OpOSaD - Optimized Operation of self-aware Devices

Overview

In the office there are many devices which must always be available during office hours and are therefore never switched off, even at night or on weekends. For various reasons, these devices are usually not covered by the EU Ecodesign Directive, which means that they do not have to be switched off automatically or have particularly energy-saving standby states. Outside the service life, these devices are therefore in operation without any use and waste energy senselessly.
Time switches or smart plugs are rarely used to switch off the devices overnight or over the weekend. However, this means additional effort. Many devices must also not simply be disconnected from the mains, as they must be shut down in a controlled manner.
This problem is to be solved with an intelligent device installation plug, which is currently being developed by SCHURTER. Integrated into the devices, this component could automatically detect operation without any use and then switch off the devices in a controlled manner when they are not in use. In this way, energy wastage can be counteracted without requiring user interaction.
The aim of this project is to research and develop methods for automatic detection and avoidance of operation without use.
The particular challenge is to reliably detect operation without use. On the one hand, the devices must not be switched off when they are still in use, because then the acceptance of this solution on the part of the users decreases. On the other hand, as much energy as possible should be saved, i.e. the devices should be switched off and on again as close as possible to the usage phase.
There are no solutions available on the market that solve the problem of operation without use simply and intelligently. Therefore, SCHURTER sees a large market potential here.