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 1^st Class, 2^nd 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.