Solectria Renewables Weather Station User manual

Weather Station Installation Manual (last revised 2009-10-21)
Table of Contents:
1. Weather Station Overview
2. System Requirements
3. The SolrenViewTM Site Survey
4. Installing SolrenView Weather Station
Quick Installation Guide
Outdoor mounting of the Weather station enclosure
Wiring AC power to the internal Weather Station 24VDC power supply
Installation of the PV Module Temperature Sensor
Installation of the Ambient Temperature Sensor
Installation of the Sunlight Sensor (Pyranometer)
Installation of the Wind Direction Sensor / Vane (Wind option only)
Installation of the Wind Speed Sensor (Wind option only)
Ethernet Connection
5. Viewing Web-Enabled Data
6. Alarm/Event Notification
7. Weather Station LCD Display
8. Contact Information
9. Appendices
A: IP Configuration/Troubleshooting
B: More about DHCP vs Fixed IP mode
C: Sensor Accuracy
D: Maximum Wire/Cable Lengths
360 Merrimack Street, Bldg. 9, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA 978.683.9700 f:978.683.9702 www.solren.com

1. Weather Station Overview
The Weather Station collects environmental real-time data at the PV system site, and sends it
to SolrenViewTM server (http://www.solrenview.com/).
The data is graphed in the customer’s web browser and further used to generate alarms to
the customer if the PV system is underperforming.
All environmental sensors are directly wired into the Weather Data Monitor that resides inside
a NEMA4 rated polycarbonate box.
The basic Weather Station package consists of the following set of sensors:
PV Module Temperature Sensor
Ambient Temperature Sensor
Sunlight Sensor (pyranometer)
The optional Wind package comes with two additional sensors:
Wind Speed Sensor
Wind Direction Sensor / Vane
360 Merrimack Street, Bldg. 9, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA 978.683.9700 f:978.683.9702 www.solren.com

The Weather Station collects real-time data samples at a 1-minute interval. The data is then
sent over the Internet to the SolrenViewTM server as soon as a connection can be
established. Data samples received by the server are stored and retrieved by the web server
whenever a user queries the information with a browser (see Viewing Web-Enabled Data).
2. System Requirements
For remote monitoring to be possible, the system must have a reliable Internet connection via
an Ethernet port. This usually requires the service of an ISP (Internet Service Provider).
Please inquire about ISP services available in your neighborhood if you do not have one
already (not included in the SolrenViewTM package).
The Weather Station requires a physical connection via a Category 5 cable to the LAN (Local
Area Network). A common setup is a router/switch to the Internet connection, and a Cat 5
connecting the Weather Data Monitor to one of the router/switch’s ports.
Example: Simple LAN setup
Weather
Data Monitor
Other remaining requirements include:
- A working Photovoltaic system
- Filled-out site survey (See The SolrenViewTM Site Survey)
- Purchase of Weather Monitoring package from Solectria Renewables.
360 Merrimack Street, Bldg. 9, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA 978.683.9700 f:978.683.9702 www.solren.com

360 Merrimack Street, Bldg. 9, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA 978.683.9700 f:978.683.9702 www.solren.com

360 Merrimack Street, Bldg. 9, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA 978.683.9700 f:978.683.9702 www.solren.com
3. The SolrenViewTM Site Survey
In order to have enough information to customize a web site and enable Weather Monitoring,
the site survey must be filled out and turned in before the weather station is shipped out.
Below are fields expected on the survey, please fill it out to the best of your knowledge. Form
may be submitted either through email or fax (see Contact Information). The site survey may
alternately be downloaded here: SolrenView Site Survey
Weather Station LAN Configuration
DHCP mode may be selected to let the Weather Data Monitor automatically be assigned an IP from
the local network DHCP-enabled router. If Local Area Network is not DHCP-enabled, a static local IP
address must be specified in the survey. In most cases, DHCP mode is appropriate unless a fixed IP
is preferred.
Please consult with IT personnel. For more information see More about DHCP vs Fixed IP mode.
Installer Contact Information
Company Name, website:
Contact Person (email, phone#):
Email for Event Notifications:
Installation Site Details
Site Title:
Street Address:
City, State, Zip Code:
Time Zone (Atlantic, Eastern, Central, Pacific, etc):
Expected Install Date:
Wind speed and direction option (Y/N):
Weather Station LAN Configuration (please consult with local IT personnel, do not leave blank!)
DHCP (Yes/No)
Data Monitor IP (if DHCP=No):
LAN Router/Gateway IP (must be provided if DHCP=No):
IT/Network Administrator Contact:

4. Installing SolrenViewTM Weather Station
Refer to diagram below for the Quick Installation Guide:
Support#: 978-683-9700
LED Indicators
Devices: Every minute, it blinks orange once if sensor(s) are detected
Server: Blinks green once when packet is sent to SolrenView server
Power: Always on orange when AC power is applied.
Function: Heart Beat.
 Connect network communication:
Plug Cat5 cable to Ethernet port.


Enable Weather Monitoring:
Make connections on monitor top to bottom:
(red, green, black) (Wind Option only)
(red, black/clear)
(black, black)
(black, black)
Make connections on bottom (Wind Option only):
Y1:red
Z: black
 Apply 120V power
Connect L, N, GND to corresponding screw
terminal on power supplies and turn on AC
breaker.
360 Merrimack Street, Bldg. 9, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA 978.683.9700 f:978.683.9702 www.solren.com

Outdoor mounting of the Weather station enclosure
The 12 x 10 x 4 inch NEMA4 rated Weather Station enclosure is intended to be mounted in
any nonhazardous outdoor location.
A sheltered (from falling rain and direct sunlight) location, such as under the module
or under a north-facing awning is preferred, since it will extend the product’s life.
The Weather Station enclosure should be mounted as close as practical to the
Sunlight Sensor (pyranometer) to ensure best measurement accuracy.
To maintain its NEMA rating the enclosure must be mounted vertically against a solid
structure, using the four metal ¼-20 x 0.25 threaded inserts or supplied mounting ears.
Warning: Any other orientation will void the product warranty and shorten the products life.
Only the bottom side of the Weather Station enclosure should be penetrated
by listed conduit hubs or connectors with appropriate environmental rating.
The maximum metallic conduit diameter is ¾ in.
360 Merrimack Street, Bldg. 9, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA 978.683.9700 f:978.683.9702 www.solren.com

Allow 36 in. clearance to the front and 4 in. to the side of the enclosure for best serviceability.
Wiring AC power to the internal Weather Station 24VDC power supply
This step of the installation process has to be performed by a licensed electrician.
It is recommended that a metallic conduit or raceway be used to bring 120VAC, 208VAC or
240VAC power into the enclosure (bottom center), where in agreement with local code.
Open the hinged cover of the mounted enclosure.
Unplug the white power supply connector on the bottom right and loosen the two SEM
screws on the right side to flip the Weather Data Monitor to the left and to gain access
to the 24VDC power supply underneath.
Connect phase (L) and neutral (N) and ground wires to the corresponding screw
terminals. A maximum AWG of #10 is recommended. In the case of a 208/240VAC
service, the second phase has to be landed on the (N) terminal, while not connecting
the neutral.
Tug on all five power supply connections to verify tightness of the connections.
360 Merrimack Street, Bldg. 9, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA 978.683.9700 f:978.683.9702 www.solren.com

Installation of the PV Module Temperature Sensor
The PV Module Temperature Sensor can be taped to the backside of any PV module in the
array, using the supplied Metal Tape.
A metallic or non-metallic conduit or raceway can be used to protect the PV Module
Temperature Sensor cable on its way to the bottom right of the Weather station enclosure.
Cut the PV Module Temperature Sensor cable to required length, allowing enough
length for the Weather Data Monitor to be flipped back down into its resting
position.
Split the cable and strip back the first ¼ inch of each conductor.
The Ambient Temperature Sensor is not polarized. Connect one of the two wires to
the “Temp PV” terminal and the other one to the “GND” terminal just below it.
Tug on both wires to ensure tightness of the connection.
360 Merrimack Street, Bldg. 9, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA 978.683.9700 f:978.683.9702 www.solren.com

Installation of the Ambient Temperature Sensor
The Ambient Temperature Sensor comes factory-assembled inside the radiation shield. The
radiation shield bracket can be mounted to a pipe (1.0 - 2.0 in. diameter), using the supplied
U-bolt.
The radiation shield can be installed anywhere in the vicinity of the PV array. It is
recommended to place the Ambient Temperature Sensor on the north side (in the northern
hemisphere) of the array, otherwise you must provide array shading setback.
A metallic or non-metallic conduit or raceway can be used to protect the Ambient
Temperature Sensor cable on its way to the bottom right of the Weather station enclosure.
Cut the Ambient Temperature Sensor cable to required length, allowing enough
length for the Weather Data Monitor to be flipped back down into its resting
position.
Split the cable and strip back the first ¼ inch of each conductor.
The Ambient Temperature sensor is not polarized. Connect one of the two wires to
the “Temp Amb” terminal and the other one to the “GND” terminal just below it.
Tug on both wires to ensure tightness of the connection.
360 Merrimack Street, Bldg. 9, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA 978.683.9700 f:978.683.9702 www.solren.com

Installation of the Sunlight Sensor (Pyranometer)
The Sunlight Sensor Sensor is a Si-cell pyranometer. It is calibrated to measure the total
direct and diffuse shortwave sunlight. Please call Solectria Renewables tech support if you
want to use the Sunlight Sensor on with thin-film module array.
Picture courtesy Apogee Instruments, Inc.
Install the sunlight sensor as close as possible to the Weather Station and do not
extend the supplied wire length.
The sunlight sensor must be installed at the same azimuth and tilt angle than the PV array.
Do not mount the sensor level. Drill a 3/16 in. hole into the bottom side of the aluminum
frame of a PV module and use a 10-32 x 0.5 in. screw with lock washer to attach the sensor.
If different module strings have different orientations, choose the bottom of a module that is
most representative of the array (average string orientation).
A metallic or non-metallic conduit or raceway can be used to protect the Sunlight Sensor
cable on its way to the bottom right of the Weather station enclosure.
Cut the Ambient Temperature Sensor cable to required length, allowing enough
length for the Weather Data Monitor to be flipped back down into its resting
position.
Split the cable and strip back the first ¼ inch of each conductor.
The Ambient Temperature sensor is polarized. Connect the red conductor the
screw terminal that is marked “Sun”. Twist the black and clear conductor together
and connect them to the “GND” terminal just below it.
Tug on all three wires to ensure tightness of the connection.
360 Merrimack Street, Bldg. 9, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA 978.683.9700 f:978.683.9702 www.solren.com

Installation of the Wind Direction Sensor / Vane (Wind option only)
The vane is balanced and nearly friction free. Mount the vane leveled in unobstructed air on
the north side (in the northern hemisphere) of your PV array, otherwise you must provide
array shading setback.
Picture courtesy inspeed.com, LLC
Use the two mounting holes in the offset bracket to mount the vane.
A metallic or non-metallic conduit or raceway can be used to protect the Wind Direction cable
on its way to the bottom right of the Weather station enclosure.
Cut the Wind Direction cable to required length, allowing enough length for the
Weather Data Monitor to be flipped back down into its resting position.
Split the cable and strip back the first ¼ inch of each conductor.
The Wind Diection sensor is polarized. Connect the red conductor to the screw
terminal that is marked “5V Wind”, connect the green conductor to the screw
terminal marked “Wind Dir” and black conductor to the “GND” terminal just below it.
Tug on all three wires to ensure tightness of the connection.
You must perform a true north calibration with your own compass and the Weather Data
Monitor’s LCD/keypad. Do not use the mechanical calibration procedure described in the
Vane’s owner manual.
360 Merrimack Street, Bldg. 9, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA 978.683.9700 f:978.683.9702 www.solren.com

Installation of the Wind Speed Sensor (Wind option only)
The Wind Speed sensor is balanced and nearly friction free. Mount the Wind Speed sensor
leveled in unobstructed air on the north side (in the northern hemisphere) of your PV array,
otherwise you must provide array shading setback.
Picture courtesy inspeed.com, LLC
Use the two mounting holes in the offset bracket to mount the Wind Speed sensor.
A metallic or non-metallic conduit or raceway can be used to protect the Wind Speed Sensor
cable on its way to the bottom right of the Weather station enclosure.
Cut the Wind Speed Sensor cable to required length, allowing enough length for
the Weather Data Monitor to be flipped back down into its resting position.
Split the cable and strip back the first ¼ inch of each conductor.
The Wind Speed sensor is not polarized. Connect the red conductor to the screw
terminal that is marked “Y1” on the bottom of the Weather Data Monitor, and the
black conductor to the screw terminal marked “K”.
Tug on both wires to ensure tightness of the connection.
Dress all the wires neatly with zip-ties and screw the Weather Data Monitor back
down into its resting position.
360 Merrimack Street, Bldg. 9, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA 978.683.9700 f:978.683.9702 www.solren.com

Ethernet Connection
Once the wires have been connected correctly to the terminal blocks, connect the CAT 5
cable to the Ethernet port of the Weather Data Monitor. See Example LAN Diagram
360 Merrimack Street, Bldg. 9, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA 978.683.9700 f:978.683.9702 www.solren.com
.
A metallic or non-metallic conduit or raceway can be used to protect the Ethernet cable on its
way to the bottom left of the Weather station enclosure.
**Note: Blinking of the LEDs on the Ethernet port (green, orange) only indicates the existence of a
physical connection. This does not guarantee that a successful outbound network connection if the
logical IP configuration (DHCP or LAN gateway, etc) has not been configured properly. Please see
IP Configuration for more information and Quick Installation Guide for the LED indicators.

360 Merrimack Street, Bldg. 9, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA 978.683.9700 f:978.683.9702 www.solren.com
Functional test of all sensors
You must test all sensors using the keypad/LCD of the weather station after all sensors, AC
power wires, and Ethernet are installed. If the LCD shows the correct values, the same
correct values will be displayed in your web-view, as soon as an internet connection is
established.
Turn on AC breaker; the LCD must light up and start rotating through information
Once there is Ethernet activity, the LED near the Ethernet port on the Weather Data
Monitor will blink green.
In full sun, the PV module temperature is expected to be 20 – 40C higher than the
displayed ambient temperature. No calibration is needed or possible.
The ambient temperature must show realistic value. No calibration is needed or
possible.
The light sensor must show non-zero value in daylight. Use inverter output power
display to estimate expected light level (1100 W/m2 = full power). Cover sensor with
your hand to make the value go to zero. No calibration is needed or possible.
As you rotate Wind Direction Sensor 360 degrees, the display must follow. Hold the
Vane so that the golden nose is pointing to geographic north and execute the “Set
Wind Dir” function in the LCD menu to calibrate out the mounting orientation.
Spin the Wind Speed sensor. The display must show a number > 0 mph. Hold the
Wind Speed sensor still. The display must show 0 mph.
5. Viewing Web-Enabled Data
With a web-enabled browser (ie Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox) open a page to
http://www.solrenview.com
Click on ‘Live Sites’ at the top of the page, and a list of public system sites will be displayed.
If your site isn’t listed yet, please call to check on the status of your site’s availability.
6. Alarm/Event Notifications
To be notified of system-related events, be sure to specify email address under the site
survey/PO checklist.
To get notification through SMS, the 10-digit phone number and service provider must be
provided. Ie 978-123-1234 (T Mobile)

360 Merrimack Street, Bldg. 9, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA 978.683.9700 f:978.683.9702 www.solren.com
5. Weather Station LCD Display
Button Description
ESC: To move up a level from the current menu.
: To scroll up/down the individual menu items
: To enter into selected menu.
Main/Default Screen
In this mode, the screen rotates between the live measurements from the external sensors.
Solar Irradiance
567.0 W/m2
Press any of the following keys to move from the main/default screen into the Start Menu

To enter into selected menu item, press the key.
Start Menu
1. Measurements
2. Monitor
3. Sensors
4. Info
Measurements
Displays the data retrieved from the sensors. Use the  buttons to move up and down the
list:
Ambient Temp.
Module Temp.
PCB Temperature
Solar Irradiance
Wind Direction
Wind Speed
Pressing ESC will take the screen back to the start menu.
Note: data will only be available when sensor is connected
Monitor
Displays monitor settings that may be modified with the keypad.
1. LAN Local Area Network configuration, applicable only for
SolrenView monitoring
1. DHCP Mode See section on DHCP

360 Merrimack Street, Bldg. 9, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA 978.683.9700 f:978.683.9702 www.solren.com
2. Static/Fallback IP If DHCP is turned on, this is then used as the fallback
IP
3. Gateway IP IP address of LAN’s default gateway.
4. Netmask Subnet mask
2. Date/Time Manual time set. This may be overwritten by
scheduled NIST updates.
3. Reboot Reboots the monitor
4. Reset All Settings are cleared to factory defaults.
Sensors
Configure temperature display and calibrate wind direction.
1. Temperature Toggle between Deg C and Deg F
2. Set Wind Dir Calibrate wind direction
Note: To calibrate wind direction, the sensor must be connected/installed.
Info
Entering this will replay the info displayed during startup.
8. Contact Information
For more help and inquiries, please contact Solectria Renewables
Tel [phone]
Fax [phone]
or email
[email protected]
[email protected]

9.Appendices
Appendix A: IP Configuration/Troubleshooting of the SolrenView Data Monitor
Reconfiguring the IP settings of the data monitor is only necessary if the data monitor is
unable to connect to the SolrenView server, which can be verified by viewing the system’s
web status page, see Status Indications.
Other reasons may include switching IP mode (DHCP to static IP address mode and vice
versa), or any other necessary adjustments to the monitor’s network configuration.
In order to configure the monitor’s network settings, at the very least its IP address must be
determined in order to access its web interface for manual IP configuration.
Step 1) Find the LAN IP address of the SolrenView Data Monitor
Skip to Step 2 if the monitor’s IP address is already determined.
To find the IP address of a DHCP-enabled SolrenView Data Monitor:
-Access and view the DHCP-client list of your local DHCP server. If the DHCP server is your
router, open a web page to the router, ie http://192.168.1.1 to find the DHCP client list. Refer
to your network admin and/or router manual for help.
-Find the entry in the client list with the MAC address matching the number displayed on the
SolrenView box, with format 00:90:c2:XX-XX-XX.
Example serial number display
The IP address of the data monitor should be displayed in the client entry.
Example DHCP client list
360 Merrimack Street, Bldg. 9, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA 978.683.9700 f:978.683.9702 www.solren.com

Step 2) Configuring the data monitor’s IP settings
Using a computer connected to the same network the monitor is in, open up a browser with
the monitor’s determined IP address using Step 1. For example: http://192.168.1.100.
If the page does not display, please call 978-683-9700 as older software versions may not
support this.
Once the main page displays, navigate to ‘Settings’. The IP configurations can now be
altered. To disable DHCP, deselect the DHCP box, and enter the intended fixed IP and
router/gateway settings.
Submit the page or press enter, the data monitor will reboot if DHCP mode is changed.
Verify that the new settings have been successfully configured.
For further troubleshooting refer to the following sections below.
When DHCP does not appear to be working:
DHCP configuration on the data monitor is done at startup, so the physical LAN connection
must be present during this time. Make sure the Ethernet cable is plugged in before powering
up the monitor.
To set the IP address of a DHCP-configured data monitor when DHCP is not supported
on the LAN:
If available, use a DHCP-enabled router or temporarily enable DHCP on an existing router to
find the IP address of the data monitor following the steps described in Step 1. Then set the
monitor to a fixed IP as described in Step 2, after which the monitor will become compatible
with a non-DHCP network.
DHCP-configured units shipped after December 2008 without a specified gateway IP will
fallback to the static IP of 192.168.1.11 (subnet mask of 255.255.255.0) in the event that
DHCP fails during startup. (For units which have been provide with a specific gateway/router, the
fallback IP will be the 11th address within the subnet of the provided gateway (ie If router/gateway field
is configured as 192.168.5.1, fallback will be configured to 192.168.5.11.) Use a switch, hub, router,
and/or crossover cable to connect to this IP address in order to reconfigure its IP settings as
described in Step 2. This fallback can be verified in the status box displayed under the
‘Settings’ page.
In the example below, the monitor fell back to 192.168.1.11 when DHCP failed during startup.
360 Merrimack Street, Bldg. 9, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA 978.683.9700 f:978.683.9702 www.solren.com

Setting the Data Monitor’s Router/Gateway Field:
Starting December 2008 DHCP-configured units that have not been specifically given the
router/gateway IP will have router IP field preset to 0.0.0.0. When this value is entered for
DHCP-enabled units, the data monitor uses ARP to automatically search for an existing
router/gateway.
In the example below, even though the router/gateway setting field was configured as 0.0.0.0,
the data monitor was able to detect the existing router (192.168.1.1) and automatically
configured the detected router IP as its gateway.
Auto router detection will only work if the data monitor is in DHCP mode. In static IP mode,
the router/gateway field of the data monitor (displayed above) must be set to the correct
gateway address.
**Note/Caution:
0.0.0.0 is not a valid IP address. Entering this in the router/gateway field will only trigger auto router
detection in units shipped after December 1st 2008. For older units, configuring the router/gateway field
to an invalid address will disable the data monitor’s connection to the SolrenView server.
It is not recommended to alter the router/gateway field to an invalid address once the gateway/router IP
is known and configured properly.
360 Merrimack Street, Bldg. 9, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA 978.683.9700 f:978.683.9702 www.solren.com