Gill’s MaxiMet compact weather stations will provide weather data to the first ever BBC CountryFile Live, one of the UK’s largest country shows.
Continue readingMaxiMet compact weather stations expand with further precipitation options
Gill Instruments has expanded the MaxiMet range of compact weather stations by introducing two new variants with additional precipitation options.
Continue readingGill’s MaxiMet weather stations chosen to monitor weather in UK Beehive project
Gill’s MaxiMet compact weather stations are being used as part of the University of Bristol’s environmental project to monitor bee activity.
‘Live from the Hive’ is a research project put together by The University of Bristol, At-Bristol – a UK interactive science centre, and BeeBristol which aims to use social media and technology to educate people about the effects of human activity on bees.
A beehive on the science sites greenhouse roof is being monitored using an array of scientific equipment, including Gill MaxiMet all-in-one weather stations, to gather data on air quality and weather to see how it affects bee behaviour. This data will be compared with another bee colony located in the the city of Langford to compare how human behaviour impacts the bees. It is predicted that implications of the seven day air quality cycles which is influenced by commuter traffic and city living will have an effect on the activity of the bees.
MaxiMet GMX 100 and 501 have been chosen to provide the essential weather information for the project. MaxiMet 100 provides data on rain fall, while the 501 measures multiple weather parameters on wind speed, wind direction, temperature, humidity, pressure and solar radiation. The Gill weather stations offer multiple benefits over other instruments on the market, its flexibility to monitor a vast range of environmental parameters through different configuration options is foremost.
“We are delighted to be able to supply our MaxiMet weather station to the project” says Richard Mckay, Product Manager at Gill Instruments. “The 501 and 100 were chosen due to their weather monitoring options, compact design, ease of installation and the known reliability of Gill products.”
The project is the first of its kind to use social media and live webcams in this way to engage people with the project. Webcam images, in-character tweets and weather data reported from MaxiMet will be shared on the project website, Twitter accounts and has also run for three weeks as part of a feature on the BBC Two programme Springwatch.
If you have a requirement to measure environmental and weather conditions, please contact Gill on 01590 613500.
Gill collaborate with local companies to create a high profile weather float
Gill Instruments’ MaxiMet Compact Weather Station has been chosen to provide weather data across one of the UK’s busiest stretches of water.
Working in collaboration with Rock Seven, Hydrosphere and the ABP Port of Southampton, a new weather website has been launched to support safety and voyage planning for users of the Solent. The website reports the real-time conditions from data captured on the Calshot Spit Light Float and is available for both professional and recreational users.
The Solent is a major shipping route for passenger, freight and military vessels carrying over 42 million tonnes of cargo each year. Recreational water sports including yachting also populate the water, as it hosts the annual Cowes Week sailing event.
The Solent divides the Isle of Wight from the mainland and has a complex tidal pattern, known as a “double high tide” which varies the width of the water by an additional one to four miles, extending the tidal window when deep-draught ships can dock.
Gill’s MaxiMet GMX600 is used to provide superior real-time meteorological data to provide current weather conditions affecting the water and tide levels. The weather station sits at the top of the float and is integrated into Rock Seven’s RockFLEET vessel tracking and communication system, reporting data on wind direction, speed, air temperature, humidity and precipitation.
The Calshot Spit float is a collaboration of the best instrumentation from local organisations to create a high profile weather float. It is managed by ABP Southampton and alongside MaxiMet is fitted with instrumentation from Hydrosphere, with satellite technology provided by Rock Seven.
The new Solent weather website is now live to browse via www.rock7.com/wind
For more information on how MaxiMet Weather Stations can be used for superior meteorological measurement please contact 01590 613500.
Using MaxiMet for Solar Park applications
Solar Parks are growing rapidly and generating hundreds of thousands of megawatts of PV power each year. Solar measurement instruments are critical to site profiling and monitoring the performance of solar parks, they are also extremely important in measuring return on investment.
Gill Instruments, leaders in meteorological instrumentation will exhibit at Solar Power International in September, alongside local distributor Dynamax, where Gill will display MaxiMet – their latest range of compact weather stations. MaxiMet is an all-in-one weather station, with 9 models in the range, each measuring different meteorological parameters including solar radiation, precipitation, wind speed and direction, temperature and more.
MaxiMet provides solar park operators with the essential meteorological parameters to help monitor efficiency and optimise maintenance routines. Selecting a MaxiMet with either 1st Class, 2nd Class or Secondary Standard pyrometers provides users with reference standard measurements of the amount of sunlight reaching the solar panels, enabling users to monitor the efficiency of installed systems and predict the output under various sky conditions.
The flexibility of MaxiMet’s measurement options means operators can also monitor other weather parameters such as temperature, pressure, humidity, wind and rain from an integrated station. MaxiMet is available with an optional remote fast response temperature sensor, which is mounted directly on the rear of the PV panel and assists in determining the efficiency of the panel. The data captured from the station will help indicate possible causes to changes in the power output of the solar park, advising operators of potential maintenance actions to be made to increase output efficiency and return on investment.
In addition to its configuration versatility, MaxiMet features MODBUS which can be directly interfaced with SCADA systems, offering the ability to deliver data to any networked location within the plant. Combined with the easy networking ability from MODBUS, the station also includes in-field calibration adjustment and zero maintenance which helps minimise running costs.
Visit Gill and Dynamax on stand 247 for a demonstration on how MaxiMet and Gill’s other meteorological instruments can benefit the efficiency of solar farm installations.
About Solar Power International
Solar Power International, which takes place in California from September 14-17, is the largest event dedicated to furthering the solar energy development within the US – the third largest country for solar power generation. The event is created to serve and advance the solar energy industry by bringing together the people, products and professional development opportunities that drive the solar industry.
Supporting advancing weather technology in the GCC
Gill Instruments will be supporting local business partner and distributor Unique Systems at WeatherTech GCC 2015 in Dubai.
WeatherTech GCC, is the first event of its kind within the Gulf Countries to focus on environmental and climate change measurement technologies. The event marks a key shift in the GCC’s approach to better understanding weather forecasting and climate change, a much needed requirement to revolutionize the collection, analysis and distribution of weather forecasting data in the GCC.
The conference will be well attended by meteorologists, suppliers and Government State Leaders, to share regionally applied best practice solutions, look to source new technologies and evaluate how these can be integrated into existing systems and operations to effectively manage weather related risks.
As key suppliers of meteorological instruments worldwide and the events Networking Sponsor, Gill Instruments will exhibit alongside local distributor, Unique Systems.
Gill’s portfolio of products, including their compact weather stations and ultrasonic anemometers, will be on display demonstrating the benefits of the Gill technology, which include solid-state design, low maintenance and long term reliability.
Gill Instruments Sales Manager Brian Benham commented, “As the first weather and forecasting event in the region, it’s a fantastic opportunity to ignite business within the area and make key contacts.”
Unique Systems and Gill Instruments will be exhibiting in the Foyer exhibition area of the Sheraton Grand Hotel, Dubai throughout WeatherTech GCC from the 16th-17th September 2015.