Accurate solar radiation measured by radiometers depends on instrument performance specifications, installation method, calibration procedure, measurement conditions, maintenance practices, location, and environmental conditions. This study addresses the effect of different calibration methodologies and resulting differences provided by radiometric calibration service providers such as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and manufacturers of radiometers. Some of these methods calibrate radiometers indoors and some outdoors. To establish or understand the differences in calibration methodologies, we processed and analyzed field‐measured data from radiometers deployed for 10 months at NREL's Solar Radiation Research Laboratory. These different methods of calibration resulted in a difference of ±1% to ±2% in solar irradiance measurements. Analyzing these differences will ultimately assist in determining the uncertainties of the field radiometer data and will help develop a consensus on a standard for calibration. Further advancing procedures for precisely calibrating radiometers to world reference standards that reduce measurement uncertainties will help the accurate prediction of the output of planned solar conversion projects and improve the bankability of financing solar projects. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. This study investigated calibration responsivities provided by NREL's Broadband Outdoor Calibration (BORCAL) and a few prominent manufacturers. These different methods of calibration resulted in + 1% to + 2% differences in solar irradiance measurement thereby demonstrating that calibration differences have significant measurement impacts. Analyzing these differences will ultimately assist in the development of a consensus standard for calibration and improve the bankability of solar projects.


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    Title :

    Radiometer calibration methods and resulting irradiance differences



    Published in:

    Publication date :

    2017




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English



    Classification :

    BKL:    53.36 Energiedirektumwandler, elektrische Energiespeicher



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