PV powering a weather station for severe weather
- Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, FL (United States)
- Joe Schmidt, Inc., Miami, FL (United States)
A natural disaster, such as Hurricane Andrew, destroys thousands of homes and businesses. The destruction from this storm left thousands of people without communications, potable water, and electrical power. This prompted the Florida Solar Energy Center to study the application of solar electric power for use in disasters. During this same period, volunteers at the Tropical Prediction Center at the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Miami, Florida and the Miami Office of the National Weather Service (NWS) were working to increase the quantity and quality of observations received from home weather stations. Forecasters at NHC have found surface reports from home weather stations a valuable tool in determining the size, strength and course of hurricanes. Home weather stations appear able to record the required information with an adequate level of accuracy. Amateur radio, utilizing the Automatic Packet Report System, (APRS) can be used to transmit this data to weather service offices in virtually real time. Many weather data collecting stations are at remote sites which are not readily serviced by dependable commercial power. Photovoltaic (solar electric) modules generate electricity and when connected to a battery can operate as a stand alone power system. The integration of these components provides an inexpensive standalone system. The system is easy to install, operates automatically and has good communication capabilities. This paper discusses the design criteria, operation, construction and deployment of a prototype solar powered weather station.
- OSTI ID:
- 355742
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-970441-; ISBN 0-89553-169-0; TRN: IM9931%%263
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: SOLAR `97: national solar energy conference, Washington, DC (United States), 25-30 Apr 1997; Other Information: PBD: 1997; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the 1997 American Solar Energy Society annual conference; Campbell-Howe, R.; Wilkins-Crowder, B. [eds.]; PB: 369 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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