The solar energy industry is growing and growing, and as the number of photovoltaic (PV) power systems increases, the need is also increasing for efficient, consistent monitoring of key resource data.

Campbell Scientific has been a leader in measurement systems and data collection for over 40 years. We have worked in the solar-energy industry for many years, and now have developed the MeteoPV, a digital weather-station platform for collecting high-quality data that can be accessed from anywhere with an Internet connection.

The MeteoPV connects to industry-standard pyranometers, reference cells, back-of-module temperature sensors, and compact weather sensors in solar-site SCADA networks. It makes measurements with these sensors, processes and stores the data with built-in software, and makes it available from your computer.

The MeteoPV uses Modbus RTU protocol over RS-485 to interface with smart sensors, and it uses the Modbus TCP/IP protocol to communicate with the local SCADA system or other data-collection platform. This enables seamless smart-sensor SCADA integration.

Setup is easy—five minutes, with an intuitive, browser-based user interface. No coding is required. The MeteoPV has a small footprint and DIN-rail mounting for easy integration with other components. You get the quality and reliability Campbell Scientific builds into all products, which always includes integrated surge and ESD protection. That means it will probably outlast your PV plant.