Análise da viabilidade da tecnologia LoRa como alternativa para transmissão de dados em sistemas de gerenciamento de iluminação pública

Abstract

The rise of green energy is a response to climate and growing water crisis issues. Optimizing and improving energy utilization not only represents a financial saving but also reduces dependence on natural resources. Public lighting is vital for pedestrian safety, but Brazilian municipal systems often do not optimize the demanded power. The application of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to enhance energy efficiency in urban systems, such as public lighting, can make operations more autonomous and effective, converging towards the concept of Smart Cities. This study presents the LoRa technology, highlighting its long-range wireless transmission, low power consumption, and high robustness, especially suitable for sensor data and actuator signals. The use of unlicensed spectrum bands makes LoRa technology financially accessible. A simple architecture was developed to validate transmission in a busy urban environment, using a gateway, an endpoint, a network server, and an application server. The RHFM0301 module was employed as the gateway and network server on a Raspberry PI Model B, while the Heltec LoRa 32 board acted as the end-node in the network. The integration of these devices was carried out on The Things Network application server. Full coverage simulation of gateways LoRaWAN in Campo Mourão was conducted, indicating that 7 gateways in public buildings could cover the entire municipality. In the field, information on energy consumption and channel behavior was collected. The propagation test showed that data transmission was successful at 949 meters, with the gateway receiving 77.6% of the packets sent by the endpoint. Data on the energy consumption of devices used in the propagation test show that a network covering the entire municipality would represent 0.19% of the energy consumption of the public lighting system. Energy efficiency in public lighting systems is crucial for smart cities, emphasizing the importance of replacing old technologies with LED bulbs and implementing intelligent management systems. The work highlights a significant opportunity for projects focused on energy efficiency, contributing to sustainable and efficient goals in smart cities.