Basic knowledge: Building automation LoRaWAN®
Simple and efficient automation of new and existing buildings
Originally developed for the Internet of Things (IoT), the LoRaWAN® wireless technology – short for Long Range Wide Area Network – is increasingly being promoted by cities, municipalities, property managers, and energy suppliers. It also plays an important role in Smart Cities. As an alternative to other wireless systems such as Zigbee or Bluetooth®, LoRaWAN® is particularly suitable as a powerful solution where long ranges and high cost efficiency are essential.
The application areas of LoRaWAN® in building automation and monitoring are diverse. Especially for less time-critical applications such as temperature or humidity measurements, LoRaWAN® is a highly powerful solution. From an operator's perspective, the high security standards ensured by double-encrypted data transmission and the possibility of Europe-wide use without incurring license costs are convincing.
The worldwide strong acceptance of LoRaWAN® is due to the versatile application possibilities and opportunities of this relatively new technology in building automation. LoRaWAN® not only offers enormous savings potential due to its low network setup costs but also makes a significant contribution to the cost-efficient use of buildings. Since around 80 percent of the total building costs are incurred during the operational phase, this is a crucial factor, especially for older existing buildings. Here, LoRaWAN® networks can significantly contribute to cost reduction.
In addition to the classic integration of sensors into the control of, for example, ventilation systems and building automation, the LoRaWAN® interface offers the possibility to send live data independently of building automation to a cloud, for example, as a data basis for preventive maintenance.
The goal is to relieve facility management, to capture building data in a simple way without the involvement of building automation, to prepare it transparently, and to offer building and system operators new functions and services.
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Network Architecture:
A LoRaWAN® network usually consists of three components: End devices (usually sensors), gateways for receiving and transmitting the recorded measured values and a network server that is fed with the data for further processing and visualisation:
Step 1 – Sensors (end devices):
LoRaWAN® sensors record measured values and send AES128 encrypted data to a gateway.
Step 2 – Gateways:
Receive the data from the various end devices and pass it on (still encrypted) to the network server (standard IP connection). Each gateway forwards all received data to the network server. In this way, several hundred to approx. 1,000 wireless sensors can be connected via one gateway. To cover larger areas, several gateways are connected to the same network server.
SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE: Cloud
Step 3 – Network server:
The central LoRaWAN® network server is fed with the collected data from its gateways and processes the data further. Data received twice is discarded in the network server. The data is decrypted in the network server and forwarded to the respective application server.
Step 4 – Application server:
The application server decodes the transmitted data and converts it to BACnet, for example. Typical applications also include data visualisation solutions (dashboard).
SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE: BMS
Network server integrated in gateway.
Step 3 – Building management system (BMS):
Integration into building management systems, e.g. via BACnet IP, Modbus TCP/IP, ...
LoRa® refers to the radio technology used for data transmission, i.e. the basic mode of communication. A special modulation process for transmitting information ensures smooth processes and protects against interference, such as interference from sensors transmitting at the same time.
LoRaWAN® describes the network structure and the protocol used to ensure standardised communication between network participants. LoRaWAN® ensures the manufacturer-independent use of solutions within a network or across different networks and also allows new solutions to be easily integrated into existing networks.
LoRaWAN® Sensor Technology from Thermokon
Attractive due to high cost efficiency
Thermokon has expanded its portfolio to include various LoRaWAN® solutions, designed for energy-efficient buildings. These sensors and gateways are tailored for building automation, offering functionalities such as temperature and humidity measurement, indoor air quality monitoring, and condensation detection.
Building operators can flexibly choose between battery-powered and wired sensors with analog signal outputs and LoRaWAN® options. Additional benefits include a 5-year warranty on all products and high flexibility due to the continuous expansion of the portfolio.
