From wine production to frost irrigation and car charging
The project originated in the challenge of producing wine in the Halland region, a location characterized by a changing climate and varying temperatures. Previously, frost irrigation was managed manually, but with the advantage of implementing systems and wireless field components from Regin, it became possible to take control of the automatic irrigation that ensures frost protection for the sensitive budding grapes.
In order to create the right conditions for an organic winery, a solution has also been programmed for accurate temperature control for fermenting the grapes. This way, the system facilitates control of the whole process from grape to finished wine. Storage of the wine is managed via humidity control in the wine cellar.
With knowledge about the benefits of a connected facility, Ästad vingård has continued to implement new solutions to streamline energy use and advance the overall experience. For example, a completely scalable solution for room control has been implemented, enabling comfort and optimal air quality in all the hotel's spaces – from hotel and conference rooms to restaurants and pool areas.
About half of all electricity consumed at Ästad Vingård, is generated through its solar park. To ensure sustainable operations, Ästad Vingård also invests heavily in green electricity. When visiting the yard with an electric car, the vehicle can always be charged in one of the charging stations mounted on the parking.
With APIs in Arrigo, multiple systems can interact with each other
One of the advantages of Arrigo is its open standards that allow multiple systems to interact with each other. For example, Arrigo has been able to connect to the external booking system from Spectra Systems, which means that the system can collect data about check-in and check-out. In this way, Ästad Vingård has been able to save energy by adapting climate control to the activity of the hotel rooms.
The big challenge in the project has been to consistently ensure sustainable operations. While taking advantage of advanced and high-tech solutions, it has also been important to maintain a user-friendly system.
"The challenge for us has been to develop a high-tech solution, which is still easy to understand and use for everyone. Although several systems must cooperate and retrieve information from each other, it should be possible to enter one of the hotel rooms and turn on the TV, without it being too complicated. Thanks to Arrigo BMS, it is possible", says Bjarne Johansson, Systeminstallation, Sweden.
Big visions for the future of Ästad Vingård
The level of activity at Ästad vingård is high and long-term investments in energy-efficient and sustainable systems are being made. In June, 100 electric car parking spaces will be installed, a new restaurant is already under construction, and energy optimization of both heat and electricity is done continuously. All with the guests' comfort and overall experience in focus.
Technical solution
Several of Regin’s freely programmable control units EXOcompact and EXOclever are installed in the property and communicate with Arrigo BMS. Energy monitoring and optimization take place in the Arrigo EMS (Energy Management system). In order to be able to increase the number of inputs and outputs in the system, several expansion units and I/O modules are used, which makes it possible to expand the control units and connect external systems.
Regin’s EXOcompact Ardo with an external temperature sensor has been installed in each room, which enables communication with the central system. In this way, it is easy to get an overview of the values for the entire property. To achieve optimal temperatures in the property, room sensors for temperature have been installed, as well as duct sensors for measuring air temperature in the ventilation ducts. In addition, immersion sensors are used to measure and regulate water temperatures in spa and pool areas.
The vineyard has several wireless sensors installed, that start frost protection irrigation when there is a risk of freezing. A pressure sensor in the irrigation system is used to regulate pumps and ensure that there is no leakage. The comprehensive product portfolio for frost protection is also connected to Arrigo BMS, which means that the property owner has full control over measured values in the cultivation.
