LoRaWAN Soil Moisture Sensors: Precision Irrigation for Smart Cities

For municipalities, public works departments and facility managers, efficient irrigation is core business.

In practice, however, watering often happens too late or too often. This wastes water and time, and damages trees and green spaces. A modern soil moisture sensor solves this problem. Combined with LoRaWAN, irrigation becomes smart, sustainable and cost-efficient.

LoRaWAN: The Gamechanger for Urban Irrigation

A LoRaWAN soil moisture sensor takes traditional irrigation control to a new level. The combination of rugged sensor technology and reliable wireless transmission delivers measurable efficiency gains in daily operations:

• Battery power: Battery life of several years, depending on the model and transmission interval up to 10 years, enables low-maintenance networks. 

• Flexible installation: Works independently of the power grid, no mains power connection required. Ideal for parks, sports facilities or urban trees. 

• Real-time data instead of guesswork: Soil moisture is measured and transmitted continuously. This solves a problem that's common in practice: 

• Irrigation contractors often run on fixed schedules and water regardless of whether it has recently rained or the sun is shining. The client, whether a municipality or a housing association, has no insight into the actual condition of its land and ultimately only sees the billed water volume. 

• Sensor data changes this fundamentally: irrigation happens on demand, when the soil actually needs water. The client has continuous visibility into the real irrigation status of their land and saves water, since trips and watering only happen when necessary. 

• Seamless integration: The data can be integrated into existing smart city platforms and a range of IoT devices. This enables consistent control, from individual green spaces to an entire city.

Elvaco Use Case: Smart City Soil Irrigation

Many municipalities and housing associations face the same problem: green spaces are watered too late or too often. This costs not only water and staff time, but also causes plant damage from drought stress or waterlogging.

The solution: the Elsys ELT combined with the Teros 10 soil moisture sensor.

• The sensor precisely measures moisture in the root zone. 

• Data is transmitted in real time to the central platform via LoRaWAN. 

• Facility managers or public works teams control irrigation based on actual demand.

The result: optimized irrigation that saves water, reduces costs and prevents damage to trees, lawns and plants.

Products in Focus: Elvaco & Elsys

For municipalities, public works departments and facility managers, Elvaco offers the right combination of hardware and integration:

• Elsys ELT + Teros 10: The ELT serves as a rugged LoRaWAN base unit (IP67) for outdoor use, to which the Teros 10 soil moisture sensor is connected as an external sensor. Built for harsh conditions and long-term operation. 

• Benefits: Simple configuration via app, long battery life, reliable data transmission over LoRaWAN. 

• Integration: Straightforward connection to an existing LoRaWAN network, including data forwarding to the target system. Measurement data flows directly into smart city platforms, irrigation controllers or custom dashboards. Elvaco delivers the complete chain, from soil measurement to usable information in the target system. 

• Scalability: From individual parks to entire cities, the solution grows with your requirements.

Why Soil Moisture Sensors Matter

A soil moisture sensor measures the water content in the ground. It provides data on how much water is available in the soil and whether plants are being supplied optimally. Typical applications include urban trees, parks, green spaces and sports fields, where demand-based irrigation matters most. 

Traditional solutions follow rigid schedules: irrigation runs regardless of whether the soil actually needs moisture. That's inefficient, costly and ties up staff resources.

Soil Moisture Sensors Compared: Measurement Principle and Wireless Technology

Soil moisture sensors differ along two independent dimensions: the measurement principle (how moisture is detected) and the wireless technology (how the data is transmitted). For municipalities and facility managers, wireless technology is usually the decisive factor:

LoRaWAN sensors reach ranges of several kilometers with battery life of several years, depending on the model and transmission interval up to 10 years, without any ongoing mobile network fees.

This makes them particularly suitable for large-scale, decentralized irrigation control, while WiFi and NB-IoT serve different use cases due to limited range and dependence on mobile contracts, respectively.

Measurement Principles at a Glance

Note: Combined temperature and humidity sensors are usually capacitive-based and additionally provide temperature data. This isn't a separate measurement method, but an added function, relevant for example when capturing microclimates in parks or sports facilities.

Wireless Technologies at a Glance

Conclusion: Soil Moisture Sensors Make Cities Smarter

With a LoRaWAN-based soil moisture sensor, traditional irrigation becomes a data-driven smart city solution. Municipalities, public works departments and facility managers benefit from: 

• more efficient operations,
• healthier green spaces,
• measurable cost and water savings,
• and a contribution to sustainability and climate protection.

Schedule a consultation now and find out how Elvaco & Elsys soil moisture sensors can modernize your irrigation, from individual parks to an entire city.

FAQ: Common Questions About Soil Moisture Sensors

1. What is a soil moisture sensor?
   A soil moisture sensor measures moisture levels in the ground, for example in the root zone of trees, lawns or flower beds. It provides precise data for efficient irrigation control.

2. How does a soil moisture sensor work?
   Usually capacitive: the sensor measures the change in the soil's dielectric constant, which correlates with water content. Combined with LoRaWAN, the measurements are transmitted wirelessly and evaluated centrally.

3. How effective are soil moisture sensors in practice?
   Very effective: they prevent over- or under-watering, save water and reduce operating costs. Cities and municipalities in particular can significantly reduce plant damage.

4. What are the advantages of a LoRaWAN soil moisture sensor?
   Long range, long battery life, no power connections required, centralized data integration and control, ideal for smart city applications.

5. What's the difference between consumer sensors (WiFi) and professional solutions (LoRaWAN)?
   WiFi sensors are suitable for small areas in private settings but have short ranges and require power connections. Professional LoRaWAN sensors are scalable, rugged and optimized for large-scale, municipal applications.

6. Which soils are the sensors suitable for?
   Teros 10 sensors work reliably in most soils, including soilless substrates. Their 70 MHz frequency minimizes the influence of salinity or soil structure.

7. How long does a soil moisture sensor's battery last?
   Up to 10 years depending on the measurement interval, ideal for long-term use across large areas.

8. Can soil moisture sensors be integrated into existing irrigation systems?
   Yes, the data can be integrated into smart city platforms or existing IoT systems, allowing existing systems to be retrofitted and optimized.