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GRE Alpha's EnOcean LED Dimming Module (ENO-DIM) Is Self-Powered, Wireless, and Maintenance-Free

Now available from GRE Alpha and select distributing partners worldwide

Lighting Control for Intelligent Buildings

When GRE Alpha's advanced LED dimming module and driver technology paired up with EnOcean's patented energy harvesting wireless technology, the result changed the face of smart building lighting design. Powered by exploiting the energy generated at the push of a button, the ENO-DIM dimming module allows for smooth, flicker-free dimming of lighting fixtures.This article lays out the ways ENO-DIM is pushing wireless LED lighting control to the future loT level while providing significant savings in time, money and energy.

Highly Flexible and Easy to Install

When ENO-DIM made its debut in 2018, jaws were dropping at how easy it was to install. ENO-DIM was the first dimming module of its kind and, to this moment, remains unmatched in intelligent building lighting applications. Brilliantly constructed to work with all EnOcean certified self-powered wireless switches, any constant voltage LED lighting system can be extended and seamlessly retrofitted to EnOcean wireless technology. The ENO-DIM module operates at a maximum 5 amperes (amp) capacity and can support up to 30 EnOcean wireless energy harvesting devices.

Perfect for new building automation projects, ENO-DIM works just as easily as a straightforward upgrade to existing LED lighting systems. The ENO-DIM module hooks up to any constant voltage LED driver, including an existing DC power distribution panel or at any point in an existing lighting circuit. The wireless energy switches are very robust and installation retrofit does not require extra wiring. Plus, there are no batteries to replace or hazardous waste disposal. With installation virtually effortless, reduced labor and component costs, the savings generated by ENO-DIM over time will be significant.

Proprietary Frequencies for Various Parts of the World

While most smart lighting systems utilize the ISM (Industrial, Scientific, Medical) radio band, GRE's ENO-DIM module uses EnOcean's proprietary frequencies for communication. Those bands enable noise-free, near-instantaneous feedback without interference, and a wide range of up to 30 meters within buildings. This is a dramatic contrast to less reliable RF wireless technologies such as BLE and Zigbee.

The ENO-DIM module currently supports multiple frequencies that will insure its reliability in different geographic areas. GRE Alpha is the only member of the EnOcean alliance to focus on lighting for the Japanese market. Additional frequencies for new products and territories are in the works.

Infinite Possibilities in Smart Building Design

Wireless, self-powered control devices are the most flexible solution to achieve the full data potential of intelligent LED lighting control in new builds and retrofits. Customers are extremely impressed with how this reflects in the sheer versatility of the ENO-DIM module. With the powerful combination of GRE Alpha's modular LED power supplies and EnOcean' s self-powered sensors and switches, lighting designers can now create sustainable intelligent building, home automation and architectural lighting control systems that are energy-efficient, easy to install and maintenance-free.

Current applications include:

• Building and architectural lighting
• Effect and contour lighting
• General commercial illumination
• Warehouse signage
• Strip lighting

No Other Dimmer Compares

EnOcean energy harvesting technology and switches have dramatically simplified lighting system installations and commissioning and dramatically reduced wiring requirements.That is a huge win for lighting industry experts. With so many valuable benefits, GRE Alpha Electronics is hoping to drive the rapid adoption of existing and new lighting projects to EnOcean controlled lighting. To that end, the ENO-DIM dimming module represents the first in a series of EnOcean products that will allow seamless upgrades of existing lighting systems.

Summing up the advantages of the ENO-DIM module:

• Self-powered
• 100% Battery-Free
• Wireless
• Simple to install or retrofit
• Spring-loaded terminal for problem-free installation
• Works with any EnOcean-enabled wireless dimmer
• Switches can be mounted anywhere
• Wide range DC input
• Spring-loaded terminal for easy installation
• Flicker-free dimming
• Reduced energy consumption
• Three regional power supply versions
• Up to 97% efficiency

Where we go from here

Not long ago, concepts like energy harvesting would have been perceived as wildly imaginative. Now we've gone from a simple illumination element to the ENO-DIM dimming module as a core communication device. Lighting leads the way as one of the pioneer industries in the Internet of Thing (IoT). As we become more connected as a society, increasingly connected lighting systems will continue to get more attention and have more applications. With companies like GRE Alpha Electronics and EnOcean at the forefront of smart building management, it's clear that future possibilities are limitless.

About GRE Alpha

GRE Alpha® Electronics, Ltd. specializes in the design and manufacture of solid-state lighting power supplies and lighting control accessories which are the lifeblood of indoor and outdoor LED lighting systems. With over two decades of power conversion expertise and a commitment towards innovation, we engage with industry pioneers to deliver highly efficient, installation-ready, and agency-approved LED power conversion products for a wide variety of industry applications. Our success is centered on three core values—innovation, service and partnership.

If you'd like to know more about the ENO-DIM dimming module or other types of leading edge LED power solutions, please visit GRE Alpha's enquiry page and one of our product experts will quickly get back to you.

HONG KONG – GRE Alpha, a leading LED power supply manufacturer, will be among the top tier presenters at the Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition from June 9-12 at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou, China. Asia’s most comprehensive lighting and LED event, GILE 2019 is set to break attendance records. Last year, the show recorded more than 2,600 exhibitors from 22 countries and regions and more than 165,000 visitors from 129 countries and regions. The show focuses on lighting applications, LED technologies, equipment and components.

With this year's theme, "Envisage the Next Move" in mind, Richard Fong and the GRE Alpha team will take a deep dive into the use of communication protocols in smart lighting systems.

(Image: Messe Frankfurt)

On June 10 lighting Industry professionals will find the GRE Alpha team discussing smart lighting solutions with Amazon Echo and Zigbee dimming modules at 4:00 p.m. Sessions will take place opposite to Hall 4.1, along Pearl Promenade, Area A.

Introduction of GRE Zigbee dimming module

GRE Alpha's Zigbee dimming module is a 240-watt constant voltage dimming device that operates based on IEEE 802.15.4 and the Zigbee 3.0 standard. Offering best-in-class interoperability between major lighting eco-systems (AMAZON Echo) and provides device to device vs cloud-to-cloud connectivity without the reliance on external gateway or connection to the internet.

Simple and easy to install, this compact device also supports connecting directly to a Zigbee Green Power switch for battery-less dimming enabling seamless upgrade to Zigbee smart lighting networks.

• Based on international standards IEEE 802.15.4 and Zigbee 3.0.
• Can be directly controlled by battery-less Zigbee Green Power switches.
• Can be controlled in multiple ways, seamlessly and concurrently.
• When combined with ubisys G1, lights can be controlled using smartphone apps, HomeKit, or Amazon Alexa, or based on schedules etc.
• Lights can be grouped and either controlled individually or as a group.
• Prepared for Bluetooth Low-Energy for simple applications.
• Over-the-air firmware upgrade capable - ubisys G1 or any other Zigbee OTA server can deploy new firmware with enhancements and bug-fixes.
  
  

About GRE Alpha

GRE Alpha® Electronics, Ltd. specializes in the design and manufacture of solid-state lighting power supplies and lighting control accessories which are the lifeblood of indoor and outdoor LED lighting systems. Unlike many in the LED industry, GRE Alpha focuses on a modular approach. Their products can be used either in conjunction with existing systems or with new setups. With more than two decades of power conversion expertise and a commitment toward innovation, GRE Alpha engages with industry pioneers to deliver highly efficient, installation-ready and agency-approved LED power conversion products for a wide variety of industry applications. www.grealpha.com

GRE Alpha's new Vietnam facility provides a solution to the U.S. – China trade war for U.S. customers

As the news from Washington and Beijing continues to focus on increased tariffs on Chinese goods imported into the U.S., Chinese LED lighting component manufacturer GRE Alpha is taking a proactive approach to help its U.S. customers control costs and minimize tariff impacts.

In addition to its well-established U.S. operations center in Gainesville, Georgia, GRE Alpha is ramping up manufacturing in Vietnam to deliver its world-class LED power supplies to the U.S. market without incurring the tariffs currently imposed on Chinese goods.

Same high quality, new state of the art facility

GRE Alpha's new Vietnam facility, located in Binh Duong Province, offers more than 300,000 square feet of ISO 9002, ISO 13485 and ISO 14000-certified manufacturing space, staffed by a highly educated workforce. Here, GRE Alpha is producing some of the world's most advanced and reliable LED lighting components, including LED drivers, dimming modules and accessories.

"Our Vietnam facility is fully staffed and capable of meeting U.S. demand for GRE Alpha's most popular products, including our DMX, EnOcean and DALI LED dimming modules. The investment in Vietnam is a clear signal to our U.S. customers that we value their business and want to give them options that will help them control costs while still having access to the high quality they've come to expect from GRE Alpha,” says GRE Alpha's Richard Fong.

The response from U.S. customers has been extremely positive so far. In fact, GRE Alpha is advising customers to think ahead and place orders now for September/October 2019 delivery as demand has been steadily growing for its LED drivers and other LED lighting components.

To learn more about GRE Manufacturing and the benefits of its Vietnamese manufacturing capabilities visit GRE Manufacturing. To talk to a U.S. representative please contact dougg@grena.org.

Spotlight on GRE Alpha's EnOcean Dimming Modules

When two forward thinking, innovative entities join forces, the results can be illuminating. The partnership formed in 2017 between GRE Alpha Electronics and EnOcean® left no doubt about what would result. Their signature collaboration–EnOcean® wireless dimming modules made by GRE Alpha -- has ushered in a new era of intelligent building applications.

A Boon for Building and Architectural LED Lighting

Combining GRE Alpha's proven LED dimming module and LED driver expertise with EnOcean®'s patented energy harvesting wireless technology, these groundbreaking dimming modules are speeding up the path to industrial lighting systems that are sustainable and energy-efficient. With this joint technology, trillions of IoT sensors can be powered and efficiently installed.

The GRE Alpha/Enocean® series of dimming modules are compatible with any constant voltage LED driver. And, when paired with any self-powered wireless switches using the EnOcean® standard, they enable smooth, flicker-free dimming of lighting fixtures. Available modules support frequencies for North America 902MHz, Japan 928MHz, Europe and China 868MH

It is worth noting that, at this time, GRE Alpha Electronics is the only member of the EnOcean alliance to focus on lighting for the Japanese market. Moreover, the 928MHz frequency customized for Japan works smoothly in any environment compared to 2.4GHz wireless solutions.

Highlighted at International Lighting Shows

With the demand for flexible and maintenance-free solutions for LED lighting control exploding, GRE's president, Richard Fong is eager to give visitors a hands-on experience with the EnOcean® dimming modules. "User experience is very important to us. We have always strived to make our products accessible and easy to use and install. It is extremely rewarding that feedback from customers who have tested and used this system has been overwhelmingly positive."

The lighting show environment with GRE Alpha experts on hand provides a perfect opportunity to gain familiarity with LED smart lighting solutions. GRE Alpha's EnOcean® dimming modules were most recently featured in two big shows:

1) At EnOcean®'s booth at IoT/MTM Spring at the Tokyo Big Site convention center April 10-12, 2019.

 2) In the United States at LIGHTFAIR International 2019 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, May 21-23. There visitors found a variety of GRE Alpha's leading edge products at three different booths: EnOcean, DiiA (Digital Illumination Interface Alliance) and GRE Alpha Distributor ERG. GRE Alpha experts were available at all booths to interact with guests and answer questions.

The Future for Self-Powered Smart Dimming is Now

Applications using GRE Alpha's EnOcean® dimming modules in combination with EnOcean®'s self-powered wireless switches, include building and architectural lighting, effect and contour lighting, general commercial illumination, warehouses, signage, strip lighting and more. With this advanced technology, lighting designers can create sustainable intelligent building, home automation and architectural lighting control systems that are energy-efficient, easy to install and maintenance-free.

While EnOcean is responsible for the technology which enables maintenance-free sensor solutions for battery-free applications in the Internet of Things (IoT), GRE Alpha pioneered the design and creation of modular LED power supplies. Their partnership was inevitable.

That partnership has truly simplified lighting system installations, commissioning, and drastically reduced wiring requirements. From this point forward, GRE Alpha hopes to drive rapid adoption of existing and new lighting products to EnOcean® controlled lighting. To that end, GRE Alpha has introduced a whole series of EnOcean® joint products that will allow seamless upgrades of existing lighting systems by adding in their EnOcean® lighting control module.

For more information about this or any other GRE Alpha product or to speak with a GRE Alpha expert, please visit the enquiries page.