IoT Greenhouse
Challenge
In greenhouses, the climate must constantly adapt to weather conditions. Manual window control is time-consuming and slow to respond to weather changes. An automated system was needed to take advantage of rainfall forecasts while respecting the technical limitations of actuators and control modules.
PLC Direct Benelux B.V., based in the Netherlands, provides industrial automation solutions and distributes products from well-known brands. The company also helps customers implement and customize IIoT applications.
Solution
The developed system integrates a RevPi Core with a RevPi DI digital I/O expansion module to control a linear actuator. Node-RED processes rainfall forecasts from Buienradar and automatically closes windows in case of rain.
Implementation
A 24 V linear actuator with 500 mm stroke opens and closes the windows. Since the actuator requires 3 A and the I/O module can only switch 500 mA, a relay was added. Node-RED uses HTTP requests every five minutes to query GPS-based rainfall forecasts. If rain is predicted within the next 15 minutes, the windows close automatically; otherwise, they open again.
Technologies used:
- RevPi Core as a controller
- RevPi DIO (digital I/O expansion module)
- Node-RED for programming
- HTTP requests for weather data
- Linear actuator with relay
- Buienradar API
Results & Outlook
The system currently maintains two states: "window open" and "window closed". Future enhancements may include:
- Additional intermediate window positions
- Temperature and humidity sensor integration
- Web-based dashboard for rain forecast and window status
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