Applications and Uses of Pyranometers

Solar radiation at Earth's surface is typically defined as total radiation across a wavelength range of 280 to 4000 nm (shortwave radiation). Total solar radiation, direct beam and diffuse, incident on a horizontal surface is defined as global shortwave radiation, or shortwave irradiance (incident radiant flux), and is expressed in Watts per square meter (W m^-2).

Pyranometers are sensors that measure global shortwave radiation. Apogee Instruments offers both silicon-cell and black-body thermopile pyranometers. Silicon-cell pyranometers are only sensitive to a portion of the solar spectrum, approximately 360 to 1100 nm (approximately 80 % of total shortwave radiation is within this range).

Applications include incoming shortwave radiation measurement in:

• agricultural weather networks
• ecological weather networks
• hydrological weather networks
• solar panel arrays