The Internet of Things with its modern sensors and transmission standards such as LoRaWAN® makes it possible to collect and analyse building data and use it for a more efficient and secure operation. In a current project, AggerEnergie and ZENNER have jointly equipped the classrooms of all schools in the Oberberg town of Wiehl with CO2 measurement technology, thus laying the foundation for the digitalised building.
The so-called CO2 traffic light signals when the air in the classroom needs to be replaced by ventilation. This not only benefits the health of pupils and teachers, but also the environment. Further IoT projects that AggerEnergie is implementing together with partners are being planned.
Fresh air not only stimulates the brain cells, but also reduces the risk of contracting diseases. This is a particularly important factor in the coronavirus pandemic. However, targeted and efficient ventilation is also important for environmental protection in order to avoid wasting energy through unnecessary heating. That is why AggerEnergie and ZENNER equipped the classrooms of the six Wiehl schools with climate sensors in spring 2021. They continuously record the CO2 saturation of the room air, as this is a reliable indicator for assessing air quality.
From planning to operation in just a few weeks
Planning for the CO2 traffic light began in November 2020 with the aim of increasing health protection, stopping inefficient ventilation and thus also reducing energy consumption. The town of Wiehl brought the local energy supplier AggerEnergie on board as a competent partner for the realisation of the project. Together, they developed a concrete project plan, which was coordinated and implemented with the smart city specialists from ZENNER.
The battery-operated multi-sensors were installed in the classrooms between December 2020 and March 2021, initially at the Bielstein secondary school. Among other things, they continuously measure the carbon dioxide content in the room air and the room climate data and send this information wirelessly to a central LoRaWAN® gateway.
The data is then processed in the backend system. If the CO2 content rises above an individually defined threshold value, a warning light on the blackboard side of the classroom lights up, signalling to teachers and pupils that ventilation is required. It only goes out when the room has been sufficiently ventilated and the value falls below the limit again. The system has been in operation since April and is now being used in the 200 classrooms of all Wiehl schools.
At AggerEnergie, the conclusion on the cooperation is consistently positive: “ZENNER served as a helpful partner in this project in the areas of project management, material procurement, technical assistance and support. For data processiong, we also use the ELEMENT IoT plattform from ZENNER. Thanks to the fast and competent advice, the project was realised in a short time,” says Holger Thielmann, Technical Manager at AggerEnergie.
ZENNER CO2 INDICATOR L868 ID A for LoRaWAN®ZENNER CO2 INDICATOR L868 ID A for LoRaWAN®
The ZENNER CO2 INDICATOR is a compact indoor LoRaWAN® radio sensor (868 MHz) for measuring the CO2 content of indoor air.
ZENNER Indoor T+H sensorZENNER Indoor T+H sensor
The ZENNER Indoor T+H Sensor is an indoor temperature and humidity sensor with wireless M-Bus and LoRaWAN® radio interface.
ZENNER IoT gateway indoorZENNER IoT gateway indoor
The ZENNER IoT gateways use high-performance LoRaWAN® technology, whose excellent building penetration and long-range network coverage ensure the connectivity of IoT sensors even …
The first step towards a smart city
AggerEnergie sees itself as an active partner for a secure, liveable future for the people and companies in its region and wants to further expand this role by offering solutions in the areas of digitalisation and smart city. The road from the CO2 traffic light to the “smart school” or intelligent building is not far away. As soon as the LoRaWAN® infrastructure is in place, numerous other use cases can be implemented via the Internet of Things, increasing convenience and security for the users of the rooms and at the same time making facility management easier.
With this building management project, the town of Wiehl is taking the first step towards becoming a smart city. With AggerEnergie, it has an innovative partner at its side. AggerEnergie, a reliable energy supplier in the region for more than 90 years, is continuously developing into a smart city service provider and is constantly expanding its portfolio of solutions.
The CO2 traffic light project contributes to the following UN goals:
