The True Cost Is in the Installation, Not the Sensor
When comparing wireless and wired sensors for building monitoring, most calculations focus on device cost. The real difference is in installation. A wired temperature sensor may cost €30 – but the cable, tray, conduit, I/O module, electrician hours and commissioning bring the total to €300–500 per point. A LoRaWAN sensor costs €60–80 and installs in 15 minutes with no cable at all.
Cost Comparison: 100 Sensors in a Commercial Building
- Wired (BACnet/IP) – €40 000–60 000 installed (cable, trays, commissioning)
- LoRaWAN wireless – €8 000–12 000 installed (sensors + 1–2 gateways)
- Saving – 70–80% lower installation cost with wireless
When Wired Still Makes Sense
- Existing cable infrastructure with spare capacity
- High-frequency data (>1 Hz) required by process control
- Extremely harsh EMI environments where radio unreliable
- Safety-critical control loops (SIL-rated systems)
The LoRaWAN Advantage for Monitoring
For monitoring (not control), LoRaWAN delivers data every 5–15 minutes – sufficient for energy management, comfort monitoring, predictive maintenance and compliance logging. Sensor-Online handles everything from sensor onboarding to dashboards and API. Browse LoRaWAN sensors or explore the platform.
