NodOn: IoT makes the office safer
Issue 02-2021:
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It’s time to return to the office. At Altyor headquarters in France, employees can do so with confidence. IoT solutions help prevent virus spread, respect the rules of hygiene, and ensure social distancing wherever necessary. NodOn presents a solution that has been installed in a 70-person office.
New contactless procedures
COVID-19 has changed the way we live, work, and meet with other people. How we interact within a company and with suppliers and partners has been especially affected. That’s why using a contactless button for visitors can be a helpful solution. At Altyor headquarters, the Floor Switch – a battery-free EnOcean switch – was installed for visitors at the entrance. For example, mail carriers no longer need to touch a bell. They simply press the button with their foot to notify reception. And that’s not all: The floor switch can also be used to automatically open motorized gates in the warehouse when employees have their hands full. Even more scenarios are possible once the switch is paired with a compatible gateway.
Space and light management
Neither a switch nor a magic wand is needed for lighting control. When employees enter or leave a meeting room, the light is turned on or off automatically, thanks to an EnOcean motion sensor. In combination with a NodOn lighting relay switch, the sensor replaces the wall switch. In addition to controlling the lighting, the sensor indicates the availability of meeting rooms. A digital sign at the room entrance shows the room’s current occupancy status. This has several benefits, including no disinfecting of switches and more flexible room management.
Safe air quality
Due to the pandemic, air quality management has become very important. The French Ministry of Health has recommended that rooms be ventilated twice a day for ten to fifteen minutes in order to replace the air inside the building. Altyor takes this recommendation very seriously. The company is already using an EnOcean-based CO2 sensor from Nexelec. As soon as the air needs replacing, an alert is sent via a gateway.
IoT solutions like this are an easy way to ensure employee well-being. The next steps will be to install more NodOn sensors in order to receive notifications when a window or door is left open and to add additional relay switches for connecting lights, heating, and open doors and windows. EnOcean devices offer plenty of possibilities for improving building management systems on an ongoing basis.