The ZigBee Alliance has launched a new profile that allows wireless devices, such as switches and dimmers, to be powered from energy harvesting sources instead of a battery or AC mains power. Green Power is an optional feature of the ZigBee Pro feature set, which is part of the enhanced ZigBee 2012 specification recently ratified and released to Alliance members.

 

ZigBee Pro Green Power products enable consumers and businesses to use ZigBee devices in locations where access to mains power is unavailable or not allowed for safety reasons or historical preservation purposes. A free public webinar on Green Power is scheduled for 24 January 2013.

As a part of the extensive Alliance test and certification process, golden unit development kits were selected from GreenPeak Technologies, Philips, Schneider Electric and Texas Instruments. These implementations will serve as reference units for testing future ZigBee certified products using the ZigBee 2012 specification. This testing process ensures compliance with the standard, so that manufacturers can be assured of consistent communication. Testing services are provided by NTS, TRaC and TÜV Rhineland.

Image: ZigBee Alliance