Precipitation & Hail Monitoring Systems for Wind and Solar Farms
Depend upon the storm type and duration of the event the aftermath can lead to significant damage to the protective glass and even the solar cells themselves. Hail, sleet, freezing rainfall and precipitation can all damage solar panels and wind turbine blades.
Optical Scientific, Inc. (OSI) provides advanced precipitation monitoring solutions for solar and wind farms, helping to maximize efficiency and ensure smooth operations. OSi, formerly known as Scientific Technology, Inc. (ScTI), is the inventor and provider of the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) present weather sensor, the LEDWI (Light Emitting Diode Weather Identifier). By adding an off-axis receiver for visibility measurement and combining both the optical signal and the acoustic signal, reliable detection and discrimination of ice particles can be achieved. The resultant instrument, WIVIS (weather identifier and visibility) sensor, has been providing reliable measurements of visibility and present weather for many years.
Our Optical Weather Identifiers (OWI-430 & OWI-650) are designed to deliver precise, real-time precipitation data for both solar and wind energy applications. It is extremely challenging to explain the very complex artificial intelligence-based algorithm of OWI sensors. Several techniques have been developed to measure atmospheric precipitation parameters using optical, microwave, and acoustic technologies, i.e.,
- Attenuation / Extinction
- Scattering
- Scintillation
- Acoustic
But likewise, no single sensing technique meets every need of precipitation measurement and identification. Based on analysis, no single sensing technique can be called on to meet every need of precipitation measurement and identification. Therefore, OWI sensors incorporate three different sensing technologies:
- In-beam optical scintillation detection
- Off-axis forward scattering optical detection, and
- Acoustic detection.
Any one of these technologies by themselves can be used for precipitation / visibility identification and measurement. However, each one used individually has limitations. By combining all three patented techniques, and employing advanced detection algorithms, Osi has produced a sensor that provides the highest degree of accuracy and versatility possible, to date.
The OWI-430 & OWI-650 fully meet the FAA AWOS present weather requirement with capability to detect and identify the NWS and WMO weather codes as follows.
NWS Code Format
| WX Code | NWS WX Code Description | WX Code | NWS WX Code Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| L- | Light Drizzle | I- | Light Ice Pellet |
| L_ | Moderate Drizzle | I | Moderate Ice Pellet |
| L+ | Heavy Drizzle | I+ | Heavy Ice Pellet |
| R- | Light Rain | A- | Light Hail |
| R_ | Moderate Rain | A | Moderate Hail |
| R+ | Heavy Rain | A+ | Heavy Hail |
| P- | Light Precipitation | No Precipitation | |
| P_ | Moderate Precipitation | — | Start-up code |
| P+ | Heavy Precipitation | ER | Error Condition |
| S- | Light Snow Moderate Snow | CL | Lenses need to be cleaned |
| S_ S+ | Heavy Snow |
WMO Code Format
| WX Code | WMO WX Code Description | WX Code | WMO WX Code Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | No Significant Weather | 61 | Rain, not freezing, slight |
| 04 | Haze | 62 | Rain, not freezing, moderate |
| 10 | Mist | 63 | Rain, not freezing, heavy |
| 20 | Fog detected in last hour | 64 | Rain, freezing, slight |
| 21 | Precip detected in last hour | 65 | Rain, freezing, moderate |
| 22 | Drizzle detected in last hour | 66 | Rain, freezing, heavy |
| 23 | Rain detected in last hour | 67 | Rain/snow, slight |
| 24 | Snow detected in last hour | 68 | Rain/snow, moderate or heavy |
| 30 | Fog | 71 | Snow, slight |
| 41 | Precipitation, slight or moderate | 72 | Snow, moderate |
| 47 | Freezing precip, slight or moderate | 73 | Snow, heavy |
| 51 | Drizzle, not freezing, slight | 74 | Ice Pellet, slight |
| 52 | Drizzle, not freezing, moderate | 75 | Ice Pellet, moderate |
| 53 | Drizzle, not freezing, heavy | 76 | Ice Pellet, heavy |
| 54 | Drizzle, freezing, slight | 93 | Hail, Light |
| 55 | Drizzle, freezing, moderate | 93 | Hail, Moderate |
| 56 | Drizzle, freezing, heavy | 96 | Hail, Heavy |
| 57 | Drizzle and rain, slight | — | Start-up code |
| 58 | Drizzle & rain, moderate or heavy | ER | Error Condition |
| CL | Lenses need to be cleaned |
By leveraging our cutting-edge technology, operators can better understand real time precipitation conditions and enhance the efficiency and reliability of their installations.
OSI’s solutions are built to withstand harsh environmental conditions while delivering accurate data that supports informed decision-making. With our Optical Weather Identifiers, solar & Wind farm operators can react t current weather conditions and build history of weather events and ideally optimize energy production, reduce downtime, and ensure the long-term success of their installations.
