Pyranometers, for the accurate measurement of solar irradiance

Pyranometers, for the accurate measurement of solar irradiance

PV systems harnessing solar irradiance are the most widely installed source of zero-emission renewable energy. High quality, reliable radiation data is crutial to the efficienct operation of solar energy projects in both photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) thermal systems.
A pyranometer is a radiometer designed for measuring the irradiance in W/m2 resulting from radiant fluxes incident upon a plane surface (horizontal or tilted) from the hemisphere above, and integrated over a wavelength range of at least 300 to 3000 nanometers.

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Description

CMP-Series:
Our CMP series pyranometers are well known around the world for their high quality, durability and accuracy. The instruments do not require any power and are ideal for remote sites with limited power availability or for field studies. Each has an individual calibration factor/sensitivity to convert the mV output signal to W/m2 of irradiance.
The signal output is a very low voltage, typically around 10 millivolts on a bright sunny day. To measure 1 W/m2 of irradiance requires a data logger ‘accuracy’ of better than 10 microvolts. This normally means a specialized meteorological data logger. Industrial type analogue inputs do not usually have sufficient sensitivity and the SMP series should be used.
CMP3 and CMP10 have internal desiccant that lasts for at least 10 years to reduce maintenance costs. Other CMP models have self-indicating desiccant in an easily accessed drying cartridge that should be inspected monthly and the desiccant changed when necessary.
Smart SMP Series:
Our SMP range of pyranometers is based on the proven technology of the CMP series, but has a micro-processor, memory and firmware that makes them Smarter and faster.
Smart Interface:
Modbus® RTU interfaces directly to, PLC’s, SCADA systems, industrial networks and controllers. Smart in-struments are addressable, and up to 247 units can be connected to a single network. Measurement data is updated every second and the user can access irradiance, type and serial number, instrument settings, full calibration history, status information, & more. The digital signal avoids all the issues of analogue-to-digital conversion performance that arise with many industrial data loggers and input modules, preserving the accuracy of the pyranometer’s 24-bit differential input ADC.
SMP Series pyranometers can operate from 5 to 30 VDC and the power input has both reverse polarity and over-voltage protection. They have a feed-forward algorithm that makes them faster than our passive CMP series and an integrated temperature sensor and polynomial functions for better temperature correction.

Benefits and Features

• The widest range of high quality, reliable pyranometers available
• ISO 9060:2018 Spectrally Flat, from Class C to beyond the requirements of Class A
• Accurate and independent data for performance ratio calculations
• Installed around the world by national meteorology and climate networks
• Used by major solar energy organisations for performance monitoring
• A choice of analog or industry standard Modbus® RTU outputs
• Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) in excess of 10 years.

Documentation

CMP_SMP-SERIES_SPEC