EnOcean vs. Z-Wave
Comparing 2 standards across 14 specifications. 14 key differences identified.
EnOcean is an ultra-low power, energy-harvesting wireless technology standardized under ISO/IEC 14543-3-10. By harvesting ambient mechanical energy (from the click of a switch), indoor light (via mini solar cells), or thermal differences, EnOcean devices transmit wireless telemetry in sub-GHz and 2.4 GHz bands completely batteryless and maintenance-free.
Z-Wave is a proprietary wireless mesh communications standard standardized by ITU-T G.9959 and governed by the Z-Wave Alliance. Operating in unlicensed sub-gigahertz frequency bands (868.4 MHz in Europe, 908.4 MHz in the US), it eliminates interference from 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, supporting up to 232 mesh nodes (and up to 4,000 nodes in Z-Wave Long Range).
Specification Comparison Table
14 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
International Standard
|
ISO/IEC 14543-3-10 (Information Technology — Home Electronic Systems) | — |
|
Operating Frequency Bands
|
868.3 MHz (EU), 902.875 MHz (US), 928.35 MHz (Japan), 2.4 GHz (Global BLE/Zigbee) | — |
|
Max Bandwidth / Data Rate
|
125 kbps (Sub-GHz) / 1 Mbps (2.4 GHz) | — |
|
Energy Required per Telegram
|
~50 µWs (micro-watt-seconds) | — |
|
Energy Harvesting Mechanisms
|
Electrodynamic kinetic converter (ECO 200), mini solar PV cells, Peltier thermoelectric | — |
|
Transmission Telegram Duration
|
< 1 ms (sub-millisecond burst) | — |
|
Application Profiles
|
EnOcean Equipment Profiles (EEP 3.0) | — |
|
Standardization
|
— | ITU-T G.9959 / Z-Wave Alliance Specification |
|
Frequency Bands
|
— | 868.4 MHz (EU), 908.42 MHz (US), 916.0 MHz (US high speed) |
|
Raw Data Rates
|
— | 9.6 kbps, 40 kbps, 100 kbps (FSK / GFSK) |
|
Network Topology
|
— | Source-routed Mesh (up to 4 repeaters) / Star (Z-Wave LR) |
|
Max Mesh Node Limit
|
— | 232 nodes (classic mesh) / 4,000 nodes (Z-Wave Long Range) |
|
Security Framework
|
— | Security 2 (S2) with ECDH key exchange and AES-128 |
|
Hardware Ecosystem
|
— | Silicon Labs (500, 700, 800 Series SoCs) |