Design of a functional weather station for solar variable measurement with low-cost devices.

Abstract

Renewable energies are at the forefront as a partial solution to the global warming problem. Maximizing the benefits of solar energy depends on how well environmental variables and solar data are understood at the specific location where it is intended to be utilized. Economically speaking, a commercial weather station is not viable for small-scale projects like the one that could be implemented at UNIMET. In this research, a meteorological information system is designed, capable of automatically measuring environmental variables, storing the data, and displaying the results in real-time. It is economically viable, robust, and reliable. The integrity of the design is tested through the development of a prototype that measures a reduced set of variables (temperature, humidity, pressure, precipitation, illuminance, and wind speed), showing the system's effectiveness in laboratory tests. This work presents the design and the prototype's test results.