Four SuRE students successfully established during the summer term the new meteorological station in the “Energielabor” garden. Since September, direct normal, global horizontal and diffuse horizontal irradiance is continuously measured. The project was sponsored by “Deutsche Energiestiftung”

During the Summer Laboratory course Ahmad Sadiq, Ghulam Mustafa, Esayas Tekleweyni Gebrelibanosirst and Emenere-Ubong Friday Ekpety installed the tracker-based meteorological measurement setup. This enables the measurement of direct normal, global and diffuse irradiation. This summer term, the students used the data to analyse automatic quality routines, uncertainties due to shading and - in comparison with other measurement stations - long-term trends of irradiation. Future batches get the chance to develop their own research questions which they can investigate based on the data measured. This could be for example focussing the conversion to irradiation on a tilted (PV module) plane or specific rations of the irradiation components in varying weather conditions.

The solar tracker and irradiation sensors have been used by the Energymeteorology group of the University over almost 10 years. Afterwards the setup has been passed to the PPRE team to be used, for example in the laboratory courses within the SuRE Master. Due to the kind support of the Deutsche Energiestiftung the mechanics of the tracker as well as the pyranometers were recalibrated before being installed.