Automatic a smart garden watering system
In our example, the garden is watered using water stored in a rainwater tank. The tank is equipped with an Ultrasonic Sensor that checks the water level. If the water level is too low, the garden is watered with normal water. The water level can also be checked at any time from the Loxone App.
Automatic watering can be activated in several ways. Either by using the weather forecast via the Weather Station or the Weather Service or by using moisture sensors in the garden. Two hours before sunrise watering will take place under the following conditions:
If there is enough water in the tank (as measured by the Ultrasonic Sensor)
If it is not currently raining (as determined by the Weather Station / Weather Service)
If the soil is not moist enough (as measured by the soil moisture sensor)
If a pre-defined amount of rain is not expected within the next 4 hours
If the temperature is not expected to fall below 4°C – to prevent frost
If these conditions are all met, then water will take place and automatically stop at sunrise. The smart garden watering system can also be manually activated via the Loxone App.
All four valves are connected to a Radio Button Function Block. The four valves water the garden in 60-second intervals.
Additionally, if there’s a risk of frost, the water in the pipes is blown out with air for 5 minutes to prevent them from freezing.
Weather Station Air
To be able to protect your home or business from the elements, it is crucial to have access to information about the weather right outside your doorstep. The Weather Station records wind, rain, brightness and temperature at your exact location. Installation in coastal areas is not advised.
Weather Service Included
When you purchase a Weather Station a 10-year Weather Service Subscription is in included. This enables weather forecast information – such as humidity, air pressure, wind direction and more – to be displayed up to 66 hours in advance.
Humidity
Solar Irradiation
Precipitation, Rain, Snow
Air Pressure
Temperature & Perceived Temperature
Dew Point
Wind Direction
Wind Speed
Position of the Weather Station
The Weather Station collects various weather data. To determine the best place for installation, first consider which measured values are most important on a case-by-case basis.
Storms often cause significant damage to awnings or exterior blinds. For this reason, the Weather Station should be able to detect the wind in its most pure form – without it being slowed down by trees, walls, etc.
To accurately detect brightness, the Weather Station needs to be placed in direct sunlight. However, this may skew any temperature readings – in this scenario, we’d recommend using the Weather Service for temperature monitoring.
Frost and moisture have the potential to cause significant damage. In order to reliable protect the building, the Weather Station needs to be able to detect any precipitation unhindered.
Fully automated tasks based on localised weather conditions and forecast data
Automatic Shading
With the help of the Weather Station’s Temperature Sensor, you’ll be protected from overheating as the blinds can be automatically lowered. This can help protect furniture and prevent the temperature from increasing drastically.
Awning & shading protection
The precise, local wind measurements recorded by the Weather Station allow any awnings or exterior shades to be retracted into a safe position – should there be any high-speed winds.
Irrigation
Customize your garden watering schedule based on a specific weather forecast – ensuring that grass (or other plants) are never under or overwatered. Find out more about smart garden watering
Rain warning
Thanks to the Weather Station’s built-in rain sensor, you’ll be reminded to close any open windows as soon as any rain is detected. Perfect for when there’s a spontaneous shower. You can find out more about this specific feature
Temperature Control
Thanks to the exact forecast of the outside temperature, your heating system can precisely determine the flow temperature required and transfer it to your heating system. This is a great way of ensuring your ideal temperature is realised in each room as part of your zoned heating.
Individual functions
Take it a step further with this powerful weather hack… How about having the colour lighting in the hallway turn to blue in the morning if rain is forecast. That way you’ll know to bring in the washing from the line before you head off to work, take your raincoat or close that window.
AGRICULTURAL LIGHTING
FOR livestock FARMING light fixtures that boast ammonia resistance
Resistance against ammonia in the air is among the essential attributes of light fixtures designated for farms where live animals are grown (e.g. cow barns, pig and poultry farms). Our INNOVA ABS, FUTURA ABS and Prima LED ABS -range fixtures boast exceptional resistance to chemical compounds used for cleaning and as disinfectants as well as to mechanical damage and high temperatures. The excellent chemical resistance of our INNOVA-range luminaires has recently been recognized by DLG, a leading independent European testing facility. The DLG certificate states neither regular exposure to ammonia in the air nor cleaning the fixtures using a high-pressure machine and hot/ cold water result in product deterioration.
Chemical resistance exceptional chemical resistance of the materials used to chemicals such as ammonia, lye, and alkali compounds.
Mechanical resistance excellent impact resistance and resistance against mechanical damage based on the materials used.
Thermal resistance exceptional thermal resistance to ambient temperatures ranging from -25 °C to +50 °C.
Controlled plant growth
Plants respond to energy ratios in various portions of the colour spectrum. As a result, plant shape, its nutritional value, and taste can be controlled. It also allows growers to stimulate proper growth as well as speed up the flowering process. Appropriate ambient temperature, air humidity, irrigation, and air-carbon dioxide ratio are additional significant factors affecting growth. Moreover, lighting controls various growth phases. The amount of light and the portion of the light spectrum that plants are exposed to affect growth intensity as well as flowering and fruit formation/ripening. Light quality influences plant morphology (plant shape) while various light-air ratios combined with appropriate portions of the light spectrum significantly affect their growing season and production of crops.
Light fixtures for cow barns to ensure efficient production
This is a red light producing LED module that may be integrated into our INNOVA, PRIMA LED, and FUTURA-range fixtures. The product may be used as a service light, making it possible for workers to access and move around cow barns comfortably and easily (light intensity is sufficient) as well as to do all the usual tasks including milking without disturbing or interrupting the sleep cycles of the animals. Appropriate lighting and optimum distribution of fixtures increases milk production by 6-10%.
Customers can choose between installing a new lighting system and fitting the existing fixtures with the red light producing module. The result is select light fittings feature a white light producing LED module to be used during the day and a red light producing LED module to be used at night.
Animal-centric lighting
A module that boosts circadian rhythms. These rhythms ensure proper timing of all the processes in the body as well as coordinate various activities of the organs. It is these that make body temperature, blood pressure, alertness, attention, energy consumption, and digestive and immune system activity to fluctuate. The light fixture is a perfect choice for livestock farms. The module makes it possible to adjust correlated colour temperature (CCT) from cool to warm white (2,700 k – 6,500 k) as well as lighting intensity (dimming) using a Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI). The dimming function may be incorporated in an automated system or user controlled on an as-needed basis.
Operate electrical systems
It is not uncommon these days for energy providers to offer low electricity tariff rates if devices or appliances are used at certain times where demand on the grid is low, usually late at night. But most devices can’t automatically benefit from low electricity tariff usage because they simply don’t know when these apply. With a bit of help from Loxone, everybody can use devices like a washing machine at a time when electricity tariffs are low – ultimately reducing grid demand and saving on energy bills.
With the help of a Loxone Miniserver, you can get info and even automatically switch on / off chosen devices. You can even charge your electric car for the best price without thinking about it.
Automatic Animal Feeder
Brief: Implement automatic animal feeder for cattle on farms.
Feeding cows, pigs and other animals on a farm is physically demanding and time-consuming work for every farmer. The animals usually have to be fed several times a day. An automatic animal feeder can help reduce the workload.
Solution: Automatic animal feeder controlled by the Loxone Miniserver.
With Loxone, the feeding process can be easily automated using the Miniserver. The animals will be fed several times a day via an electric flap which will work according to an individually adjustable schedule. The schedule can be adjusted within the Loxone App.
Feeding can also be controlled manually through the app without having to change the schedule.
In addition to the automatic animal feeder, automated monitoring can also be set up. The level of feed in the storage unit is measure using an Ultrasonic Sensor – if this falls below a certain pre-defined level a notification will immediately be sent to the relevant people.
Benefit
With very little hardware you can quickly install an automatic animal feeder for your customers. The feeding system coupled with the level detection will save any farmer a significant amount of time and effort – meaning that they can focus on other areas of their business.