A new range of wireless light switches eliminate the need and expense of copper wiring between the switch and the bulb.

Verve Living Systems, a subsidiary of Masco Corporation, a leading manufacturer of products for the home improvement and new home construction markets, has recently unveiled in the US a new wireless lighting system that adopts energy-harvesting and radio frequency technology to allow home owners to control all the lights in their home from a series of self-powering switches.

“This is an exciting time for Masco, as we believe our new Verve lighting control system will forever change the way homes are built,” says Verve Living Systems executive Dianne Pisarek.

“With a host of unprecedented lighting control features, Verve will also dramatically improve the way home-buyers live inside their homes, both more comfortably and energy efficiently.”

Masco is a founding member of the EnOcean Alliance, a consortium of international corporations with a mission to standardise wireless control systems for sustainable buildings around the EnOcean energy-harvesting and radio-frequency technology.

As such, the radio frequency technology used in the Verve system eliminates the need for wiring between light fixtures and light switches. In this way it improves new home construction by reducing the use of copper wiring, wall boxes, wire nuts and conduit associated with switches. In addition, the number of electrical connections are significantly reduced, in turn simplifying the installation process, reducing installation time and eliminating call backs to add, move or re-wire light switches.

Verve will enter the local market with its core system, which includes the 10-channel controller, a single and a double light switch, along with expansion options including an occupancy sensor, lumen sensor, a single channel controller and a mini multi-switch.

The core system offers home-buyers extraordinary control over their home environments. Verve switches require no batteries and are completely movable to accommodate the individual needs of the home-buyer. Switches can also be programmed to control outlets offering lamp control as well as a means to completely shut-off ‘vampire’ loads – the electric power consumed by appliances while they are switched off or in standby mode. In addition, every switch is a dimmer, which means every light in the home can easily be dimmed.

The system also allows the home-buyer to easily program scenes enabling them to create the exact ambiance they want, whenever they want.

Further, the Verve line extension options offer customisable opportunities to meet specific home owner needs and energy conservation goals.

The Verve lumen sensor offers a wireless, battery-less solution that measures and transmits available daylight levels to automatically dim or brighten room lights to conserve energy, while the Verve occupancy sensor – also a wireless, battery-less solution – adds convenience and conserves energy by turning lights off when the room is unoccupied.

The Verve mini multi-switch is a portable handheld switch that can be kept in a car, pocket or purse for convenient control of garage or entry lights, and the Verve single channel controller offers a wireless solution for unique high wattage situations, such as a chandelier or for single channel applications such as a detached garage or outbuilding.

Verve Living Systems is also currently using energy-harvesting, radio frequency technology to create additional applications in HVAC monitoring and control, whole house environmental monitoring and home security.