Journal of Advanced Research in Applied Sciences and Engineering Technology 37, Issue 2 (2024) 25-35 25 Journal of Advanced Research in Applied Sciences and Engineering Technology Journal homepage: https://semarakilmu.com.my/journals/index.php/applied_sciences_eng_tech/index ISSN: 2462-1943 Solar Irradiance and Temperature Effects on Signal Transmission Performance of LoRa Network for a Monitoring System on Island Alia Syafiqah Abdul Hamed 1 , Idrus Salimi Ismail 1 , Nurul Adilah Abdul Latiff 1 , Nur Aziemah Azmi Ali 1 , Ahmad Hafiz Wahy 2 , Nur Farizan Munajat 3,* 1 2 3 Faculty of Ocean Engineering Technology and Informatics, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia Luimewah (M) Sdn Bhd, Seksyen 13, 40100 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia Renewable Energy and Power Research Interest Group (REPRIG), Eastern Corridor Renewable Energy Special Interest Group (SIG), Faculty of Ocean Engineering Technology and Informatics, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history: Received 20 June 2023 Received in revised form 13 October 2023 Accepted 4 November 2023 Available online 16 January 2024 With the increasing interest in wireless technologies, Long Range (LoRa) communication is one of the most promising alternatives for providing long-range and low-power-consumption wireless networks. Low-cost, long-distance communication, and long battery life shelf, are the best description of LoRa technology which is very useful for data transmission from an island environment. This study presents the effect of solar irradiance, air temperature, and onboard temperature on the LoRa transmission signal from the sensor node (Bidong Island). Solar irradiance was obtained from online weather satellite data (Solcast) and a solar irradiance meter, while air and onboard temperature were determined using a temperature sensor and thermal imager, respectively. The findings show that higher solar irradiance significantly decreases signal transmission strength, Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI). Likewise, with the decrease in onboard temperature, the RSSI signals perform better. Keywords: LPWAN; LoRa; long range technology; environmental impact; monitoring 1. Introduction The concerns over the long-range, effective cost, and low power consumption of networks have given rise to the interest in Long Range (LoRa) networks as one example of Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWANs) technologies. LoRa was introduced by Semtech as a single-hop communication technology that uses battery-operated devices with limited bandwidth [1]. Due to the easy accessibility of hardware in the market and openness of its specification, which can facilitate experimental research and rapid prototyping, LoRa has recently gained more popularity than other players in the LPWAN space, such as Sigfox, Ingenue, Weightless, etc. [2]. Furthermore, the study by Liang et al., [3] compared common wireless communication modes and concluded that LoRa shows the highest transmission range, lowest data rate, and energy consumption, as compared to Wi-fi, LR-WPAN, and Bluetooth. LoRa technology is generally * Corresponding author. E-mail address: nurfarizan@umt.edu.my https://doi.org/10.37934/araset.37.2.2535