3. Siting
The solar radiation sensor is usually installed horizontally, but can also be installed at any angle
including an inverted position. Site the sensor to allow easy access for maintenance while ideally
avoiding any obstructions or reflections above the plane of the sensing element. It is important
to mount the sensor such that a shadow or a reflection will not be cast on it at any time. If this is
not possible, try to choose a site where any obstruction over the azimuth range between earliest
sunrise and latest sunset has an elevation not exceeding 5°. Diffuse solar radiation is less
influenced by obstructions near the horizon. The sensor should be mounted with the cable
pointing towards the nearest magnetic pole. For example, in the northern hemisphere, point the
cable toward the North Pole.
4. Mounting procedure
Required tools:
l
Diopter
l
Solar compass
l
8 mm (5/16-inch) open-end wrench for U-bolt nuts
1.
On
a
level
surface,
level
the
solar
radiation
sensor
using
the
leve
l
ling
feet
on
the
sensor.
Alternatively,
remove
the
sensor
leve
l
ling
feet
to
allow
it
to
be
mounted
directly
to
the
mounting
bracket.
2.
Secure
the
solar
radiation
sensor
to
the
mounting
bracket.
The
blue
dots
in
the
following
figure
indicate
the
mounting
holes
used
for
this
pyranometer.
SR05 Second Class Pyranometer with Various Outputs
2
