Solar Weather Monitoring Station at Khavada Gujarat

Case Study: Aeron make IEC61724-1:2021 Class A complied Solar Weather Monitoring Station at Khavada, Gujarat

Introduction:

In the pre-commissioning phase of a Solar Photovoltaic (PV) plant in Khavada, Gujarat, Aeron Systems had installed a Solar Weather Monitoring Station fully complying to Class A category as per the IEC61724-1:2021 standard as part of an in-depth research project. This station is designed to provide precise environmental and solar performance data, ensuring the plant operates optimally in one of India’s harshest climatic regions. The station uses advanced instrumentation and data logging technology to capture critical variables that directly impact solar power generation.

Khavada, Gujarat: A Harsh Climatic Region

Khavada, located in the Kutch region of Gujarat, experiences extreme environmental conditions including high temperatures, intense sunlight, and fluctuating humidity. The area also faces significant dust accumulation, high salinity in the air, and occasional rainfall, all of which can impact the performance and maintenance needs of solar energy systems. These challenging conditions make Khavada an ideal location to monitor and study solar energy systems under extreme weather circumstances.

Key Components of the Monitoring Station:

The Solar Weather Monitoring Station at Khavada is equipped with a range of high-precision instruments designed to capture essential environmental and performance data:

1. Pyranometers:

   • Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI): Measures total solar radiation on a horizontal plane.
   • Global Inclined Irradiance (GII): Measures solar radiation on an inclined plane, typically aligned with the solar panel's tilt.
   • Diffuse Horizontal Irradiance (DHI): Measures solar radiation scattered by atmospheric particles, received on a horizontal plane.
   • Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI): Measures the direct solar radiation received perpendicularly from the sun, which is critical for assessing panel efficiency.

2. Albedometer:

   • Measures the reflectivity of surrounding surfaces. Understanding the albedo helps estimate the reflection of sunlight from the ground or nearby surfaces, which can affect system performance by contributing to additional irradiation on the panels.

3. Module Temperature Sensors:

   • These sensors monitor the temperature of the solar panels. As solar module efficiency declines with increasing temperature, temperature data is critical for understanding and managing thermal losses in energy production.

4. Ambient Air Temperature & Humidity Sensor:

   • Tracks real-time temperature and humidity conditions of the surrounding environment, allowing for correlations between solar power output and atmospheric conditions.

5. Rain Gauge:

   • Measures rainfall levels, essential for understanding weather patterns, cleaning cycles, and the effect of rain on panel soiling and overall system performance.

6. Soiling Loss Index Measurement System:

   • Tracks the impact of dust and dirt accumulation on solar panel performance. This system is particularly important in arid and semi-arid regions like Khavada, where soiling can significantly reduce panel efficiency.

XG930 Data Logger (Class A Accuracy per IEC 61724-1:2021):

The monitoring station is integrated with the XG930 Data Logger from Aeron, which meets Class A accuracy as per IEC 61724-1:2021, an international standard for performance monitoring of photovoltaic systems. The XG930 ensures:

• High-accuracy data sampling at 1 second and data logging at 1-minute intervals, capturing real-time environmental data.
• Reliable data transmission and seamless integration with all sensors, making it suitable for comprehensive data collection and performance analysis.

Durability and Corrosion Resistance:

Given the severe environmental conditions in Khavada, such as high temperatures, saline air, and frequent dust storms, all materials used for the installation are compliant with Corrosion Category C5 standards. This ensures the durability and longevity of the equipment, protecting it from corrosion and ensuring stable operation even in the most extreme weather conditions.

Cloud-Based Data Analytics and Management:

The data collected by the weather monitoring system is transmitted every minute to the Live3 cloud-based data analytics and management platform. This platform offers several benefits:

• Real-Time Data Access: End-users can access live data anytime, anywhere, providing full visibility into the plant's performance.
• Advanced Data Analytics: The platform offers analytics tools to help track trends, optimize energy generation, and predict maintenance needs based on environmental conditions.
• Performance Comparison: It enables comparison between actual solar energy production and expected output, helping to identify inefficiencies such as soiling or temperature-induced performance degradation.

Compliance with IEC 61724-1:2021:

The entire monitoring setup adheres to IEC 61724-1:2021, ensuring that all sensors and data logging equipment maintain Class A accuracy. This guarantees precise and reliable data collection, which is essential for accurate performance monitoring and analysis of the solar PV plant.

Conclusion:

The Solar Weather Monitoring Station installed at Khavada represents a sophisticated, high-precision system that tracks solar performance and environmental conditions in one of the most challenging climates. By employing state-of-the-art instruments like pyranometers, albedometers, soiling index systems, and temperature sensors, the station provides valuable data for optimizing the PV plant's performance. With the integration of Aeron’s XG930 data logger and the Live3 cloud platform, operators and researchers can gain real-time insights, enabling proactive decision-making and better management of the solar energy system.

This research project contributes significantly to understanding solar energy performance in extreme environments and offers valuable insights into optimizing the design, maintenance, and operation of solar power plants in similar regions.

Author: Saurabh Dey - GM (IoT BU)