Suntrackers − Direct & Diffuse Irradiance

The SHP1 pyrheliometer is a high quality radiometer used for the measurement of direct solar radiation. The SHP1 combines the sensor technology of the CHP1 with a smart interface to provide an RS485 Modbus and an amplified analogue output. The SHP1 has options for a 4-20mA or 0-1V output signal that is consistent between instruments and after recalibrations. The serial output is addressable and can also provide additional information on the individual units. The pyrheliometer needs to be pointed at the sun at all times and the Solys2 and 2AP Suntrackers have been designed to incorporate a SHP1. Every SHP1 is supplied with a calibration certificate traceable to the World Radiometric Reference and is valid for 1 year from the date of first use by the customer.

The CHP1 pyrheliometer is the most commonly use radiometer for the measurement of direct solar radiation. The CHP1 consists of a thermopile detector and two temperature sensors. The CHP1 will produce a maximum output of 25mV under normal atmospheric conditions. The pyrheliometer needs to be pointed at the sun at all times and the Solys2 and 2AP Suntrackers have been designed to incorporate a CHP1. Every CHP1 is supplied with a calibration certificate traceable to the World Radiometric Reference and is valid for 1 year from the date of first use by the customer.

The CM121 Shadow Ring is designed to be used with any Kipp & Zonen pyranometers, smart pyranometers, pyrgeometers or UV Radiometers to shield the sensor from direct radiation. The combination of one of these sensors and the CM121 offers a simple solution to the problem of measuring diffuse radiation from the sky. Naturally, the ring will also intercept some of the diffuse radiation from the sky. The ring has a width/diameter ratio of 0.185 and has a view of 10.6 seen from the sensors. Therefore, a correction table is provided along with the CM121 to allow for compensation of the intercepted radiation.

SOLYS2 is a cost-effective and simple sun tracking solution. It does not require a computer and software for installation because the integrated GPS automatically configures location and time data. Multi-colour LEDs indicate the operating status. The high-efficiency belt drive system requires no maintenance and the low consumption makes it ideal for use with solar and battery power systems. The sleep mode reduces power by 50 % at night-time. The SOLYS2 can operate from AC or DC power and can automatically switch from AC to back-up DC in the case of a mains power outage. SOLYS2 is supplied with a cast aluminium tripod stand and with the mountings for a Kipp & Zonen pyrheliometer already fitted. A weatherproof Ethernet port and an internal web interface allow for communication with a computer via a web browser to get or set a wide range of the tracker function and status parameters.

The RaZON+ is an all-in-one solar monitoring system that can accurately monitor the direct and diffuse solar irradiance. The unit comes with integrated pyrheliometer to measure the DNI and a shaded pyranometer to measure the DHI. The RaZON+ uses the DNI and DHI values to calculate the Global Horizontal Solar Irradiance, which provides a more accurate value than an unshaded pyranometer. The integrated data logger will log all the readings in a single data set and allow the readings to be accessed via Ethernet or RS485 interface with Modbus RTU or ASCII protocols. Data is also available via a WiFi connection allowing data, graphs and status information to be viewed on a smartphone, tablet or laptop. An extra Modbus input allows for additional sensors to be connected for compact weather stations, additional solar instruments or various temperature sensors.