It is predicted that the solar energy market will grow by around 20,5% by 2026.
With this expected sharp rise in the market as the world makes its unstoppable transition to renewable energy sources, installation and testing engineers will need access to specific tools and instruments to work at optimum efficiency and safety.
Fluke says that the top five tools engineers will need, whether working on residential systems, solar farms or photovoltaic (PV) farms, are:
• A multifunction PV tester.
• Solar irradiance meter.
• Insulation tester.
• Infrared camera/thermal imager.
• DC & AC true RMS solar clamp meter.
A multifunction PV tester enables solar professionals to test PV systems safely and accurately while streamlining workflows. Fluke’s recently released SMFT-1000 Multifunction PV Tester is an all-in-one tool that’s ideal for safety and performance testing of installations that operate up to 1000 V DC.
Besides measuring solar irradiance, solar irradiance meters also measure PV module temperature, array orientation and tilt angles. Fluke’s IRR1-SOL Solar Irradiance Meter operates in accordance with the IEC 62446-1 standard. It enables engineers to take instantaneous measurements to determine Watts per square meter of solar irradiation.
Solar clamp meters measure DC and AC currents without breaking the circuit. Fluke’s 393 FC Solar clamp meter is a 1500 V CAT III, IP54 rated, thin jaw clamp meter that is designed to provide exceptional safety when working in DC environments up to 1500 V, such as solar arrays. The clamp meter’s thin jaw makes it ideal for PV applications where space is often at a premium.
Hans-Dieter Schuessele, application & technology expert at Fluke, said, “Countries worldwide are dealing with the dual pressures of climate change and reliable power sources. Renewable energy is an obvious solution that we believe will gain even greater traction throughout 2023 and years to come. Fluke has always supported the solar sector and dedicated itself to developing ground-breaking tools for PV installation and maintenance engineers.”
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