Semtech Corporation is teaming up with Vietnam-based startup Cloud Energy to develop and deploy a LoRaWAN-based network for wireless solar power systems to be installed onto rooftops.
Established in 2019, Cloud Energy specialises in IoT energy management for smart cities. It develops solutions for smart energy building management, smart utilities management and smart solar monitoring systems.
The wireless rooftop-mounted solar power system being developed by Cloud Energy will feature Semtech’s Lo-RA devices and LoRaWAN connectivity are designed to provide a comprehensive, accurate and independent data management from inverters, electrical meters and sensors to its customers.
“We believe that the future of monitoring solutions will largely adapt to LoRaWAN wireless technology, which is highly scalable, simple to deploy and provides a reliable wireless connection. Solar power monitoring solutions that use LoRaWAN technology may be a new future trend that not only solves the problem of reliable wireless connectivity, but also provides additional benefits of IoT standardisation, scalability, data analytics, and interoperability,” said Tuan Anh Pham, Cloud Energy founder.
Furthermore, the company claimed that solar-powered system solutions saved its customers more than 30% on initial investment for a monitoring system.
The company opted for a wireless LoRaWAN-based network for the solar power system because a wired solution has a higher hardware and installation costs and requires a high-level of maintenance, particularly in Vietnam’s rural areas where cables are like to encounter damage caused by rodents.
The Cloud Energy wireless solar power system is a plug-and-play solution consisting of multiple wireless Cloud Energy modules, one Kerlink gateway using LoRaWAN and a Cloud Energy web-app to monitor real-time data to review and forecast performance independently across meters, inverters and sensors.
Through the integration of LoRaWAN, the Cloud Energy solar power system is a true wireless solution offering stable data transmission for end users to manage energy usage across wide areas.
“Cloud Energy’s successful implementation of the LoRaWAN standard for its wireless solar power systems showcases the versatility of the IoT technology to adapt to nearly any setting and budget. The robust connectivity from LoRaWAN is creating smarter buildings for more informed business decisions,” Marc Pégulu, vice president of IoT product marketing and strategy at Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group.
