Furgo

Furgo offers low-cost connected sensors, aiming to democratize the use of digital technologies in agriculture. The company was involved in the 2024 collaborative experiment, which focused on measuring electricity consumption during specific operations at the winery.

We used a current clamp installed directly on the power cable feeding the electrical equipment. Connected to a Dragino transmitter, the data was sent via a low-power LoRa network and can be viewed on the platform provided by Furgo (see image above).

What we liked:

• The current clamps are quick and easy to install.
• The equipment offered was selected from a broader range of sensors and tested by Furgo to ensure reliability.
• The low cost of the system.

Areas for improvement:

• Users must interpret the data themselves on the platform; no additional guidance is provided to help identify energy-saving strategies, for example.
• The setup of both the sensors and the LoRa network is the client’s responsibility, which may require some IoT (Internet of Things) knowledge.

This is a relevant option for monitoring the most energy-intensive equipment in a winery when submeter installation costs are prohibitive. It allows for a quick, high-level diagnosis of energy consumption without going into fine-grained analysis or comparing winemaking practices. The system was deployed as a proof of concept in 2024, and further analyses will be conducted at the winery in 2025.

For more information on the 2024 experiment on energy inputs: click here