Self-Powered Wireless Keycard Switch Unlocks Hotel Energy Savings

Batteryless, wireless control simplifies hotel energy management installations

[October 28, 2009 – Boston, MA] EnOcean and ILLUMRA jointly announced today the release of a new wireless Key Card Reader that automates hotel room energy conservation by disabling HVAC, lighting and electrical loads in unoccupied rooms. The new device installs in minutes without wires or batteries, minimizing installation, clean up and downtime costs.

Hotel owners in Europe and Asia have long employed keycard master controls to conserve energy when guests leave the room. However, these systems typically require hard wiring the lights, HVAC and television to the master switch. ILLUMRA’s new Key Card Reader generates its own power when a key card is inserted or removed, converting the motions into wireless control signals. The batteryless solution is based on the interoperable EnOcean wireless standard, the only wireless standard in the world that allows for zero-maintenance, self-powered, battery-free operations. ILLUMRA products are used in new construction and retrofit applications to save time and the cost of hard wiring.

The new device, ideal in hospitality applications, can use standard or customized key cards to control energy usage in a hotel room. The reader transmits signals to ILLUMRA receivers attached to appliances and lights, activating them when a card is inserted and deactivating them when a card is removed. With seven code combinations available, key cards that are customized offer additional functionality, giving the ILLUMRA Key Card Reader the ability to activate different sets of appliances based on the preferences of the building manager. For example, hotel staff could use one card, guests wanting standard amenities would be given another, and guests selecting optional amenities would receive another.

“Hotel owners are looking for a solution that can differentiate between hotel issued cards and others that could circumvent their system,” said Jan Finlinson, vice president of ILLUMRA. “We are pleased to announce that the ILLUMRA Key Card Reader fulfills this need and also makes a positive impact on a hotel owner’s bottom line.”

The ILLUMRA Key Card Reader has an organic, ergonomic design that compliments the room style and is simple to operate. The Key Card Reader features a screw-less cover and supports standard magnetic-strip and Ving™ type cards.

About ILLUMRA

ILLUMRA Controls is a leading supplier in North America, of self-powered, battery-free, wireless lighting control and energy management systems, and a member of the EnOcean Alliance. ILLUMRA products operate using the EnOcean protocol, the de facto standard for energy-harvesting wireless controls. EnOcean technology allows energy harvesting ILLUMRA transmitters to operate indefinitely without the use of batteries. The motion of a switch actuation, light on a solar cell, or other ambient energy in the environment provide power to ILLUMRA transmitters, providing zero-maintenance wireless devices. The ILLUMRA product line includes multiple products which operate in the un-crowded 315 MHz band offering outstanding transmission range and minimal interference. For more information about ILLUMRA, please explore www.ILLUMRA.com, email info@ILLUMRA.com, or call 801-349-1200.

About EnOcean
No Batteries. No Wires. No Limits. EnOcean (www.enocean.com), the inventor of energy harvesting wireless sensor networks, manufactures self-powered radio modules and energy harvesters that enable OEMs to develop wireless sensors & switches for new and retrofit BAS (Building Automation Systems). The batteryless radio modules convert ambient solar, thermal and motion energy into useable electrical energy that powers building network communications. These ‘peel-n-stick’ devices reduce the time, cost and occupant disruption of energy conservation retrofits; and provide unparalleled flexibility in new construction. The company is a spin-off of Siemens AG and U.S. operations are based in Boston, MA.

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