Assembling Advanced Weather Stations

Please follow the assembly steps outlined below to ensure a quick, successful installation.

Once assembly is complete, please follow the steps specified in the "connecting to the agent" section to complete the installation.

 

1.  Unfold the instrument tower base.

   • The base will need to be attached to suitable anchor points via the mounting points in the tower base "feet".

   • The instrument tower must be grounded.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.  Add the instrument pole

   • Be sure to tighten the mounting bolts at the base of the pole.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.  Add the instrument crosspiece

   • The crosspiece and wind sensor mounting point come pre-assembled.

   • Be sure to tighten the mounting bolts to the instrument pole.

   • Make sure the end of the crosspiece with the wind sensor mount is pointing exactly north when the weather station installation is finished.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.  Mount acquisition module

   • Mount the module on one leg of the tripod (as shown at right) using the hardware provided.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.  Mount irradiance sensor.

   • Use the built-in bubble level to make sure that the sensor is level.

   • Orient the sensor so that the cable exits from the north side of the sensor (or south if in the southern hemisphere).

   • The weather station must be positioned so that there is no possibility of the irradiance sensor every being shaded by trees, buildings, etc.. at any time during the year.

   • Be sure to remove the green sensor cover once assembly is completed.

  

 

 

 

 

6.  Secure irradiance sensor cable to crosspiece.

   • Use the included zip ties to secure the irradiance sensor cable to the crosspiece.

   • Do not secure the cable to the instrument pole at this point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.  Mount the wind sensor assembly.

   • Secure the wind sensor assembly to the vertical section of the crosspiece assembly tightly enough so that the assembly will not change orientation in a strong wind.

   • Make sure the wind sensors are oriented exactly east to west: the anemometer on the west side, the direction sensor on the east. The sensor cable will enter the sensor assembly from the north when the assembly is oriented correctly.

   • Use the included zip ties to secure the wind sensors cable to the crosspiece.

   • Do not secure the cable to the instrument pole at this point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.  Add instrument pole extension.

   • Lift the instrument pole and crosspiece assembly and insert the instrument pole extension into the bottom of the assembly.

   • Secure the bottom of the instrument pole extension into the base of the tripod.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9.  Connect the wind sensor cable to the acquisition module.

   • The built in connector at the end of the wind sensor cable fits into a connector on the bottom acquisition module.

 

  

 

 

 

 

10.  Mount the ambient temperature/humidity sensor on the instrument pole.

    • Position the sensor so that it will be as close as possible to the height of the PV panels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11.  Attach cell temperature sensor to PV panel

    • Attach the cell temperature sensor to the back of the nearest PV panel, using the adhesive backing on the sensor.

    • Use the provided glue and Velcro to hold the sensor tight to the panel and to provide strain relief for the sensor cable (as show at right).

    • Do not add any glue to the built-in adhesive backing to attach the sensor to the panel. That will degrade its accuracy. 

  

 

12.  Zip tie all sensor cables

    • Use the provided zip ties to secure all sensor cables to the instrument tower (and panel rack for the cell temp. cable).

    • Use zip ties to secure coils of the slack sensor cables to the acquisition module

 

13.  Final orientation check

    • Verify that the wind sensors are oriented along an east-west axis.

    • Verify that the wind/irradiance crosspiece is oriented nort-south, with the irradiance sensor on the south end.

    • Verify that the irradiance sensor is level.

 

 

 

14.  Connect weather station to the agent

    • The station is now ready to connect to a WattMetrics acquisition agent. Please see the "connecting to the agent" section for more detail.