Atec Solmetric-PVA-600 - Manual (Page 2)

Application Setup
Testing one string at a time at a fused combiner box
PVA Sensor Kit (optional accessory)
Fused Combiner Box
Wireless
Communication
Windows PC
Running
PVA Software
I-V
Measurement Unit
transmitter
Thermocouple
transmitter Sensor
Irradiance
Measurement Modes
For accurate calculations of I-V and P-V curves, the
irradiance and cell temperature must be known. The
PVA-600 obtains these values in three ways:
1. “Array-as-sensor” mode
In applications where the main objective is to dem-
onstrate functionality and consistency among PV
strings, the
PVA extracts the irradiance and cell tem-
perature mathematically from the measured I-V data.
• Convenient. Uses the array itself as the sensors,
so external sensors are not required.
• Allows detailed comparison of the shapes of
measured and predicted I-V curves, even under
conditions of changing irradiance
and temperature.
2. Manual entry by the user
If external sensors are available, sensor values can
be manually entered. This method is suitable when
irradiance and temperature are relatively stable.
3. Measure using wireless sensors
With the PVA Sensor Kit, external sensors
transmit the data wirelessly, improving the overall
measurement accuracy under conditions of
changing irradiance and temperature. A complete
sensor kit is available as an accessory to support
this mode.