessing ambient energy demonstrates a commitment to energy efficiency and cost reduction. The system's scalability and adaptability make it a versatile choice for homeowners, contractors, and regulators. Integrating sensors for temperature, humidity, and occupancy further enhances its potential for energy savings. This invention aligns with the growing demand for smart and eco-friendly technologies, making it a promising advancement in home automation.
Cool stuff, but difficult to bring to mass market, and compeition ( harvesting wireless light switches) exists. The challenge is that the volume market would be new construction. In most of the US, the copper wire used for lighting (14-2 Romex) is about $0.30 per foot plus the electrician labor to pull the wire. Getting the construction ecosystem to switch to a labor saving method is tough work. But for the DIY retrofit and home automation market its pretty interesting. The challenge of the home automation market has been the very long ROI, which has kept it largely out of maintstream. I'm a big fan of energy harvesting based solutions in general. I've always felt that anything battery powered ultimately has a problem with scale (including a number of industrial wireless products of my own).
What specific strategies do you think could help overcome these obstacles and make energy harvesting solutions more mainstream?
I'd suggest it's the traditional "make a much better product" then working on the challenges of the ecosystem. In this case, better for who? A harvesting, wireless switch does lower copper and installation cost paid by the building owner, but the building owner is rarely the one to specify electrical components. Architects/designers must be won over to specify them on designs, builders/electricians must be trained and any of their objections must be overcome, regulatory/compliance groups (building inspectors, for example) must be educated on the solution. I'd suggest a standard, driven by an ecosystem of providers, such that there would be seemless interoperability between mfg's, eliminating single-source risks, as well as banding together to promote the solution across the ecosystem (perhaps an extension for Matter?). Interesting challenges!