A radiation measuring device for measuring electromagnetic radiation originating from an external source. The radiation measuring device includes, a spectrometer, a pyranometer, a pyrgeometer, a diffuser, and a control unit. The spectrometer and a pyranometer are positioned in a sensor zone of a housing of the radiation measuring device. The spectrometer measures visible shortwave radiation and near-infrared shortwave radiation received at the sensor zone. The pyranometer measures shortwave radiation received at the sensor zone. The pyrgeometer is positioned in another sensor zone of the housing and measures longwave radiation received at the other sensor zone. The control unit receives radiation measurements from the spectrometer, pyranometer, and pyrgeometer. A corrected amount of radiation received at the sensor zones of the radiation measuring device is determined from the received radiation measurements. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

The present invention relates to alternative equipment for solar energy prospecting with a focus on low cost, low complexity in installation, operation and maintenance, and high reliability. A low-cost solarimetric station consists of compact equipment capable of providing global irradiance measurements and estimates for direct and diffuse components, as well as hemispheric photographs, with acceptable levels of uncertainty. The pyranometer periodically provides global irradiance information to the system, and the camera records photos of the sky. Using machine learning algorithms, and based on that information, the equipment provides estimates for direct and diffuse irradiance components. The equipment has other meteorological sensors, GPS, and wireless communication facilities. The equipment has an energy supply and management system consisting of a photovoltaic module, charge controller, and battery, which provide the energy necessary for the station to operate.

A method and a device are provided for determining a global irradiance of solar radiation, and/or at least one of the components thereof, in a plane, wherein the components include direct radiation, diffuse radiation, and radiation reflected on the ground, with a device including at least one radiation sensor unit, a camera, and an evaluation unit which is provided for evaluating measurement data from the radiation sensor unit and/or from the camera. The radiation sensor unit for determining the irradiance of solar radiation is provided in a field of view of 180° over a plane. The camera for detecting a field of view of 180° is provided over a plane. A global irradiance of the solar radiation is measured and converted into the global irradiance and/or into one or more of the components thereof in the horizontal plane and/or in the plane inclined with respect to the horizontal plane.

A pyranometer, comprises a thermal sensor, and a diffusing member positioned so as to be opposed to a receiving surface of the thermal sensor.

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 measurement of solar irradiance measurement have important applications, including solar resource assessment, solar power plants, photovoltaic system monitoring, heating and cooling loads of buildings, climate modeling and weather forecasting. An option to establish this is to solely measure the global horizontal irradiance and employ an irradiance decomposition algorithm to derive direct normal irradiance and diffuse horizontal irradiance. However, these models vary in complexity and generally have a relatively high uncertainty particularly between latitudes +60° N and −45° S these errors which includes large portions of North America, Europe, Russia, and Asia where the applications are centered. The inventors have established an improved methodology based upon an improved decomposition algorithm yielding improved accuracy in derived solar irradiance measurements in conjunction with a low cost non-moving part spectral pyranometer supporting spectral global irradiance measurements and spectral clearness indices.

One embodiment provides a pyranometer, including: a pyranometer housing; and at least one radiation sensor; wherein the at least one radiation sensor is electrically isolated from the pyranometer housing and thermally coupled to the pyranometer housing by at least one supporting element, wherein the supporting element is connected to the pyranometer housing and is configured to support the at least one radiation sensor. Other aspects are described and claimed.

One embodiment provides a pyranometer, including: a dome; a thermopile-based sensor comprising a receiving surface; a diffusor configured to diffuse radiation external to the pyranometer and passing through the dome, toward the receiving surface of thermopile-based sensor; and at least one optical filter arranged in an optical path of the radiation in front of the receiving surface of the thermopile-based sensor so as to modify the spectral composition of the radiation measured by the thermopile-based sensor. Other aspects are described and claimed.

One embodiment provides a pyranometer, including: a dome enclosing a cavity; at least one light emitting source arranged such that light exterior to the dome does not directly impinge on the at least one light emitting source; a diffusor; wherein the at least one light emitting source is configured to emit light substantially directed to a portion of the diffusor, and wherein the diffusor is configured to diffuse the light emitted from the at least one light emitting source on an inner surface of the dome; and one or more first light detecting sensors arranged in the cavity and configured to measure an intensity of the light reflected from the dome and impinging on the one or more first light detecting sensors. Other aspects are described and claimed.

The present invention relates to alternative equipment for solar energy prospecting with a focus on low cost, low complexity in installation, operation and maintenance, and high reliability. A low-cost solarimetric station consists of compact equipment capable of providing global irradiance measurements and estimates for direct and diffuse components, as well as hemispheric photographs, with acceptable levels of uncertainty. The pyranometer periodically provides global irradiance information to the system, and the camera records photos of the sky. Using machine learning algorithms, and based on that information, the equipment provides estimates for direct and diffuse irradiance components. The equipment has other meteorological sensors, GPS, and wireless communication facilities. The equipment has an energy supply and management system consisting of a photovoltaic module, charge controller, and battery, which provide the energy necessary for the station to operate.