A solar monitoring system for measuring solar radiation intensity comprising a tracking unit having two-axis movement comprising, an image capturing head mounted with first and second irradiation measuring units, and a controller. The first irradiation measuring unit comprises a direct normal irradiance (DNI) sensor and the second irradiation measuring unit includes a diffuse horizontal irradiance (DHI) sensor and a global horizontal irradiance (GHI) sensor. The controller receives inputs from the sensors or a software program configured to control orientation of the image capturing head so that the DNI sensor is always exposed to the sun, and the shading disc is always directly between the DHI sensor and the sun.

Provided herein is technology relating to measuring weather data and particularly, but not exclusively, to apparatuses, methods, and systems for sensing hydrometeors (e.g., rain) and measuring hydrometeor characteristics (e.g., volume, rate, size distribution, etc.).

The invention provides a pyranometer with a fast response time, a reduced offset amount, and reduced impacts from harsh outside environment and an enhanced long-term stability, as well as an excellent cosine response. The pyranometer has: a silicon-based thermopile sensor, which is sealed airtight in a CAN package and positioned opposed to the receiving surface of the thermopile sensor; and diffusing member that is positioned so as to be opposed to a receiving surface of the thermopile.

A geologically constrained infrared imaging detection system for an urban street deeply-buried strip-like passage includes an urban hierarchical three-dimensional temperature field model establishing module for establishing an urban hierarchical three-dimensional temperature field model according to urban street digital elevation model (DEM) data and geological data corresponding to urban streets; a total solar radiation energy calculating module for using a total solar radiation energy distribution model to calculate urban surface total solar radiation energy on the basis of the DEM data; an urban stratum geological background heat flux calculating module for calculating urban stratum geological background heat flux via the urban hierarchical three-dimensional temperature field model; an image filtering module; and a perturbation signal processing module.

This disclosure includes automatic leveling bases comprising an adapter plate, a top housing on said adapter plate, a bottom housing comprising an inclinometer and one or more motors, and a bellows between said top housing and said bottom housing. Also disclosed herein are systems for measuring solar irradiance comprising: an automatic leveling base comprising an adapter plate connected to a bottom housing, said bottom housing comprising an inclinometer and one or more motors, and a pyranometer attached to said automatic leveling base, wherein said one or more motors are configured to adjust an angle of said pyranometer. Additionally disclosed herein are methods of measuring solar irradiance comprising: inclining a pyranometer to a specific angle via an automatic leveling base and measuring the output of said pyranometer.

A device comprises a platform constructed and arranged to be mounted to one or more solar array modules and one or more solar irradiance sensors on the platform configured to receive incident solar energy, the one or more solar irradiance sensors oriented on the platform so that the received incident solar energy is comparable to that received by the solar array modules, the one or more solar irradiance sensors providing solar irradiance signals in response to the incident solar energy. A processor is on the platform, the processor configured to receive the solar irradiance signals and, in response, generating a performance reference metric based on the solar irradiance signals, the performance reference metric related to the expected performance of the one or more solar array modules to which the platform is mounted. A transmitter is on the platform, the transmitter configured to periodically transmit the performance reference metric to a receiver.

The present invention relates to a system for measuring the solar radiation, a pyranometer for measuring the solar radiation, a method for measuring the solar radiation and a corresponding computer program product. According to an aspect, there is provided a system for measuring the solar radiation, comprising: a solar radiation measuring sensor configured to measure a solar radiation at a measuring rate; a data logger; and a control unit operatively connected to the solar radiation measuring sensor and to the data logger; wherein the control unit is configured to calculate based on a selectable averaging function at least one average value of the solar radiation measured by the solar radiation measuring sensor over a specified number of solar radiation samples, wherein the data logger is configured to at least partly record the at least one average value of the solar radiation calculated by the control unit at a recording rate, and wherein the control unit is configured to determine the recording rate of the data logger and further configured to select the selectable averaging function from a plurality of averaging functions for calculating the average value based on the recording rate of the data logger.

The invention shows a sensor for measuring diffuse solar irradiance including: an hemisphere having an approximately 2 steradian solid opening angle with a non-transparent layer and a transparent aperture pattern, the transparent aperture pattern providing a near-uniform transmission of the diffuse radiation as seen from near a center of the hemisphere, an aperture being an area occupying a part of the hemisphere surface area that is smaller than 2% and two or more light-sensitive sensors arranged in an array near the center of the hemisphere such that under any position of the sun relative to the sensor at least one of the two or more light-sensitive sensors is shaded from direct solar radiation by the hemisphere with aperture pattern.

A system and method for inferring photovoltaic (PV) system specifications are described. A consumer PV system's location and net load data recorded through net metering are retrieved. For each discrete period, a time of peak PV production and a magnitude of minimum net load for a representative day are found, and base loads are estimated. Plane-of-array irradiance (POAI) using clear sky global horizontal irradiance for azimuth and tilt combinations is produced. Azimuth, tilt, and system rating combinations based on the magnitude of minimum net load and the base load over each discrete period are created. A lowest error metric among the azimuth, tilt and system rating combinations is found, by finding the minimum of the combined residual errors in the time of peak PV production and the time of maximum POAI and residual errors in the magnitude of minimum net load plus the base load and magnitude of maximum POAI.

An arrangement for ascertaining at least one parameter for determining components of a global irradiance includes an evaluation and control device and a camera assembly having at least one camera, wherein the at least one camera is fixed at a predetermined distance from an earth surface at least while ascertaining the parameter, wherein the camera assembly is designed to capture camera data in a spatial field of view of approximately 360 around the camera assembly, wherein the camera data is suitable for deriving information concerning solar radiation and/or on the position and/or properties of clouds. A method of use of such an assembly, a method for ascertaining at least one parameter for determining at least one component of global irradiance, and a computer program are also provided.