TUSCANY REGION
Evolution of the regional hydro-met. network

Where

Tuscany

When

Since 2013, May

Sector

Hydrology

According to the tender procedure announced by the Tuscany Region, Regional Hydrological Office, for “the design and execution of services related to the adaptation, technological updating and maintenance of the environmental data collection network of the Tuscan Regional Hydrological Service (SIRT ) in the period up to 12.31.2018“, on 18 April 2013 SIAP+MICROS signed the contract with the Customer, since SIAP+MICROS’s offer was the best from a technical and economic point of view among those that participated in aforementioned procedure.

At the time of execution, the awarded project was among the most important ever built in Italy, both in terms of technological innovation and in terms of the number of stations making up the measurement network. The special tender specifications, and consequently the project, were very innovative compared to what was previously achieved in the sector. For the first time, it was prescribed by the Administration, in a clear and peremptory manner, that the supplies and communication protocols used should ensure the openness of the entire system in a way. This “openness” had to be pursued through the use of freely programmable data loggers, radio equipment capable of using standard communication protocols, and open source control panel software (GNU GPL3 license). All this has allowed the administration freedom to manage the network and freedom to assign maintenance activities regardless of the technology installed. Specifically, the project envisaged:
•  Technological upgrading of the acquisition and communication systems of 321 telemetry weather-hydro-rain gauge stations (UHF radio and xG module), of which 34 to be moved to new sites;
• Update of 60 traditional (mechanical) stations, with conversion into automatic stations;
•  Maintenance for the entire contractual term of the entire network.

In addition to this, with a view to unification, the Regional Hydrological Service had decided to include in the project also the restoration and maintenance of the Sea network of the Tuscany Region, consisting of 2 wave buoys and related coastal centres, as well as 2 current meters. This last activity included:

•  The supply of a new wave buoy to be installed off the island of Giglio;
•  Maintenance for the entire duration of the contract for the Mare network.

Everything has been achieved guaranteeing performance levels, in terms of data security and acquisition times in the exchange, of absolute reference at an international level (in the case of a proprietary UHF radio network). In just over a minute, more than three hundred stations in the exchange will be acquired!.

We consider this project the reference for the adaptation and development of networks in Italy and we are proud to be able to give our contribution to the realization of the same.

As of 2023, SIAP+MICROS is still the manager of the Grid, thanks to the success achieved in successive editions of tenders relating to the maintenance and evolution of the systems. The solutions proposed by S+M have always been considered innovative, suitable for the customer’s requirements and have made it possible to consolidate a permanent and satisfactory relationship between the organization and the company.

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