Rooftop Test Station

Spring is here!  And for us, that means more sunny days spent running experiments and collecting data at our rooftop test station.

The "rooftop lab" has been used for many things over the years from testing CPV designs to powering a corner of the office with solar panels.  A couple of years ago, during the development of the Trac-Stat SL1, we installed a two-axis solar tracker.  The current setup includes:

• Two-axis tracker capable of handling up to 125 ft² of panels
• 12V and 24V DC power supplies
• Pyranometer, to measure solar irradiance levels
• Temperature and relative humidity data-loggers
• One or two Trac-Stat SL1 accuracy monitors

 

This test station has helped us to expedite several hardware and software projects, for both PV and CPV clients.  Our last paper on tracker accuracy characterization (PDF) includes some of the data we've collected.  This year we’re hoping to get even more use out of it with some system upgrades, including:

• Telemetry system for remote access and operation
• Pyrheliometer, for measuring direct-normal irradiance
• Spectroradiometer, to measure spectral distribution throughout the day
• And possibly a few upgrades to the tracker's stock controller (!)

Stay tuned for updates, and enjoy the weather!