ASSEMBLING, TESTING, AND CALIBRATION OF A SOLAR MEASURINGINSTRUMENT

Abstract

The work "Assembling, testing, and calibration of a solar measuring instrument" is aimed
atproviding quick information on solar irradiance. The construction was carried out at the
Department of Works, Nigeria Institute of Leather and Science Technology (NILEST) using
materials such as plywood, a transpaırent rectangular glass sheJet, hardwood, multimeter (0-50mA),
an 82KQ resistor, conducting wires on a solar cell (12V). The assembled colorimeter was tested and
calibrated with the standard solar meter (pyranometer) at the electrical laboratory, de The assembłed
6
instrument was found to measure currents 2.972x10 times the value of solar irradiance on the
standard solarimeter The knowledge of solar radiation is applicable in areas such as Agriculture,
Atmospheric science, Climate change, Health, Hydrology, Oceanography, Renewable energy, to
mention but a few.

Keywords: solarimeter, solar irradiance, and calibration.