Solar Description

Solar Description

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Solar Radiation Sensor

Measures solar radiation and is required (along with an anemometer and a temperature/humidity sensor) if you wish to monitor evapotranspiration.

Diffuser element and housing are carefully designed for accurate cosine response. Silicon photo diode provides good match to solar spectrum. Two-piece housing minimizes radiation heating, allows convection cooling of the sensor, and prevents the trapping of water or dust. Includes built-in level and 3' (0.9 m) cable.

UV Sensor

Measures the sunburning portion of the UV spectrum. Allows you to display UV index, dose rate, and daily and accumulated dose.

Multi-layer filter provides a spectral response that closely matches the Erythema Action Spectrum. Diffuser provides excellent cosine response. Two-piece housing minimizes radiation heating, allows convection cooling of the sensor, and prevents the trapping of water or dust. Includes built-in level and 3' (0.9 m) cable.

Sensor Mounting Shelf

For mounting solar radiation sensor and/or UV sensor on Vantage Pro and Vantage Pro2 integrated sensor suite. Rigid shelf with anodized aluminum posts and stainless steel hardware attaches easily next to the rain collector on the outside of the integrated sensor suite.

UV (Ultra Violet) Radiation

Energy from the sun reaches the earth as visible, infrared, and ultraviolet (UV) rays. Exposure to UV rays can cause numerous health problems, such as sunburn, skin cancer, skin aging, cataracts, and can suppress the immune system. The Vantage Pro2 helps analyze the changing levels of UV radiation and can advise of situations where exposure is particularly unacceptable. UV radiation requires the UV radiation sensor. The Vantage Pro2 displays UV readings in two scales: MEDs and UV Index.

Note: The station’s UV readings do not take into account UV reflected off snow, sand, or water, which can significantly increase your exposure. Nor do your UV readings take into account the dangers of prolonged UV exposure. The readings do not suggest that any amount of exposure is safe or healthful. Do not use the Vantage Pro2 to determine the amount of UV radiation to which you expose yourself. Scientific evidence suggests that UV exposure should be avoided and that even low UV doses can be harmful.

UV MEDs

MED (Minimum Erythemal Dose) is defined as the amount of sunlight exposure necessary to induce a barely perceptible redness of the skin within 24 hours after sun exposure. In other words, exposure to 1 MED will result in a reddening of the skin. Because different skin types burn at different rates, 1 MED for persons with very dark skin is different from 1 MED for persons with very light skin.

Both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Environment Canada have developed skin type categories correlating characteristics of skin with rates of sunburn.

TABLE A-1: EPA SKIN PHOTOTYPES

UV Index

Vantage Pro2 can also display UV Index, an intensity measurement first defined by Environment Canada and since been adopted by the World Meteorological Organization. UV Index assigns a number between 0 and 16 to the current UV intensity. The US EPA categorizes the Index values as shown in table A-3. The lower the number, the lower the danger of sunburn. The Index value published by the U.S. National Weather Service is a forecast of the next day’s noontime UV intensity. The index values displayed by the Vantage Pro2 are real-time measurements.

Table A-2: ENVIRONMENT CANADA SKIN TYPES AND REACTION TO THE SUN

a. Developed by T. B. Fitzpatrick of the Harvard Medical School. More about the Fitzpatrick Skin Types is available in: Fitzpatrick TB. Editorial: the validity and practicality of sun-reactive skin types I through VI. Arch Dermatol 1988; 124:869-871

UV Dose and Sunburn - Use this plot to estimate the MED dose leading to sunburn. A person with Type II (Environment Canada) skin type might choose 0.75 MED as the maximum for the day; in contrast, a person with Type V (Environment Canada) Skin Type might consider 2.5 MEDs a reasonable dose for the day. NOTE: the Vantage Pro2 assumes a Fitzpatrick (Environment Canada) Skin Type of II.

Evapotranspiration (ET)

Evapotranspiration (ET) is a measurement of the amount of water vapor returned to the air in a given area. It combines the amount of water vapor returned through evaporation (from wet surfaces) with the amount of water vapor returned through transpiration (exhaling of moisture through plant stomata) to arrive at a total. Effectively, ET is the opposite of rainfall, and it is expressed in the same units of measure (millimeters).

The Vantage Pro2 uses air temperature, relative humidity, average wind speed, and solar radiation data to estimate ET, which is calculated once an hour on the hour. ET requires the optional solar radiation sensor.

If you like, send me an email, Steven Fox.