Summary:
In an electrical installation in buildings, electromechanical switches are mostly used to turn on and off a load. However, sometimes there are two or more switches in the same circuit intended to control the same load. Thus, a conflict can happen between multi-users who are trying to overtake the control of the load (such as turning it on or off). To solve the problem, this paper proposes a novel switch called “Fully Controllable Rotary Switch” (FCRS) in which it can fully control not only the load but also other switches by blocking them or giving them limited or full access over the electrical circuit and the loads. For validation purposes, the utilization of FCRS in buildings is compared to the traditional switches under the same functionality and conditions. Results show that FCRS has the ability to control many electrical loads simultaneously, control other switches in the circuit, increase the satisfaction, security, and privacy of the users. Finally, it reduces the conflict between multi-users and the investment cost by avoiding installing additional switches and protection devices.