BuLogics, Inc., a leading designer of
innovative, energy-saving technology products, announced today that it
has developed the world’s first Smart Grid compatible Z- Wave wireless
controller. The device, named the Smart Grid Home Controller?, allows
connectivity to future Smart Grid meters by bridging the wireless
technology of Z-Wave Home Area Networks (HANs) to Advanced Metering
Infrastructures (AMIs) that utilize the ZigBee Smart Energy (SE)
Profile.
"Future Smart Grids will deliver electricity from suppliers to
consumers using digital technology to control appliances at consumers’
homes to save energy, reduce cost, and increase reliability," explains Mirka Walczak,
CEO of BuLogics. "In order for consumers to benefit, they will need a
controller that not only monitors and controls their own home energy
usage, but also communicates wirelessly to the Smart Grid and the
different wireless protocols that it may use. Prior to our Smart Grid
Home Controller?, there was not a viable solution to make this
possible."
The Smart Grid Home Controller? maintains the interoperability of
the industry’s Z-Wave wireless protocol, giving consumers superior
control over their energy management. As one of only two test houses
in the world for Z-Wave based products, BuLogics utilized Z-Wave as the
technology standard to innovate controller capabilities. In the
process, it also introduced something new to the marketplace —
universal connectivity. "Though based on Z-Wave standards, we’ve
engineered the Smart Grid Home Controller? to contain expansion slots
with modules that can extend connection to Smart Grids via the ZigBee
SE Profile, and even others such as WiFi and FlexNet," states Walczak.
"We believe Z-Wave enabled devices will remain the most affordable and
market-ready wireless home control devices. But by bridging Z-Wave to
other standards like ZigBee, we think we’ve created the ideal Smart
Grid solution."
