Project example: City of Troisdorf – Environmental monitoring network for data-driven decision making and climate protection

PROJECT CONTEXT

Troisdorf is the most populous city in the Rhein-Sieg District in North Rhine-Westphalia, situated on the right bank of the Rhine between Cologne and the federal city of Bonn. For years, the City of Troisdorf has been investing funds to enhance the quality of life for its residents.

Like many municipalities, the City of Troisdorf faces the challenge of implementing environmental and climate protection measures in an efficient and evidence-based manner. Modern sensor technology and data-driven analytics offer new opportunities in this regard, enabling the precise capture of local environmental conditions and targeted improvements.

By deploying sensor technology, the City of Troisdorf aims to visualize local environmental trends and gain a better understanding of the urban climate. Among other objectives, the project seeks to collect robust data on local air quality to facilitate the data-driven evaluation of environmental and traffic management measures. To this end, a flexible environmental monitoring network was to be established – one capable of providing high spatial resolution for air quality data while remaining economically viable.

PROJECT GOALS

The goal of the project was to establish a local sensor network for the continuous monitoring of relevant environmental parameters within the city area.

The collected data were intended to:

• Create transparency regarding air quality in Troisdorf,
• Support the city administration in making decisions related to the environment and traffic, and
• Serve as a foundation for future climate protection and Smart City initiatives.

PROJECT RESULTS

The City procured five environmental sensors from Breeze Technologies and installed them at a diverse range of locations throughout the urban area.

The sensors continuously monitor key parameters—such as temperature, humidity, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and ozone – and transmit this data in real time to an analytics platform. There, the readings are calibrated, analyzed, and made available for various applications. The data is shared with the public in real time via a public dashboard accessible at www.smartes.troisdorf.de. Through the deployment of environmental sensor technology, the City of Troisdorf is obtaining high-resolution, localized air quality data in real time for the first time. This data enables:

• A better understanding of spatial variations in air quality,
• The tracking of emission trends within the city area,
• The evaluation of specific measures—for instance, in the transport sector, and
• Fact-based communication with citizens.

Furthermore, the project establishes a vital foundation for the further expansion of data-driven smart city applications and supports sustainable urban development in the long term.

PUBLICATIONS

City of Troisdorf Weather Dashboard with Air Quality Readings