High Precision Irradiation Measurement in Photovoltaic Power Plants
Published: Monday, August 13, 2012
Investors in utility-scale photovoltaic installations base their decision for or against such an investment project on detailed
yield and performance ratio prognoses for the plant to be built. Once up and running, the plant’s performance and yield are
continuously monitored, analysed, and compared with the expected values.
High precision irradiation measurements in Photovoltaic Power Plants form an essential information base for yield and performance ratio assessment.
Solar irradiation conditions in the photovoltaic (PV) generator field are at the basis of such performance ratio (PR) analyses. The higher the precision and reliability of irradiation measurement in the field, the more accurate is the actual performance and yield information provided to the plant operator and the investor.
skytron® energy GmbH of Berlin develops and manufactures high-precision measurement, monitoring and control systems for the photovoltaic sector and offer solutions for the entire energy conversion chain in PV solar power plants.
The skyCONNi sensor and monitoring system, which collects the irradiation data in the PV generator field, is extremely accurate and measures at high temporal resolutions of up to 100 ms.
skytron® energy always strongly recommends its clients to opt for Kipp & Zonen pyranometers for their irradiation measurement. The steeper price compared to reference cells is offset by their high precision over a larger spectral range, their reliable linear response and negligible directional error at large angles of radiation incidence.
skyCONNi-Pyrano has inputs for two pyranometers, to measure horizontal and tilted global solar radiation, and sensors for ambient temperature and PV module temperature. Control and data transfer is by CAN Bus. skyCONNi-PyranoPro has additional facilities to power and control two Kipp & Zonen CVF 4 ventilation units to further improve the availability and quality of the measurements.
Only such high-precision measurement data collected in the field leads, in the end, to meaningful and realistic conclusions about the performance of a photovoltaic power plant.
For more information about skytron® energy and their capabilities go to www.skytron-energy.com where you can also download the skyCONNi system brochure.