EKO Instruments, Tokyo, Japan, is well known for its advanced measurement instruments for solar energy industry. Irradiance instruments such as pyranometers, pyrheliometers and sun trackers can be found at solar monitoring stations on solar photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) plants around the world. EKO I-V curve tracers are widely used to monitor the electrical properties and the performance ratio of the PV modules on site and in the laboratories. Furthermore, different PV technologies are known to have different spectral responses, the EKO spectroradiometers have been a crucial tool for scientific research and advances on the outdoor PV performance evaluation. What is less known about EKO Instruments is its work in generation of solar energy. Since 2012, the company has built two corporately owned PV parks with a total nominal power of 2.7MW. These PV parks not only contributed to a great experimental platform for new developments, but also have a tremendous impact on their general ecological strategy.

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Nami is the new software platform to extend the measurements functionality of the spectroradiometer (MS-711). With the Nami software and Rotating Shadowband Pyranometer (RSB-01) users will be able to measure and visualize all three components (DNI, GHI, DHI) of spectral irradiance easily and simultaneously with Nami. Additional visualization capabilities include the ability to toggle between current or historical spectra quickly. While viewing the data, users can create scientific presentation quality images without moving their data to another piece of software. Reference spectra such as ASTM G173 have been loaded into the software for additional comparative tools. Explore the functionality of Nami and see how your global MS-711 spectroradiometer can be turned into a three-component measurenent system.

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Measuring solar energy, how is it done and why is it important? Measuring solar energy is important. You measure the available energy, but not all this energy can be converted. That's what you need to measure. When measuring the solar panel, you will notice a difference. With a solar energy sensor (Pyranometer) you can determine its efficiency. At the Technical University Eindhoven (SEAC), a wide range of EKO solar sensors and PV evaluation equipment is used to measure the performance and efficiency of BIPV systems. Watch the video "How it's done"

(Broadcasted by RTL-Z "How it's done", June 2019)

Traditionally, pyranometer measurements were accomplished using sensors with an analog voltage output signal. From the pyranometer, this signal would be measured and recorded on a data logger in the field with the sensor. However, in recent years, users have preferred an on-board digital signal transducer built into the pyranometer body. This digital output can be read directly by a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, data logger, or a computer. While many protocols could be used, many user communities have settled on using the serial communication Modbus RTU protocol over RS-485.

For years EKO has been manufacturing and providing pyranometers with built-in transducers, taking the signal from DC voltage to Modbus 485 RTU or DC voltage to 4-20mA current. Recently, EKO developed a new all-in-one sensor Smart signal transducer which allows selecting from 4 types of output in one unit. This new Smart transducer will also have additional features such as internal temperature and humidity sensors and a tilt sensor. These additional internal sensors will help the user to monitor the stability of the irradiance sensors as well as to ensure its proper installation and maintenance practices. Starting Q3 of 2019, pyranometers can be ordered with the basic analog output signal or with this new all-in-one Smart transducer. Following the introduction with pyranometers, EKO will expand the use of this transducer to other sensors and systems as well.

As with the original exploration of the world, the dynamics and oscillations of the oceans led researchers to new discoveries. Today, as our future relies on alternative energy sources, we must shift our focus from the waves of the ocean, to the oscillations of energy emitted from the sun and attenuated by the atmosphere dynamics. For years, solar energy and atmospheric scientists have yearned for better instrumentation to measure wavelength-by-wavelength the solar energy received at the Earth’s surface. Starting decades ago, EKO Instruments was a pioneer in developing cutting edge outdoor spectroradiometers for tackling the growing complex questions of multiple user groups. Building on years of successful hardware development, EKO proudly introduces the new Nami software.

Borrowing from EKO’s Japanese origin, Nami (波)is the Japanese word for wave. Nami will provide users with a software platform that is designed around optimizing the user experience. The new user interface’s design focuses on optimizing usability and interactions, resulting in a clean, simplified dashboard that enhances the user experience of our sensors. In the past, EKO relied on two separate pieces of software when working with their spectroradiometers. One for control and data acquisition (WSDaq), and another for visualizing the data (WSDisp). Nami combines these two pieces of software while adding functionality. These functionality improvements coincide with the recently introduced EKO RSB-01S rotating shadow band spectroradiometer system(s). Users will be able to measure and visualize all three components of spectral irradiance easily and simultaneously with Nami. Additional visualization capabilities include the ability to toggle between current or historical spectra quickly. While viewing the data, users can create scientific presentation quality images without moving their data to another piece of software. Reference spectra such as ASTM G173 have been loaded into the software for additional comparative tools. 

EKO is committed to providing a dynamic software platform that keeps pace with a variety of user communities. Whether you are a meteorologist, plant scientist, photovoltaic researcher, or material scientist, EKO spectroradiometers and nami software will meet your current needs and grow with your applications. New features will be incorporated into future releases of Nami intended for a variety of field applications. If you are needing to make spectral measurements, please contact your local EKO regional office and see how EKO can help solve the problems of your application.

The continuous measurement of the direct normal, diffuse horizontal, and global horizontal 
components of spectral irradiance (DNI, DHI, GHI) is critical to many environmental science and solar energy applications. This spectral irradiance is modified by changing concentrations of atmospheric trace gases and aerosols, creating a need for continuous monitoring. While many satellites try to retrieve information about these atmospheric constituents, a bottom up approach is critical to validate the satellite data and to measure the actual radiative effect at the surface. EKO Instruments has been an innovative company with tradition in outdoor radiometric measurements with more than half a century of experience in the field of solar spectroradiometry. Recently, EKO has been developing new products and measurement methodologies which are under study at the Izaña Atmospheric Research Center (IARC) from the Agencia Estatal de Meteorologia (AEMET). 

The Research Center is situated on the island of Tenerife, Spain (28.3°N, 16.5°W) at a high-altitude mountain site (2367 m above seal level), presenting an ideal location for evaluating solar radiation sensors and performing Langley calibrations. Furthermore, the site contains high-end instrumentation installed for atmospheric research, with the particularity of being one of the participants of the AERONET network for aerosol monitoring. Hence, a proper evaluation of the atmospheric parameters retrieved with a spectroradiometer can be performed at the test site. 

Methodologies are developed to extend the solar spectrum (280-4000nm) measurements outside of the EKO spectroradiometers wavelength range (300-1100nm) based on radiative transfer models. As well as to estimate other atmospheric parameters such as aerosol optical depth (AOD) based on the spectroradiometer measurements. Adding these additional parameters to the spectral data set will present added value to the research communities in atmospheric and environmental sciences, and in solar energy. Additionally, EKO has introduced a new device, the RSB-01 rotating shadow band, intended to operate with the EKO spectroradiometers to measure the global and diffuse horizontal spectral irradiances, and compute the direct normal spectral irradiance.

With this research project, EKO aims to explore the untapped potential of its spectroradiometers by developing measurement methodologies to quantify atmospheric parameters based on ground-based solar spectral measurements, as well as to evaluate the performance of the instruments recently introduced by EKO.