Case Study: Cold Weather and Frost Monitoring System for Welsh Vineyard

All vineyards face the springtime threat of cold weather and frost which can ruin their crops. Tair Gafr Wines, located in the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales, in the UK, have installed an HW Group Narrowband IoT environmental monitoring solution to help protect their organic vines and provide all-year round monitoring.

Nestled in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, Tair Gafr Wines stands as a beacon of sustainable viticulture. Founded in 2019, this environmentally conscious vineyard is committed to organic practices and minimal use of machinery.
However, the arrival of spring brings a recurring problem: how to protect their delicate vines from cold and frost damage. This challenge sparked a journey toward an ingenious IoT solution that would not only protect their harvest, but also set a precedent for innovation in the field.

Tair Gafr Wines commitment to sustainable practices and minimal use of machinery led them to seek an innovative solution to protect their delicate crop. The sustainable vineyard decided to take an innovative approach to protecting their vines from frost and the cold grip of spring.

Every vineyard faces the annual threat of cold temperatures, temperature fluctuations and frost which can damage grape bud formation and growth. This is especially so in colder climates such as South Wales (UK), where low temperatures, especially at night, can jeopardize the harvest.

To monitor these critical conditions, Tair Gafr Wines needed a reliable solution and chose HW group’s NB-2×1Wire monitoring device with an additional 1-Wire outdoor temperature and humidity sensor. The sensor can measure temperatures from -30 to 85degC and humidity. The installed monitoring system is a versatile and practical choice with the following key features:

• Up to three years of operation with a pre-installed battery
• Cellular connectivity using a Narrowband SIM card with a three-year prepaid plan
• An easy-to-use portal service for monitoring sensor readings and issuing alert notifications

This powerful combination allowed the vineyard to precisely define safe temperature and relative humidity ranges. Whenever these values are outside the set parameters, an instant email alert notification is sent to a predefined email distribution list via the HWg-cloud.com monitoring platform.

But as with any innovative solution, there were adjustments to be made. In a sun-drenched vineyard, where sunlight is the primary energy source, ensuring accurate sensor readings required careful positioning. The initial sensor placement received excessive direct sunlight, causing additional heating and slightly skewed readings. After fine-tuning the sensor’s location, Tair Gafr Wines now has a reliable and affordable long-term solution to ensure the perfect condition of their vines.

As well as monitoring environmental conditions, the system also proactively monitors the status of the battery in the NB-IoT device. An alarm notification is issued if the battery charge capacity falls below a predetermined level, allowing for proactive replacement, without disruption to system monitoring. For the HW Group NB series devices, actual battery life depends on the number of sensors connected and temperature conditions.

The Narrowband (NB) IoT monitoring solutions available from Server Room Environments provide a cost-effective and efficient monitoring solution for outdoor applications with no annual recurring costs other than a battery replacement after three years.

Server Room Environments supplies the complete range of HW Group environmental monnitoring solutions include the NB Series IoT devices and sensors.

For more information on the vineyard visit https: https://www.tairgafrwines.co.uk/.