Measuring Global Solar Irradiance

CMP 11 pyranometer monitors the performance of PV Panels

CMP 11 pyranometer monitors the performance of PV Panels at CSTB, France

Solar, atmospheric and terrestrial radiation drives almost every dynamic process on the Earth’s surface and above, from ocean current circulation to weather, climate and life itself. However, it is only recently that it has become widely used as an energy source for the production of electrical power. But what is solar radiation? How is it measured? What is a pyranometer and how does it work?

Kipp & Zonen of Delft, the Netherlands, has been manufacturing pyranometers for over 80 years. In this blog Business Manager Clive Lee answers these questions and introduces a revolutionary new generation of instruments – the Smart Pyranometer.

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Best EGU for years!

The European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly this year was possibly the best ever. Over 11,000 attendees from 95 countries and I never saw so many posters, 9092 in total and changed every day. We had a lot of scientists visiting the Kipp & Zonen booth to discuss current and future projects. Many of them are already satisfied users of our instruments and there were some novel applications that we will feature in future Newsletters.

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On the history ofthe pyranometer

Currently there is a lot of interest in the history of scientific instruments and their measurements. The pyranometer is still one of Kipp & Zonen’s core products today, but it dates back to the early years of the last century. Who better to ask than our senior scientist Leo van Wely to reflect on this subject? Leo just retired, but is more than happy to keep involved with his passion for 33 years.

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