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 ...
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 sea 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.