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The End of the Battery-Powered Light Switch?
NFPA 70 - 2023 NEC Specification: New US
Requirements for Wall-Mounted Devices
Energy Harvesting-Powered Light Switches - the Only
Solution for Compliant Wireless Light Switches
Graham Martin, Founder, Chairman & CEO EnOcean Alliance
April 2023
Adopted in all 50 states, the NFPA 70 - National Electrical Code (NEC) is the US benchmark
for safe electrical design, installation, and inspection to protect people and property fromelectrical hazards in residential, commercial and industrial settings. First published in 1897,and initially stemming from the high risk of fire hazard in the early days of electrification andthe need for effective fire insurance criteria, this set of safety standards and guidelines informs
the electrician and outlines standardised procedures for safe installation, operation andmaintenance in keeping with fire insurance requirements. It is recognized by the American
Standards Institute (ANSI) as an American National Standard and is published by the National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The NEC codes are generally used throughout the UnitedStates and updated every 3 years, and are comparable with other international standards (e.g.
with the German DIN VDE 0100 norm).
To all intents and purposes, the NEC is the US licensed electrician’s bible - setting standards
for work carried out professionally as well as work done by individuals on a DIY basis.
Infringement (e.g. through DIY installation of uncompliant devices by the home owner) comeswith potential negative consequences on e.g. liability or insurance cover in the event of damage
or injury. However, it's important to note that the NEC codes are not Federal Law and are notdirectly enforceable by the federal government. Instead, they are adopted by state and localgovernments which then enforce compliance through building codes and inspections. Therefore,
the exact requirements and enforcement mechanisms can vary depending on the location.

Source: Siemens (UL = Underwriters Laboratory aka UL Solutions / NFPA = National Fire Protection Association)© EnOcean Alliance, 2023

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In the 2023 NEC, additional measures were added to ensure safety if a battery fails in a switch
or wall-mounted control device. To quote the exact NEC text:“210.70 Lighting Outlets Required. Lighting outlets shall be installed where specified in

210.70(A), (B), and (C). The switch or wall-mounted control device shall not rely exclusively
on a battery unless a means is provided for automatically energizing the lighting outlets uponbattery failure.”
Section 210.70 applies primarily to dwelling spaces (i.e. habitable rooms, kitchens, bathrooms,toilets, laundry areas, basements, attics, utility areas and garages) as well as hospitality facilities
such as hotel guest rooms/suites, student accommodation and the like.
The failure of a battery in a wall-mounted control device serving required lighting outlets should
not result in the inability to safely egress a habitable room, guest room, attic, basement, orsimilar when necessary. Having utility power present, but no way to energize the lights in a room
because of a bad battery in a wireless light switch, creates a hazard for the occupants.
In practice, this prescribes that any wall-mounted switch or other control device (e.g. for roomlighting) be permanently connected to a constant power supply in order to guarantee
functionality from a safety point of view - even if the switch is principally battery-powered, andgoverns an appliance wirelessly.

Source: Michaela Brestakova, EnOcean Alliance 2023

Somewhat paradoxically, this means that extra wiring is effectively required despite the widely
acknowledged fact that wiring inherently constitutes a potential fire hazard in itself. According
to the NFPA:“Electrical distribution or lighting equipment is the third leading cause of home fires, and thefourth leading cause of home fire deaths. Conditions that make these fires possible can occur
long before a fire presents – largely as a result of wiring being installed or repaired incorrectly,or when receptacles, power strips or cords are overloaded, etc.”
In practice, the implementation of new the NEC requirements makes the vast majority of
today’s battery-powered wireless switches employing for example Bluetooth®, Zigbee®, ZWave®, LoRa® or proprietary wireless technology obsolete, due to the physical lack ofprovision for back-up (AC) power in these devices.

© EnOcean Alliance, 2023

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But… what if the switch generated its own power?
No problem: EnOcean wireless switches and sensors do just that! No wiring, no batteries, nolimits - and an open door to a world of exciting new opportunities for sustainable smart solutions
enhancing safety, security and comfort. At much lower installation and operating costs!
This is the smart way to comply with the new NEC requirements, with many additional
advantages - including lower fire risks through less cabling (since bad wiring often constitutes
a serious fire hazard in itself) and a reduced carbon footprint thanks to the reduced use ofnatural resources.
••••
•
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Self-powered, sustainable, proven and widely deployed technologyNo need for back-up batteries or mains/cable power to guarantee functionality
No need to pull expensive power cables.
Complete flexibility in placement on virtually any surface, even glass
Easy, clean and unobtrusive restructuring of existing spaces, with power cables only
necessary in horizontal surfaces. No noise, no dirt - and business as usual.
No need to purchase, stockpile, install, replace and dispose of expensive batteries.

EnOcean based switches and sensors don’t rely on cables or batteries to gain energy, they“harvest” it out of thin air. More precisely, they derive their energy from the environment. The
combination of miniaturized energy harvesters and ultra-low power wireless technology creates
maintenance-free solutions for use in all types of buildings, from smart homes to industrial
applications, as well as for the Internet of Things (IOT).

Energy from Motion
The mere push of a button can generate enough energy to send a reliable signal to turn lights
on, or household appliances off. Energy harvesting makes it possible. A tiny electro-mechanicalkinetic energy converter inside the battery-free switch modules uses this small movement togenerate enough energy to send a radio telegram command to a matched receiver module, e.g.
in a lightbulb socket. Energy harvesting switches don’t look or feel different from conventionalmodels, from simple on/off or up/down switches to sliding and rotary controls for controlling
light intensity and colour, heating, cooling, sun-shading, security or home entertainment
systems. Installed in minutes on any surface by a simple “peel & stick” method, they are readyfor immediate use and many years of maintenance-free operation.

Energy Harvesting Module
eco200 Powering Millions of Light Switches
Source: EnOcean GmbH© EnOcean Alliance, 2023

Energy Harvesting Powered Wireless Light Switches
Source: Illumrawhite paper
Energy production the sustainable way
But there’s more. A full suite of thousands of fully interoperable, self-powered wireless switches
and sensors for building monitoring and control are available and have already been installed inmillions of smart homes & all types of buildings throughout the world. EnOcean-based sensors
also harvest energy from room light, temperature differences or magnetic fields. For the past 20years EnOcean Alliance members have been supplying energy-harvesting solutions for wirelessEnOcean® technologies and more recently also for Bluetooth® and Zigbee® technologies.
Batteries and wires are redundant. Our technology consumes as few resources as possible making homes, buildings and installations safer, more secure, more comfortable and moreenergy-efficient. Less copper and PVC in the walls and greatly reduced power consumption
enhance sustainability.

The EnOcean radio standard
The EnOcean radio norm is internationally standardized as ISO/IEC 14543-3-10 and is similar
to wireless standards such as Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth®. It is especially optimized for wirelesssolutions with particularly low energy consumption, which are covered by energy harvesting
power. The minimum telegram length sent is only about one millisecond at a data rate of
125kbit/s. The telegrams are repeated several times within 40 milliseconds avoiding collisionsof telegrams and numerous switches, and many sensors can be operated in parallel without any
problems. Each EnOcean radio module has a 32-bit unique identification number. The radiorange is up to 1000 ft in open spaces and about 100 ft in buildings. These radio waves caneasily penetrate walls and offer robust transmission power. At the same time, the high-frequency
radiation is 100 times lower than in classic wired solutions.

The EnOcean Alliance
As creator and promoter of this global standard, the EnOcean Alliance features an interoperable
ecosystem based on the open EnOcean wireless standard encompassing more than 5,000
products on offer from over 400 vendor members worldwide. Founded in 2008, the EnOcean
Alliance is an international association of leading companies in the building and IT industries,
with global headquarters in California. This open, non-profit organization is committed toenabling and promoting interoperable eco-systems for Smart Homes, Smart Buildings andSmart Spaces based on the maintenance-free radio standard (ISO/IEC 14543-3-10/11).

© EnOcean Alliance, 2023