How to Connect LoRaWAN® to Niagara Framework & Your BMS (BACnet/Modbus) with TEKTELIC

Commercial buildings are under pressure to cut costs, meet sustainability goals, and create healthier spaces for occupants. But most Building Management Systems (BMS) still rely on wired sensors, which are expensive to install and hard to retrofit in occupied spaces.

LoRaWAN® changes that. With long range, low power, and secure wireless connectivity, facility teams can add hundreds of battery-powered sensors without rewiring. And because Niagara Framework already serves as the integration layer for most BMS, the data from LoRaWAN can flow seamlessly into dashboards, alarms, and control loops that operators use every day.

The result? More insight, faster retrofit, lower costs, and no new tools to learn.

Integration patterns: two simple approaches

There are two main ways to connect TEKTELIC LoRaWAN gateways and sensors into a BMS environment:

1. Gateway with embedded LNS (single sites / small campuses)

For one building or a small campus, TEKTELIC KONA Micro, KONA Enterprise, KONA Macro or KONA Mega gateways can run with an embedded LoRaWAN Network Server (LNS).

• No extra components — the gateway handles join, sessions, and local payload routing.
• Devices are added through the gateway UI or a simple cloud interface.
• Low latency and faster rollout.

2. External or on-prem LNS (multi-site / enterprise)

Larger portfolios often use a dedicated on-prem or cloud-hosted LNS such as TEKTELIC KONA LNS or another enterprise-standard platform.

• Gateways forward traffic securely (LoRa Basics™ Station or UDP).
• The LNS manages device sessions, deduplication, and decoding.
• Data is forwarded to integration middleware, ready for BMS consumption.

Rule of thumb: use an embedded LNS for a quick start at one site; use an external LNS when you need centralized policy, scaling, and IT governance.

From LoRaWAN to Niagara: what the BMS sees

Once data is decoded, TEKTELIC gateways or middleware map sensor values into BACnet/IP objects or Modbus registers.

That means:

• BACnet/IP: Temperature, CO₂, humidity, occupancy, or leak detection appear as standard BACnet objects (Analog Input, Binary Input, etc.).
• Modbus: The same values can be exposed for legacy systems and equipment.

Niagara Framework then does what it always does:

• Discovers BACnet devices and points.
• Presents them as standard objects for dashboards, alarms, and schedules.
• Allows operators to combine LoRaWAN data with existing HVAC, lighting, and metering controls — with no extra training.

Example flow:
A TEKTELIC BREEZE sensor reports CO₂ levels in a meeting room → Gateway decodes and maps to a BACnet object → Niagara ingests it → HVAC logic reduces ventilation when the room is empty, saving energy.

A step-by-step integration flow

Here’s a practical path many facility managers follow:

1. Place gateways to cover floors, mechanical rooms, and risers. Choose embedded vs external LNS.
2. Commission gateways on Ethernet/LTE backhaul with secure Basics Station or MQTT.
3. Enroll sensors using OTAA and apply decoder profiles to standardize units and names.
4. Expose data as BACnet/IP objects or Modbus registers.
5. Discover in Niagara, tag points, and create alarms, trends, and schedules.
6. Operate & scale: use TEKTELIC OAM for network/device health; expand building by building without changing the BMS model.

Where LoRaWAN helps most

Adding sensors is not just about collecting more data — it’s about solving real problems that wired systems often leave untouched. With LoRaWAN, facility managers can finally monitor the spaces and systems that were too costly or impractical to reach before. Some of the biggest wins include:

• Smarter ventilation (DCV): Reliable CO₂ and occupancy sensors enable demand-controlled ventilation, cutting 10–30% of heating/cooling energy in many studies.
• Indoor air quality monitoring: Track CO₂, VOCs, particulate matter, and humidity to keep spaces healthy and productive.
• Preventive maintenance: Leak and vibration sensors provide early warnings before costly failures.
• Submetering and utilities: Wireless submeters deliver visibility without pulling new cables through finished spaces.

In short: more data points at lower cost, improving both energy performance and occupant comfort.

Security and reliability built in

• AES-128 encryption at the link layer with separate network and application session keys.
• TLS-secured backhaul for gateway–LNS communication.
• Carrier-grade hardware for reliability in critical building environments.

These features satisfy IT and cybersecurity teams while keeping facility operations simple.

A real-world outcome

One Canadian property management group added LoRaWAN occupancy, leak, and air quality sensors to existing buildings using TEKTELIC gateways.

• Within 60 days, they reported a 21% reduction in cleaning costs by matching services to actual occupancy.
• Leak sensors helped avoid repair costs from undetected water issues.
• Tenants noticed improved comfort, while facility teams automated ESG reporting with the new data.

All of this was achieved without rewiring or disrupting tenants — a quick, low-cost retrofit that paid back rapidly.

What facility managers gain

When LoRaWAN data flows into Niagara, the day-to-day experience for operators doesn’t change — and that’s the beauty of it. They still work in the same familiar consoles, but suddenly with many more points and insights at their fingertips. The benefits are clear:

• No new tools to learn: Sensors appear as BACnet/Modbus points.
• Faster retrofits: Wireless avoids ceiling work, shafts, and downtime.
• Portfolio scalability: Standardized device profiles and naming keep the BMS model stable while you add more sensors.
• Lower install and operating costs: Fewer trade hours, less rework, and easy expansion compared to wired systems.

Buying checklist for seamless projects

Even with the right technology, integration projects can stumble if key features are missing. To avoid surprises and keep deployments smooth, make sure your LoRaWAN solution offers the following essentials:

• Native BACnet/Modbus mapping of decoded payloads.
• Prebuilt decoders for TEKTELIC devices (BREEZE, COMFORT, VIVID, TUNDRA and others).
• Remote management via TEKTELIC’s KONA Element OAM platform (firmware, diagnostics, battery analytics).
• Flexible LNS options (embedded or external) to match IT requirements.
• Clear point naming and units standards for smooth integration into Niagara.

Why now?

Energy efficiency and healthy workplaces are more than buzzwords. Buildings account for nearly 30% of global energy use and a large share of emissions. Policies, incentives, and tenant expectations are driving owners to act.

With TEKTELIC’s LoRaWAN gateways and sensors feeding directly into Niagara via BACnet or Modbus, you can:

• Prove energy savings quickly (DCV and IAQ often pay back in months).
• Scale portfolio-wide without new wiring or operator retraining.
• Deliver healthier, more efficient buildings using the systems your teams already know.

Conclusion

LoRaWAN isn’t about replacing your BMS — it’s about giving it more eyes and ears. By combining TEKTELIC’s carrier-grade gateways and sensors with Niagara Framework and open standards like BACnet and Modbus, facility teams can unlock energy savings, improve tenant comfort, and future-proof their operations.

If you’re planning a pilot, start with one floor: CO₂ and occupancy sensors for ventilation, a few leak sensors in high-risk areas, and IAQ monitoring for tenant experience. From there, scaling is straightforward.

Want to see how this could look in your building? Our team can help you design the first pilot and connect LoRaWAN® data seamlessly into Niagara. Contact us today info@tektelic.com