Batteryless Technology Helps Handicapped in France

Mosaïque house (Mosaic) in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, France, offers a living area which is specialized for multi-handicapped and autistic adults. 400 EnOcean-based sensor solutions, connected with a building automation system, offer comfort and security for the tenants and save energy at the same time. The Mosaïque house is a project of the Turbulences Association, a pro bono organization. From the very beginning, the building was intended to meet the most stringent demands for high energy efficiency, climate comfort, and residential quality on 4000 sqm. A main part of this concept is realized by an intelligent building automation system, which controls the building’s technical areas and provides technical assistance for the tenants’ and caregivers’ daily life.

SWITCH FOR ALL REQUIREMENTS
The system’s switches, temperature sensors, occupancy sensors and window contacts are based on the EnOcean energy harvesting wireless technology and work without cables and batteries. The batteryless devices meet central requirements: They can be flexibly positioned at the most suitable place and can be repositioned at any time. This is a particular advantage for Mosaïque house, where each tenant has his or her specific needs. Light switches, for example, can be flexibly mounted at any height on the wall, on glass or furniture, or can be used as a handheld switch. The solar-powered window contacts form a part of the shutter control system and natural ventilation during the winter while they also inform the caregivers when a window was opened and a tenant might have left the room. Once installed, the devices don’t need any maintenance, saving operation costs and time. Furthermore, the batteryless and wireless technology dispense with electric cables, which is an important aspect for the tenants’ safety.

VISUALIZED NEEDS
An additional strength of the solution is the flexible device programming and visualization. Via the central  Beckhoff control, the same switch can be configured with eight different functions or more. Users can do the programming by using tablets or one of the two screens installed in the house. The same visualization enables the staff to see the status of lighting and doors or windows in all rooms at a glance remotely operate certain functions if necessary. The combination of intelligent control and batteryless wireless technology significantly contributes to the unique concept of comfort in Mosaïque house.
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16 Dec