Apr 20 2010
The emerging wireless sensor networks (WSN) technologies will offer vast applications for the utility management and energy utilization monitoring domain, according to a report titled ‘The Wireless Sensor Network Technology Trends Q1 2010’ recently released by Research and Markets.
WSNs will specifically be used for building and home applications. The important WSN application areas include burglar deterrence, automatic containment of fire and alarm, entertainment and lighting control, and home security. Most of the WSN technologies vying for the market share are just emerging.
The report has mentioned companies in this domain that includes Airbee, Bluetooth SIG, Control4, Dust Networks, EnOcean Alliance, Frontline, Greenpeak, RF Micro Devices, ZigBee Alliance, and so on. Major topics covered by the report include WSN markets introduction, activities of semiconductor vendors, characteristics of consumer adoption, Smart Metering with ZigBee, power management for WSN, market forecasts for low power WiFi enabled WSN chipsets, and so on.
The industrial, national security, personal security, and utility sectors would also be affected by the WSN technology’s adoption. There will be a transformation in the workflow in the industrial sector since the WSN applications can improve the efficiency, dependability, and the safety requirements of the industrial facilities. The frequency agility needs are resulting in the development of industrial standards. AMR management will offer considerable opportunities for the utilities field. Increasing demand for national and personal security will result in significant growth of WSN, in defense, border control, and access fields.
The mandates issued by the European markets are reinforcing the market grip on the WSN while indications of recovery in the U.S.’s slow economic growth seem to result in an expansion of the WSN market. The WSN technologies’ adoption will be influenced significantly by the global economy state.
WSN technologies are emerging in more useful forms rather than plain chipsets and protocol specifications. To cater for the opportunities in a broad market the modules are emerging more capable and sophisticated. While the functionality has increased, the prices of the developing kits and the modules have decreased during the past year.
About 70% of the utility bill for the average household could be affected by the lighting and temperature-related WSN application. The building and house owners could utilize tools for interactive energy management for developing profiles for energy management, which are initiated by particular rates of consumption. When the energy consumption crosses a particular level, the WSN will start to turn automatically the low-priority cooling, heating, and lighting zones, through wireless temperature and humidity sensors, and access and lighting monitors. In such situations, the wireless outdoor motion sensors can be active and other particular energy consumers can be dimmed.
Source: http://www.researchandmarkets.com