Electra and halakhic institute unveil universal Sabbath air conditioner remote

Electra and the Institute of Science and Technology for Halakha have launched a universal “Shabbat control remote” for air conditioners, in what they described as a major technological and halakhic breakthrough. The product was unveiled at a special ceremony at the institute, attended by its head, Rabbi Abraham Moshe Halperin, and Electra Customers CEO Tal Beit Halehmi.

According to the companies and rabbinic supervisors, the remote can put almost any air conditioner into a strict Sabbath mode, even if the unit was not originally built with a Sabbath device. They said it is designed to neutralize the effect of opening doors and windows and of people’s presence in the room, which can trigger modern air conditioners through sensors and digital thermostats and create complex halakhic concerns.

The participants stressed that this is not a simple timer or “Shabbat clock.” Such devices, they said, only schedule on and off times but do not stop the air conditioner from reacting to human activity. By contrast, the new remote reportedly switches the system into a physical, real Sabbath state that is considered fully permitted for use on Shabbat.

The project took more than a year of development, beginning in late winter last year after a meeting in Electra’s offices in Rishon LeZion between Rabbis Yaakov Luria and Yosef Hildesheimer and Electra managers, including Gal Tamir and a purchasing manager named Or. The device underwent repeated testing in the institute’s laboratories, with engineers and rabbis refining it until Rabbi Halperin approved it. Electra said the product is already in stores and is intended to be affordable, while minimally affecting user experience and energy efficiency.