This February, Alberta became the first province to update its building code to allow for wireless control of electricity in new residential construction. Alberta government officials and business leaders put a spotlight on the change at an event this Tuesday. The #AlbertaBuilderAdvantage event was hosted by Levven Electronics.
CBC News was present to cover the event:
Faster Construction Time with Less Cost
“Going wire-free allows for faster construction and increased access to smart technology,” said James Keirstead, president and CEO of Levven Electronics. “It means that we can bring a lot of advantages to Alberta builders that will conserve resources, such as labor and materials, and bring the internet of things into everyday people’s homes,” he remarked.
Using wire-free controls instead of traditional wired switches yields:
FASTER BUILD CYCLE TIMES
Builders and their installing trades can save two days of construction and increase consistency and quality in every home.
CONSERVATION
800 feet of building wire can be saved from every home while shielding builders from rising copper prices.
SMART-HOME READY
Homes are built with a smart-ready electrical system and the base cost of the home can be reduced.
“By removing all the labor and all the materials that go into making the switch and the light connect together, we save that money that can go into the cost of the materials for the new switch,” Keirstead said. “So that ends up being cost neutral for the builder.”
Breakthrough for Alberta Home Builders
Shaye Anderson, Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister, described the wireless technology as a breakthrough in construction.
“The technology will save homeowners and builders money, and be more sustainable, cutting out pollution that comes from harvesting copper and plastic,” he said.
“I see a lot of opportunity more than challenges, and that’s why, as Municipal Affairs with our safety codes, we just said, ‘You know what, let’s get ahead of the curve on this because Albertans want it and they deserve it.’ ”
“Fire and safety codes are under the purview of Municipal Affairs, and national safety codes are adopted automatically. But Alberta felt particularly proactive about the wireless technology,” he exclaimed. “This one here is one of those ones where we know it’s going to be coming in the future, but we jumped ahead on it. Get out of the way and enable industries to adapt and innovate? Perfect, let’s do it.” This story was originally posted on cbc.ca/news by Kaylen Small on May 23, 2018.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-wireless-technology-first-in-alberta-1.4673941
Levven Electronics is the designer and manufacturer of Levven Controls wire-free switches. Learn how builders benefit with wire-free switching here.
