Building digitalization: ''Electrosmog'' through IoT?

Electricity surrounds us at all times and makes human life easier, safer and more enjoyable. Whether it is the smartphone, the WLAN router, the computer or simple household appliances, each of these devices is powered by electricity. The increasing digitalization of our world also increases the amount of radiation we are exposed to every day. However, not all radiation is the same: there is low-frequency radiation, as used in household appliances, infrared or heat radiation, visible light, UV light or even highly-frequented X-rays.

Most of these types of radiation are not dangerous to humans. The Federal Office for Radiation Protection has set limit values for the field strength of all frequency ranges to prevent negative effects on organisms. Nevertheless, the debate is controversial, and this we want to address the question: how dangerous are radio signals for people in our environment? The use of a smart building system requires sensors sending their commands via radio to actuators and their central units. So does more radio also mean higher levels of electrosmog?

 

Must we fear smart technology?

The radiation is invisible, but it is everywhere. Although there are hardly any reliable results on electrosmog, the concerns expressed in countless internet forums and blogs are huge. People are looking for connections between mobile phone masts and suddenly emerging diseases, patterns of distribution of certain symptoms, explanations about burnout or sleep disorders. Hard fronts between scientists who consider electromagnetic radiation, commonly known as "electrosmog", dangerous and those who condemn talking about it as nonsense are burning up more than ever, especially nowadays. As digitization equips buildings with intelligent technologies that guarantee maximum cost and time savings, it also requires the implementation of innovative wireless systems such as ZigBee, Z-Wave, eQ-3, RWE and EnOcean.

 

Easy handling and quick installation make radio an ideal smart home technology, especially from the point of view of users and building operators. The decisive advantage is the easy integration of the system for existing buildings as well as in new buildings. However, in this way, an intelligent building is created and end users are confronted with radiation, causing many critics to sit up and take notice. Even more radiation around us? Is that still healthy? What is behind it?

 

EnOcean at the forefront of wireless standards

Every radio standard has its strengths and weaknesses. Sensorberg works with Z-Wave and above all with EnOcean, which stands out particularly from all other wireless standards with its particularly energy-efficient architecture. EnOcean-compatible smart devices manage completely without batteries. The power generated is derived from ambient energy through movement. The most significant advantage of this is that there is practically no need for switch cabling.

The radiation exposure from EnOcean wireless technology is very low. By comparison, the sparks generated in light switches are about 100 times more intense, even if they also last only a few milliseconds. EnOcean sends signals even for only a fraction of a second and triggers switching operations elsewhere, often shielded with metal, these are not dangerous for the user. Even compared with WLAN there is only a slight radiation exposure. This is simply because a sensor system, such as an EnOcean thermometer, for instance, does not send a signal until an actual temperature change has occurred. Bluetooth and WLAN, on the other hand, send a continuous signal because their task is to replace a cable with radio.

Using the EnOcean wireless standard is the perfect combination of easy installation and low radiation exposure.

 

Sensorberg technology: Maximum efficiency - Minimum concerns

Although it is possible to find correlations that excessive high-frequency radiation can lead to sleep disturbances and headaches, there is no conclusive evidence in worldwide human studies that electrosmog below the limit values for humans causes health problems. What is certain, however, is that even without smart technology, there is a great deal of radiation in our everyday life and at home. Compared to WLAN, additional digital radio technology in buildings is so low in radiation that the latter is bare of any consequence.

At Sensorberg, we not only take care to implement high security and accurate data protection with our product, we also advocate energy-efficient technologies that result in lower radiation exposure for end users. We always put human health, both internally and externally, before potential sales. We would be pleased to visit one of our sample projects with interested parties. Just book a visit to one of our digitized buildings. We look forward to seeing you too!

 

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