Precise weather data for building management systems (BMS)How weather data can optimize your building management system ...

The seamless integration of precise weather data is the key to controlling your building management system (BMS). The BMS enables holistic monitoring and control of various technical systems - from room temperature control to finely tuned monitoring and control of windows, lighting, ventilation and shading systems such as awnings, blinds and shutters.

Weather data plays a decisive role in modern functional buildings - BMS: This is because efficient control depends crucially on solar radiation, outdoor temperature, humidity or precipitation, for example.

An example use case: façade brightness for optimum lighting and shading control:
The brightness on façades can have a significant impact on energy efficiency and comfort in buildings. Our integrated weather stations of types 4.9xxx.xx.xxx (Clima Sensor US, WSC11, WSC Advanced ), which have brightness sensors and GPS, provide all the data required to calculate the brightness on vertical façades of any orientation. The only system requirement is that the weather station is installed at a location where it is unshaded throughout the day. Our calculation instructions (link) can be used to determine the brightness on any number of vertical façades in any orientation. This not only provides you with the irradiation from the main cardinal directions north, east, south and west, but also allows you to determine the irradiation at any time and at any position of the sun for any orientated facade using just one single weather station. Find out more: For detailed information on calculating brightness, you can download our application note ‘How to calculate the brightness of facades’.

Our integrated weather stations , such as the CLIMA SENSOR US weather station, the WSC11 and WSC Advanced weather stations, offer optimum solutions for recording all relevant environmental parameters.

The weather stations not only allow you to record precise data such as wind speed, wind direction, precipitation, global radiation, position of the sun, brightness, temperature, humidity and air pressure, but also offer various interfaces to make this information available in your BMS systems. This means that the BMS has the necessary weather data to derive measures that enable, for example, energy optimization or alarm messages to janitors or building managers in the event of potentially dangerous weather events.

Challenges of integrated weather stations : Integrated weather stations have extensive measurement sensor technology integrated into one device. Typically, this means that the entire device has to be replaced in the event of a fault if it is not possible to replace individual sensor modules on site. This places the highest demands on the measurement technology in order to realize the precise recording of various parameters in just one compact sensor housing. The design of a sensor system that is compressed into a very small space and does not interfere with each other as much as possible is a demanding metrological challenge that requires many years of experience and corresponding expertise on the part of the manufacturer.

Connection to various control systems: The seamless integration of weather stations into intelligent building management systems requires a selection of interfaces to ensure connection to various control systems. This not only offers maximum flexibility, but also enables efficient communication and integration of weather data into control processes, from industrial networks to IoT applications.

Interfaces for maximum flexibility:
PROFINET/PROFIsafe: Secure integration into industrial networks.
LORAWAN: Efficient IoT connectivity, especially for extensive areass.
Ethernet and TCP/IP: Reliable data transmission in IP networks.
WLAN/Bluetooth: Flexible wireless connectivity options.
GPRS: Mobile data transmission, ideal for remote locations.
Modbus RTU, RS-422 and RS-485: Established standards for serial communication.
MQTT: Effective messaging protocol for IoT applications.
KNX: Flexible standard for building automation, enables comprehensive networking and control of building components.
BACnet: Standard protocol for building automation, optimized for interoperable data communication between complex systems (MODBUS RTU - BACnet Gateway (9.3501.00.011)

Are you interested in Thies CLIMA weather stations with KNX interface, for example the WSC11 with KNX, Konnex Network, “Connectivity system in building automation” originally “Konnex”? These are offered by OEM partners and are not available directly from Thies. Let us help you find the perfect solution. Contact us directly and we will be happy to put you in touch with a suitable OEM partner, info@thiesclima.com 49.551.79001-0

KNX is a manufacturer-independent open standard for building automation (comparable to BACnet or Modbus, …). KNX is based on a field bus system that enables a wide variety of devices to be networked and controlled. The KNX interface in weather stations allows easy integration into the KNX system, which enables precise control and monitoring of various building functions based on environmental data. For example, heating, ventilation, lighting and security systems can be efficiently controlled and automated to improve the comfort of building users and save energy at the same time.

The solution with Thies CLIMA weather stations: To meet these challenges, we at Thies CLIMA have dedicated ourselves to the careful development and continuous improvement of all sub-components and functions of our integrated weather stations. For the precipitation sensors in our integrated weather stations, for example, we rely on a surface technology that is robust against weather influences and a proven connection technology. Extensive laboratory tests and many years of field testing ensure that the weather stations work reliably and for a long time, even under demanding conditions.

Should a malfunction occur despite these high quality standards, the modular design allows sensor elements to be replaced on site by trained customer service team. To further improve the measurement quality and reliability of our integrated weather stations, we use internal plausibility checks to specifically optimize the meteorological quality criteria (scores) of our weather stations, such as minimizing false-positive or false-negative event outputs and the Heidke skill score.

Weather station WSC11 : Due to the thermal wind measurement technology, the very compact, discreet design without moving elements meets the expectations of architects and project developers for the most inconspicuous sensor technology possible on roofs and along building facades. The digital interface with RS485 enables bus operation. Data output is digital via RS485 with preset ASCII or MODBUS RTU protocol.

WSC 11 measures:

Innovative weather station for BMS systems: CLIMA SENSOR US provides precise weather data: This includes wind speed, wind direction, precipitation status, precipitation intensity (amount), precipitation type, global radiation/brightness, temperature, humidity and air pressure as well as information on location, altitude, orientation and time with GPS. A 16-pin connector provides both digital and analog interfaces.

Robust construction and ultrasonic technology:

The future of weather monitoring in functional buildings - WSC Advanced weather station: Reliable weather data with forecast insights, thanks to precise sensors, durability, and connectivity in a compact design. With a wide range of measurement data, including wind speed, air pressure, precipitation and global radiation, the WSC Advanced integrates advanced features into a user-friendly design. The thermal wind sensor ensures accurate measurements, while THERMACERN(R), a robust, long-term stable ceramic component, handles precipitation measurement.