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Imagine planning and designing a building that has walls without wires, or selecting wireless occupancy sensors that don’t use batteries. You could mount a light switch wherever you want – at whatever height – and, next week, it could be moved without making a service call to an electrician. This isn’t a crazy dream; it’s a new reality that technology from Germany-based EnOcean – the originator of the patented, self-powered wireless technology – enables. “EnOcean [converts] energy commonly found in the environment into useful electrical energy to power devices, such as wireless switches and sensors, that are used in building automation,” explains EnOcean North America President Jim O’Callaghan, Cottonwood Heights, UT. The energy that O’Callaghan is referring to can be harvested from artificial or natural lighting, or from the simple motion of flipping a light switch, and is sufficient enough to power and transmit data from switches to sensors. |
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| INDUSTRY NEWS | |
| Standards for Treated Wood? The American Wood-Preservers’ Association sets the record straight on assertions made in recent press releases about “micronized” wood-preservative systems that are being evaluated and approved in the marketplace. Read more » |
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| ASHE’s 2009 Vista Award Recipients The American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) recognized teamwork in the healthcare design and building environment in three categories (new construction, renovation, and infrastructure) this year. Find out which building projects received the Vista Awards this year. Read more » |
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| Chicago’s New Sustainable Leader The Chicago Chapter of the American Institute of Architects appointed a chair of its Committee on the Environment (COTE). Read more » |
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| March 11, 2009 |
| This Month's AT Poll |
| Have you been involved in an adaptive-reuse project? |
| Submit your answer online » |
| Featured Case Studies |
| Development leaders for The Americana at Brand wanted a landmark that would add an aesthetic ingredient to the development. |
| Read more » |
