TWS-4B Photovoltaic Power Station Environmental Monitoring Instrument High-Precision Sensor

In the field of photovoltaic power generation, the accurate collection of meteorological data plays a decisive role in evaluating power plant operational efficiency, predicting power generation, and maintaining equipment. The TWS-4B Photovoltaic Power Plant Weather Station, developed by Dongguan Lvguang New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., is an intelligent monitoring device specifically designed for photovoltaic power plants. Through multi-parameter integrated collection technology, it provides real-time and precise meteorological data support for plant operators. This article will delve into the performance characteristics, technical advantages, and practical application value of this device.

The Dongguan Lvguang [Model TWS-4B] Photovoltaic Power Plant Weather Station is specifically designed for distributed photovoltaic power plants, residential photovoltaic systems, and small commercial power plants. It is used for real-time monitoring of environmental parameters to optimize power generation efficiency and operational management. Developed by Dongguan Lvguang New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., it features mid-to-high-end technical standards in the industry.

Product Features

Multi-parameter integrated monitoring: Supports monitoring of over 12 meteorological elements, including total solar radiation, direct radiation, scattered radiation, ambient temperature and humidity, wind speed and direction, atmospheric pressure, module backplane temperature, illuminance, rainfall, and snow depth.

High precision and reliability: Radiation measurement accuracy reaches ±2% (compliant with IEC 61724 standards). The total radiation sensor adopts the FSP series model, while wind speed and direction are measured using ultrasonic technology (no mechanical wear). Temperature and humidity errors are ≤0.5°C/±2% RH, meeting WMO Class 2 standards and national standard GB/T 38948-2020 requirements.

Strong environmental adaptability: IP66/IP68 protection rating, fully sealed aluminum alloy housing, tested in a wide temperature range of -40°C to +85°C, resistant to sand, dust, salt spray, and heavy rain. Equipment online rate exceeds 99% in harsh environments. Military-grade sensor design with strong electromagnetic compatibility, suitable for extreme regions such as deserts, coastal areas, and plateaus.

Smart communication and integration: Supports 4G/Beidou dual-channel, RS485/LoRa, and other multi-mode data transmission methods. High-frequency sampling at 5-second intervals, with real-time data transmission to cloud platforms. Open communication protocol allows seamless integration with photovoltaic power plant monitoring systems.

Application Areas

Photovoltaic power plant operation and maintenance optimization: Accurately quantifies irradiance attenuation, module temperature rise, and dust accumulation losses, guiding cleaning cycles, cooling system activation/deactivation, and bracket angle adjustments to improve power generation efficiency by 2.1%-18.7%.

Power plant site selection and resource assessment: Provides long-term meteorological data such as radiation and wind speed for new power plants, assisting in site selection decisions and power generation prediction model construction.

Research and performance evaluation: Supports photovoltaic module performance testing (e.g., research on the utilization efficiency of scattered radiation in bifacial modules), power plant performance evaluation, and power generation prediction for electricity trading (error reduced to within 7%).

Multi-scenario extended applications: Suitable for distributed power plants, floating photovoltaic projects (monitoring water surface temperature and humidity differences), ecological monitoring stations, and highway weather stations.

I. Core Functions and Parameter Configuration

The TWS-4B Photovoltaic Power Plant Weather Station adopts a modular design, integrating six key meteorological parameter measurement functions:

1. Total radiation monitoring: Spectral response range of 280-3000 nm, compliant with ISO9060 standards, accurately captures total solar radiation intensity (0-2000 W/m²), with measurement error controlled within ±2%. This data directly affects the calculation of photovoltaic module power generation efficiency and is a core indicator for Performance Ratio (PR) analysis.

2. Ambient temperature and humidity monitoring: Temperature measurement range of -40°C to +80°C (±0.2°C accuracy), humidity measurement range of 0-100% RH (±2% RH accuracy). Temperature and humidity data are used not only to correct the temperature coefficient of module output power but also to warn of risks such as condensation that may cause Potential Induced Degradation (PID) effects.

3. Wind speed and direction monitoring: Ultrasonic principle enables wind speed measurement of 0-60 m/s (±0.3 m/s accuracy) and wind direction measurement of 0-359° (±3° accuracy). Strong wind data can trigger protection mechanisms for bracket systems, while long-term wind speed statistics provide a basis for dust accumulation predictions.

4. Module backplane temperature monitoring: Direct contact measurement via PT1000 platinum resistance (-40°C to +150°C range, ±0.5°C accuracy). This parameter more accurately reflects the actual working state of the module compared to ambient temperature and is a key basis for thermal loss evaluation.

5. Atmospheric pressure monitoring: Measurement range of 300-1100 hPa (±0.5 hPa accuracy), used for power generation efficiency correction in high-altitude power plants.

6. Rainfall monitoring: Tipping bucket rain gauge measures intensity of 0-4 mm/min, combined with dust monitoring to optimize cleaning cycle strategies.

II. Technological Innovation and Engineering Adaptation

This device addresses industry pain points through three core technological breakthroughs:

1. Anti-interference design: Utilizes electromagnetic shielding housing and digital filtering algorithms to maintain data stability even in high-frequency interference environments from inverters. Field data from a Qinghai power plant show a data packet loss rate of less than 0.1% in strong electromagnetic environments.

2. Low-power operation: Built-in 4G/NB-IoT dual-mode communication module, combined with smart wake-up technology, keeps overall power consumption below 3W, allowing direct power supply from the photovoltaic system without additional配电.

3. Smart diagnostic system: Monitors sensor status in real time through current loop detection technology. Automatically triggers an alarm when the radiation sensor glass cover pollution exceeds the threshold, alerting maintenance personnel to clean it. A case study from a distributed power plant in Guangdong shows that this feature improved data validity by 27%.

III. Data Application and System Integration

Real-time data from the TWS-4B Photovoltaic Power Plant Weather Station is transmitted via Modbus RTU or TCP/IP protocols and can be deeply integrated with SCADA and power prediction systems:

- Power generation prediction: Combined with historical radiation data and weather forecasts, short-term prediction accuracy can achieve an hourly error of <8%. A 100MW power plant improved its AGC regulation response speed by 15% after integrating data from this device.

- Fault diagnosis: When "radiation is normal but power drops sharply," combined with abnormal increases in backplane temperature data, string faults can be quickly located. A power plant in Xinjiang once identified junction box fuse issues in 13 strings using this method.

- Operation and maintenance optimization: By analyzing the correlation between annual wind speed and dust accumulation, a power plant in Hebei adjusted its cleaning cycle from 30 days to a dynamic range of 22-40 days, saving 180,000 yuan annually in cleaning costs.

IV. Installation Standards and Maintenance Key Points

During actual deployment, the following points should be noted:

1. Site selection principles: Recommended installation height for radiation sensors is 1.5m, maintaining the same tilt angle as the photovoltaic array to avoid shading from brackets. A power plant in Jiangsu initially experienced a 12% data deviation in winter due to improper installation location, which was corrected after adjustment.

2. Calibration cycle: Total radiation sensors should be calibrated twice a year. Using standard light source calibration ensures long-term stability within ±1%.

3. Lightning protection measures: Although the device has built-in 16kV surge protection, independent grounding is still required in lightning-prone areas, with grounding resistance <4Ω. A case from a mountainous power plant in Yunnan, where a communication module was damaged by lightning due to improper grounding, serves as a cautionary tale.

Currently, photovoltaic power plants are transitioning from "extensive operation and maintenance" to "digital operation and maintenance." The TWS-4B Photovoltaic Power Plant Weather Station, with its minute-level data refresh rate and 0.1% resolution, provides a digital twin foundation for meteorological monitoring in power plants. With the introduction of AI algorithms, the data collected will further empower advanced application scenarios such as smart cleaning robot path planning and module health assessment. Under the dual-carbon goals, such high-precision monitoring devices will become standard配置 for improving the quality and efficiency of photovoltaic power plants.