Environmental monitoring equipment was installed at Tarxien Temples, Hagar Qim Temples, and Mnajdra Temples.
The equipment allows Heritage Malta personnel to continuously monitor the environmental conditions across these culturally important sites. This is done by sensors that are connected to data loggers, which record and transmit the data to a central software application.
A diverse range of sensors was installed, collecting environmental data for:
- Air Quality
- Barometric Pressure
- Global Solar Radiation
- Humidity
- Rainfall
- Soil Moisture
- Leaf Wetness
- Temperature
- Wind speed & direction
The sensors transmit data to data loggers through a combination of wired and wireless connections. The flexible communication technology allows Heritage Malta to collect data from several locations whilst preserving the site. Wireless sensors using LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Network) communication provide reliable and battery-powered connectivity. IoT-wireless sensors are extremely useful in locations that cannot be reached through traditional cabled connections.
Solar panels and batteries provide autonomy in the event of unexpected power loss. Furthermore, data loggers were fitted with 4G routers to ensure connectivity at remote locations.
All the environmental monitoring from each site is stored in a central software application. The software application is provided by AIS and allows Heritage Malta’s scientists and specialists to view and analyse all data in real-time. The software also generates alarm notifications in the event of communication issues or irregular data. All data is visible in through graphical or tabular format, with the added flexibility of exporting to a wide range of formats.
