Submetering with LoRaWAN enables accurate and transparent recording of energy consumption data in buildings. As a result, consumption data can be transmitted cost-effectively over long distances. The technology ensures comprehensive and reliable communication between measuring devices and central systems. This is accelerating the digital transformation process in the housing industry.
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The challenge: More transparency in building management
The requirements for the homes and buildings of the future are becoming increasingly diverse. Consumption values, energy data and system statuses should be available anytime and anywhere. In addition, the housing industry must comply with the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED). It stipulates individual measurements and consumption-based billing for apartment buildings with a central heating supply.
A corresponding solution is offered jointly by the measurement system manufacturer Sontex Deutschland GmbH and the nationwide IoT wireless network operator UPLINK Network GmbH. They have equipped several properties in the Karlsruhe area with modern energy meters.
Although heating costs were already calculated for the buildings, this was based on older technologies and lacked transparency. It is therefore particularly important for property owners and its service provider Kolb Energieservice to replace existing isolated solutions and create a standardized overall system to simplify installation and operation.
Digital measuring devices enable the use of submeters, allowing for precise allocation of consumption data. They record the consumption of individual apartments instead of just measuring the total consumption of the building via a main meter. This allows the costs to be distributed fairly among the individual parties according to their actual consumption. Submetering thus increases transparency and creates incentives to save energy, as users can see their energy consumption directly.
The solution: Energy-saving IoT connectivity with LoRaWAN
Low-power wide-area networks (LPWANs) are the ideal solution for transmitting all types of sensor data over long distances and large geographical areas. They enable communication between devices that only need to transfer small amounts of data.
LoRaWAN - the efficient network for sensor data
LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) is one such communication protocol from the LPWAN family. It was specially developed for the Internet of Things (IoT) and has low energy consumption. The necessary infrastructure is simple and inexpensive, so that large networks with many devices are possible at relatively low operating costs. They also have a battery life of up to 10 years, which is particularly advantageous for IoT applications. LoRaWAN enables encrypted communication over distances of up to 15 km in rural areas and up to 2 km in cities. The technology is interesting due to its high building penetration, which is an advantage in large buildings.
The network has a star architecture in which the end devices communicate with gateways that forward all data to a central network server or the cloud. This makes LoRaWAN particularly suitable for transmitting data from all types of measuring devices mounted on individual radiators or water connections.
The advantage of LoRaWAN is that it is an open and license-free wireless standard that precisely meets the requirements for transmitting measurement data in smart metering. It accelerates the digital transformation process for metering service providers, municipal utilities and the housing industry. Consumers receive a cost-efficient and transparent solution that contributes to energy savings and increases comfort and safety in buildings.
The result: Comprehensive data collection in building management
The LoRaWAN network is also able to connect other IIoT devices. This primarily involves the remote reading of water, gas and electricity meters. In addition, other values for building management can also be monitored, e.g. the CO2 content in the room air, the humidity and temperature or the safety status through IoT smoke alarms and other safety devices. As development progresses, it is conceivable that the range of possible applications will continue to grow and new business models will be established in the housing industry.
