Syke goes digitally: Automated energy measurement for more efficiency!

Syke goes digitally: Automated energy measurement for more efficiency!

The city of Syke takes an innovative step into the digital future. In order to improve energy efficiency in urban buildings, the administration now uses digital sensor techniques for automated recording electricity, gas and water consumption. This project was initiated with the Luise Chevalier School in 2024 and has been expanded to a total of six buildings in the past few months, which are now equipped with sensors on all points. As the Kreiszeitung (Long Range Wide Area Network), a modern communication standard that enables digital data transmission over major distances.

The main objective of this measure is to collect precise consumption data that should serve to identify savings potential. This automated data acquisition will not only significantly increase the accuracy of the data, but will also save the employees in the indoor pool valuable time. From the beginning of 2025, the city administration is planning to integrate the school center on La Chartre-Straße and other public buildings, including the indoor pool, into the system.

optimization of the network

In order to further increase the efficiency of the data network, an additional antenna is required, but the location of which has not yet been determined. Two antennas are currently in use: one at the Luise-Chevalier School and another at the fire brigade center in Barrien. The data collected is used to improve energy efficiency and to promote resource conservation.

The Lower Saxony state government has legally obliged the municipalities to draw up regular energy reports. These reports must contain precise information on costs, consumption and CO₂ emissions. In 2022/23, Syke had to create such a report for the first time and will repeat this every three years. Thanks to the Lorawan project, the effort for the creation of this energy reports can be significantly reduced by automated data collection.

further information about Lorawan

Lorawan has proven to be a central component of digital transformation in various cities, including Berlin. As on berlin.de , this wireless communication standard optimizes the transfer of small amounts of data and is used in different IoT scenarios. The areas of application include smart city applications and environmental surveillance.

In Berlin, a network of gateways is currently being implemented to enable the networking of cost-effective, battery-operated Lora-capable sensors. The first phase of the project includes the provision of numerous sensor types, including door contacts, temperature sensors and water and electricity meters. This concept could also be used in Syke in a similar way to further expand the digital infrastructure.

Overall, the project in Syke aims to make the administration more efficient and at the same time reduce environmental pollution by a more conscious use of energy. With the establishment of intelligent systems, a crucial step towards sustainable urban development is taken.