LoRa Energy Meter Network for Industrial Park Power Monitoring

A large industrial park needed a better way to monitor electricity use across workshops, warehouses, offices, utility rooms, and shared facilities. Its existing meters were spread across several buildings. Therefore, collecting readings by hand took too much time.

Installing new communication cables between every building would also have required major civil and electrical work. To solve this issue, the project introduced LoRa energy meters, three-phase power meters, and 4G data gateway terminals.

The new system created a wireless path from local meters to a central monitoring platform. As a result, the park operator could collect electricity data, compare different zones, and manage distributed loads more efficiently.

Project Background

The industrial park included several independent manufacturing companies. Each tenant had different equipment, production hours, and power demand. In addition, the operator managed street lighting, water pumps, office buildings, security systems, and other public loads.

However, the original meters only showed local readings. Maintenance staff had to visit each distribution room and enter the data into spreadsheets.

This process caused several problems:

• Meter reading required too much labor
• Some readings were collected late
• Manual data entry created errors
• Tenant and public loads were hard to separate
• Unusual electricity use was not found quickly
• Historical consumption data was incomplete
• New metering points were difficult to add

The operator needed a wireless sub-metering system that could cover a wide site without rebuilding the existing communication network.

Why the Project Selected LoRa Meters

LoRa is designed for long-range, low-data wireless communication. Energy meters normally send small data packets rather than large files. Therefore, LoRa can be a practical choice for distributed electricity monitoring.

The industrial park had many meter cabinets but limited network access. Some cabinets were inside workshops, while others were located in outdoor utility areas. A LoRa meter network reduced the need to install communication cables between each point.

However, the project team did not assume that one wireless design would work in every area. Building materials, machinery, cabinet doors, distance, and radio interference can all affect signal quality. Therefore, site testing was completed before final deployment.

LoRa Meter and LoRaWAN Compatibility

LoRa describes the wireless radio technology, while LoRaWAN is a network protocol built on LoRa. The terms should not be treated as identical during procurement.

Before selecting an energy meter LoRaWAN system, buyers should confirm:

• Radio frequency permitted in the target country
• LoRa or LoRaWAN protocol requirements
• Gateway compatibility
• Meter data format
• Device addressing method
• Encryption and security settings
• Communication distance
• Upload interval
• Network capacity
• Third-party platform compatibility

For this project, the selected meters and gateways were configured as one matched system. This reduced integration problems during installation.

Three-Phase Sub-Metering for Industrial Loads

Most production equipment used three-phase power. Therefore, the project installed three-phase energy meters at key workshop feeders and major equipment circuits.

Each meter was assigned to a clear load group, such as:

• Production workshops
• Air compressors
• Water pumps
• HVAC systems
• Warehouses
• Office buildings
• Outdoor lighting
• Public service areas

This structure allowed the operator to compare energy use by tenant, building, zone, or load type.

Saving Meter supplies three-phase electronic energy meters and DIN rail models for industrial power monitoring. Depending on the model, functions can include energy measurement, data processing, real-time monitoring, RS485 communication, and information exchange.

Using a 4G and LoRa Data Gateway

The gateway formed the center of the communication system. Downstream, it collected readings from LoRa meters. Upstream, it used 4G to send the data to the remote platform.

Saving Meter’s RTU1218 power data gateway is designed for electricity monitoring. It supports downstream LoRa meter reading and upstream 4G communication. It can be installed inside a power distribution cabinet for centralized reading, sub-metering, statistical analysis, and remote management.

The gateway also supports an RS485 interface. Therefore, the project could include both wireless meters and selected wired devices where needed.

Planning Gateway Locations

Gateway placement had a direct effect on communication stability. The project team first reviewed the site plan and marked all meter positions.

Signal tests were then carried out in workshops, distribution rooms, outdoor cabinets, and areas near large machines. Gateways were placed where they could collect data from the required meters while maintaining stable 4G communication.

The team also avoided placing antennas behind heavy metal barriers. Where necessary, meter groups were divided between more than one gateway. This approach improved coverage and made the system easier to expand.

Configuring the Energy Monitoring Platform

Every meter needed a clear digital identity. Therefore, the platform grouped devices by company, building, floor, workshop, and load type.

The platform structure supported:

• Centralized meter reading
• Daily and monthly consumption records
• Tenant electricity allocation
• Zone-by-zone comparisons
• Load trend analysis
• Meter communication status
• Abnormal consumption checks
• Data export
• User access management

Because the account structure followed the physical layout of the park, staff could find each meter more quickly.

Installation and Commissioning

The project was completed in stages. First, technicians checked the meter wiring, current range, phase order, and communication configuration.

Next, each LoRa meter was linked to its gateway and platform account. Local readings were then compared with the data received by the central system.

The commissioning process included:

• Meter wiring inspection
• Current transformer direction checks
• Meter and gateway addressing
• LoRa signal testing
• 4G connection verification
• Data upload testing
• Local and remote reading comparison
• Time setting confirmation
• Meter-to-load mapping

This process helped identify wiring or communication problems before full operation.

Handling Lost or Delayed Data

Wireless communication may be affected by network loss or site interference. Therefore, data recovery was part of the system plan.

The RTU1218 gateway includes a mechanism for detecting and resending lost data. It also supports remote software updates through its 4G connection. These functions can help maintain data integrity and reduce the need for on-site software service.

The operator also set communication alarms so that staff could identify an offline meter or gateway. This made system maintenance more proactive.

Project Results

The LoRa energy meter network improved power monitoring across the industrial park. The main results included:

• Less manual meter reading
• Reduced communication cabling
• Clearer tenant and public-load data
• Faster access to electricity records
• Easier comparison between workshops
• Better visibility of unusual power use
• Flexible expansion for new meter points
• Central management of distributed buildings

Most importantly, the project created a practical link between local meters, wireless communication, and remote energy management.

Integrated Support from Saving Meter

Saving Meter provides electric meters, data collection terminals, cloud software, system integration, and operation support. Its product range includes three-phase meters, DIN rail meters, 4G meters, prepaid meters, and energy efficiency monitoring terminals.

For an industrial LoRa metering project, buyers should provide a site layout, meter quantity, electrical parameters, distance between devices, communication requirements, and platform needs. Saving Meter can then help confirm the meter and gateway configuration for the application.