In the monitoring of large, utility-scale, photovoltaic (PV) plants, or for the assessment of potential solar power sites, the maximum energy that can be generated is what counts. Of course this depends in the first place on the locally dominant solar radiation (global horizontal irradiance, GHI). But, other meteorological parameters such as air temperature, wind and rainfall influence the yield and efficiency of the PV modules (Performance Ratio).
Lufft now offers the WS510-UMB as the perfect package to monitor solar radiation, wind direction, wind speed, air temperature, relative humidity and air pressure all in one convenient unit; and an external rain sensor can be connected. This weather sensor meets the high demands of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) through the CMP10 secondary standard pyranometer, a ventilated radiation shield for air temperature and humidity measurements, and the inertia- and maintenance-free measurement of wind speed and direction using the ultrasonic principle.
The housing of our CMP10 was slightly adapted to fit Lufft’s compact weather station and to maintain the specifications and benefits. A pre-production series was made and these were extensively tested in our climate chambers. The final model of the Lufft CMP10 proved to have the same specifications as our standard version. The electrical connection to the rest of the Lufft weather station is now made through the bottom of the CMP10 and, like the standard CMP10, this connection has a hermetic seal. This means that the Lufft version also only needs the internal desiccant to be changed every 10 years.
Udo Kronmüller, the solar expert at Lufft, says “So far, the Second Class thermopile pyranometer CMP3 by Kipp & Zonen has been installed in the WS family. In the new WS510-UMB compact weather sensor a Secondary Standard CMP10 pyranometer by Kipp & Zonen is integrated for the first time, which works extremely precisely, with low-maintenance and high durability.”
The WS510-UMB has an RS-485 interface with various open communication protocols (e.g. Modbus). This makes it easy connect with most available monitoring systems on the market. The sensor is simply installed with only one cable; this means measurably less time in installation and maintenance as well as significantly reduced costs. All the measurement values are communicated via a single configurable digital interface to a data logger or SCADA system.
More information on the new WS510-UMB can be found at www.lufft.com.