December 14, 2011
One of the effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent nuclear accident has been to focus attention on renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic generation. The prospects for this highly promising technology have improved significantly thanks to recent innovations including the ultra-fast DNI sensor developed by EKO Instruments.
While major progress has been made in the development of photovoltaic generation (PV) technology, it is still largely dependent on changing weather patterns and requires various evaluation devices to improve the performance of solar energy conversion. These devices include DNI (direct normal incidence) sensors, also known as pyrheliometers, which enable the measurement of direct solar radiation.
The theme or challenge for the development of DNI is response time, a critical factor in measurement accuracy, and EKO Instruments has been working to improve this parameter. These efforts have now paid off with the release of EKO’s MS-56, a new sensor incorporating a range of innovations that give it the world’s fastest response time for direct solar irradiance measurement.
MS-56
The fast and accurate measurement provided by the MS-56 will support the operation of photovoltaic cells and condenser lenses and can provide better cost and performance than conventional PV units when implemented in very sunny places such as deserts. They also offer other advantages thanks to their lower number of semiconductors, smaller overall system size and decreased shipping and installation costs.
However, CPV systems are strongly affected by environmental conditions, especially the amount of direct solar radiation. To ensure accurate direct solar irradiance measurement, DNI sensors that can adjust rapidly in response to cloud movements, etc. need to be developed.
EKO has leaped ahead of industry norms with the release of the MS-56, slashing the five-second response times of current competitor products to just one second or less. This hugely improved processing time will make it possible to evaluate transient PV characteristics, something that was previously difficult to achieve due to the slow reaction of conventional systems.
As expected, the MS-56 received a warm reception when launched by EKO at the Solar Power Exhibition in the US held on October in this year. In addition to its fast operation, the sensor features a stylish and light-weight design with impressive stability under various environmental and temperature conditions. The occurrence of dew or condensation on the outside of the entrance optics is also significantly reduced by a built-in low-power heater on the inside of the sensor. The MS-56′s unique features make it an ideal evaluation device for both CPV and CSP (concentrated solar power) systems.
EKO is in fact only one of three companies in the world able to produce pyranometers to high ISO standards and its products are already used in surface weather observation networks in Korea and Taiwan, as well as, of course, Japan. The company is already at work on new cutting-edge ideas that are certain to promote the further expansion of PV technology.
