Green Ecolution is an open-source solution for the efficient irrigation of urban trees. Our software combines sensor data with intelligent route optimization, enabling targeted, resource-efficient deployment planning. Developed in collaboration with the City of Flensburg, and soon available for your municipality too.
Our system scientifically evaluates the sensor data and shows when irrigation is needed. The data is prepared so that it is easy to interpret and can be directly incorporated into deployment planning.
From soil moisture to an optimized irrigation route, in one continuous digital workflow.
Soil moisture sensors capture soil moisture and temperature at multiple depths (30/60/90 cm). The data is transmitted energy-efficiently via LoRaWAN.
A traffic-light system shows the current irrigation need on a map. Staff can see at a glance which green spaces need water. Time series enable detailed analyses.
Automated dispatch and route planning generates optimized irrigation routes, taking into account water capacity, vehicle size, and road restrictions.
This is how the readings travel from the tree to the optimized irrigation route through the Green Ecolution system.
Measures soil moisture at the tree
LoRaWAN transmission
Data processing & analysis
Visualization & route planning
Measures soil moisture at the tree
LoRaWAN transmission
Data processing & analysis
Visualization & route planning
Route optimisation in the backend is handled by Streamlet, a separate service of ours that can also be used outside Green Ecolution.
Getting started is smaller than it first looks. The four points describe what has to come from the municipality.
Scheduling and route planning already work without sensors. Trees, fleet and refill points are enough. The soil probes improve the prioritisation because they show which areas actually need water.
Locations come in via CSV import or by connecting an existing tree register. There is no need to build a register from scratch.
Water carts, vans and trailers with their water capacities, plus the refill points across the city. A new fleet or fixed irrigation hardware is not required.
The probes transmit over LoRaWAN and the open The Things Network today. Since 2024 Schleswig-Holstein has built a state-wide network with more than 420 gateways. Where there is no coverage, you can either add a gateway of your own or run the same probes on NB-IoT with a SIM card. LoRaWAN is the technology in use today, not a condition.
We run the platform for you, including updates, backups and support. Because the source code is open and free of licence fees, running it yourself stays possible at any time. So you are not tied to us, and you still do not have to look after any of it.
How the route optimisation works and what input it expects is described on the route optimisation page.
Green Ecolution consists of software, hardware and the services around them. The software is open source; the probes and the support come from PROGEEK GmbH in Flensburg.
The master's project at Flensburg University of Applied Sciences showed that the approach holds up in municipal day-to-day work. What municipalities get today is built on that foundation at PROGEEK.
The platform with its map and dashboard, grouping into irrigation units, fleet and team management, the user and role model, the mobile app and the review of consumption. The source code is open and there are no licence fees for municipalities. Route optimisation with refill stations comes via Streamlet and is agreed separately.
The soil probe records the soil water status at several depths and transmits over LoRaWAN or, where LoRaWAN is unavailable, over NB-IoT with a SIM card. It is designed for public spaces, is installed flush with the ground using standard earth augers and does not get in the way of maintenance work such as mowing. The probes are available through PROGEEK, a firmware of our own is in development, and regional manufacturing is the goal going forward.
PROGEEK handles hosting and operation, adapts the platform to the municipality's organisational structure, connects existing data sources and supports the rollout. You get a system somebody looks after, and you keep every freedom that open source brings.
We advise you from the first question through to day-to-day operation. At PROGEEK in Flensburg you talk directly to the people who build and run the system.
Request a quoteTransparency, independence, and reusability: the cornerstones of our open-source strategy.
Licensed under the AGPL. Funded as part of DigitalHub.SH's "Offene Innovation" ("Open Innovation") state program.
No dependency on proprietary platforms. Municipalities retain control over their data and infrastructure. No vendor lock-in.
Modular extensions for municipality-specific adaptations without changing the core software. Import plugins for tree registries, CSV, and databases.
Open interfaces for integration into municipal IT landscapes. Connection to IoT hubs and open data portals.
Source code and documentation are public on GitHub. Improvements built for one municipality are available to all the others.
No licence fees for municipalities. Value creation stays in Schleswig-Holstein because development and operation happen regionally.
The project is publicly viewable and aims to reduce water consumption for irrigation while enabling variable deployment planning.
Auditable source code, no licence fees and no vendor lock-in
Individual deployment planning for more efficient irrigation
Targeted irrigation, less water consumption
The platform is deliberately designed to be usable in any municipality. Map areas, organizational structures, and irrigation regions are freely configurable.
Only open standards and open-source components are used. A cloud-native architecture based on Kubernetes enables multi-tenant, highly available operation. Additional municipalities can easily be added.
Sensor setup via QR code and GPS directly on-site at the tree
Fine-grained permission management for staff, service providers, and partner municipalities
Fully self-developed firmware for maximum control and adaptability
Connection to the open data portal of the state of Schleswig-Holstein
Expansion to flower beds, perennials, and parks beyond trees
···and much more in the pipeline
In August 2026 public broadcaster NDR reported on urban trees that no longer survive the dry summers and spent a morning filming in Flensburg. The piece shows a soil moisture sensor going into the ground and how the city's technical operations centre plans the next watering run from its readings.
This is the software that was developed and set up for the City of Flensburg. It is primarily used by the Technisches Betriebszentrum Flensburg (the city's technical operations center).
There you can find all code repositories associated with the project, such as the backend and frontend of the software
A post about the research project was also published on the Hochschule Flensburg website.
Green Ecolution was mentioned not only on the website but also on Instagram.
Green Ecolution was presented and funded as one of the open-source projects as part of DigitalHub.SH 2025.
NDR reported on urban trees that no longer withstand the dry summers and showed Green Ecolution in Flensburg as one approach to the problem.
The City of Flensburg also reported on Green Ecolution and its significance for sustainable city management.
The public demo instance, directly in the browser and without installation.
Do you have questions, feedback, or a request? We welcome your message and will get back to you as soon as possible.
