Source: Energy & Management Powernews, August 11, 2022
The Allgäuer Überlandwerk (AÜW) is investing in the expansion of smart radio networks, thus laying the foundation for the digitization of Allgäu cities and communities.
The cities of the future are smart cities. So you see it not only in the Allgäu, where the Überlandwerke are working on appropriate concepts. It's about mobility and sustainability, the big challenges for cities and communities. More precisely said for example around it to relieve main roads in peak times to water parks and avenue trees automatically and economically or to empty waste glass and paper containers only if they are full.
"We have observed the trend completely at the beginning and pursue this up to today consistently", explained in addition AÜW managing director Michael Lucke. Already four years ago one had tested with the city Kempten and the Zweckverband for waste management first applications. Initially with the fill level monitoring of recyclable material islands by sensor. "The idea was to approach the recyclables islands more in line with demand, but also to recognize whether dimensioning and emptying intervals need to be optimized," says Lucke. Those were the beginnings of the Lorawan network (Long Range Wide Area Network) in the Allgäu region.
Since the city of Kempten won the German government's 2021 "Model Projects Smart Cities" funding program, other digitization projects have been taking shape, such as for greater environmental and climate protection or a thriving city center.
Projects also in Memmingen and Oberstaufen
The city of Memmingen is also working towards a smart city with the help of funding from the EU's inner city funding initiative. In addition to the frequency measurement of pedestrians, vehicle counters to report traffic obstructions or a utilization monitoring of parking spaces are on the project list, as well as an environmental monitoring to observe critical values or the installation of soil sensors for an intelligent irrigation management. In spring 2021, Oberstaufen invited tenders for a project to digitize 20 measuring points in water and wastewater management and chose AÜW as its implementation partner. Since recently, the wastewater facilities here have been monitored by sensors. The weekly checks by employees on site are no longer necessary; via a Lorawan radio network, the building yard learns whether pumps and gate valves are working. Sensors are also used to measure the level of stormwater overflow basins. Further smart applications are planned in the areas of energy monitoring, waste and traffic.
As an implementation partner, Allgäuer Überlandwerk supports the municipalities in collecting and processing the data on the basis of a Lorawan network. This radio technology enables the sensor data to be forwarded so that it can be evaluated. "We see ourselves as a digitization partner in the region and can now offer solutions primarily for water applications, in energy management and in people and traffic counting," says Philipp Reisigl, project manager for IoT solutions (Internet of Things) at Überlandwerk.
Author: Günter Drewnitzky
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