However the neutral and ground wires serve two distinct purposes. Like the neutral wire the ground wire is also connected to an earth ground.
How To Wire Aeon Labs Aeotec Z Wave Energy Smart Switch
Use ground as neutral for smart switch. At the same time it needs to let enough current through so that the switch can power itself. The bare wire is called the ground wire. However if they are legal and listed they are tested to limit the bootleg current to some tiny amount that is considered safe by ul. Just the load wire comming in and out. The key to creating a smart switch that works without the neutral loop is to make r1 the perfect resistance. Leave ground as ground everywhere do not cheat neutrals or you negate the ground safety function.
By design they bootleg some neutral return current on the ground wire. The copper grounds and the neutrals are both terminated to the same bus in my breaker box so it does not seem like a bad idea. R1 needs to restrict the current enough so that the light bulb doesnt turn on when the switch is off. So i connected the switchlinc neutral to the copper ground wire. Ok so switch lincs require a neutral. Seems like a hack but how dangerous is it really.
The smart switches are mostly used with the neutral wire. Neutral wires are used to complete any circuit and the same concept is used in the smart switches to complete the circuit with the help of the neutral wires and operate the switch remotely at any instant. There are smart switches that do not require a neutral. Or put the aeotec g2 assume its a switch module in the receptacle box and leave the wallswitch on all the time. However due to. It works just fine.
If it were as simple as making r1 the correct resistance to make sure the light cant turn on when the switch is off it would be a fairly simple problem to solve. Neutral wires can be added by two ways. In two of my switch boxes i have no neutral. Best practice is to pull a neutral to each location that can use it. The neutral wire forms a part of the live circuit along with the hot wire.