Apogee Instruments SP-212 User manual
APOGEE INSTRUMENTS, INC. | 721 WEST 1800 NORTH, LOGAN, UTAH 84321, USA
TEL: (435) 792-4700 | FAX: (435) 787-8268 | WEB: APOGEEINSTRUMENTS.COM
Copyright © 2021 Apogee Instruments, Inc.
OWNER’S MANUAL
PYRANOMETER
Models SP-212 and SP-215
Rev: 7-Sept-2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Owner’s Manual ............................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Certificate of Compliance......................................................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Sensor Models ......................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Specifications ........................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Deployment and Installation.................................................................................................................................................. 10
Operation and Measurement ................................................................................................................................................ 12
Maintenance and Recalibration............................................................................................................................................. 16
Troubleshooting and Customer Support................................................................................................................................ 18
Return and Warranty Policy................................................................................................................................................... 19
EU Declaration of Conformity
This declaration of conformity is issued under the sole responsibility of the manufacturer:
Apogee Instruments, Inc.
721 W 1800 N
Logan, Utah 84321
USA
for the following product(s):
Models: SP-212, SP-215
Type: Pyranometer
The object of the declaration described above is in conformity with the relevant Union harmonization legislation:
2014/30/EU Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive
2011/65/EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS 2) Directive
2015/863/EU Amending Annex II to Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS 3)
Standards referenced during compliance assessment:
EN 61326-1:2013 Electrical equipment for measurement, control, and laboratory use –EMC requirements
EN 50581:2012 Technical documentation for the assessment of electrical and electronic products with respect to
the restriction of hazardous substances
Please be advised that based on the information available to us from our raw material suppliers, the products
manufactured by us do not contain, as intentional additives, any of the restricted materials including lead (see
note below), mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), polybrominated
diphenyls (PBDE), bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and
diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP). However, please note that articles containing greater than 0.1 % lead concentration
are RoHS 3 compliant using exemption 6c.
Further note that Apogee Instruments does not specifically run any analysis on our raw materials or end products
for the presence of these substances, but we rely on the information provided to us by our material suppliers.
Signed for and on behalf of:
Apogee Instruments, September 2021
Bruce Bugbee
President
Apogee Instruments, Inc.
Solar radiation at Earth’s surface is typically defined as total radiation across a wavelength range of 280 to 4000
nm (shortwave radiation). Total solar radiation, direct beam and diffuse, incident on a horizontal surface is defined
as global shortwave radiation, or shortwave irradiance (incident radiant flux), and is expressed in Watts per square
meter (W m-2, equal to Joules per second per square meter).
Pyranometers are sensors that measure global shortwave radiation. Apogee SP series pyranometers are silicon-cell
pyranometers and are only sensitive to a portion of the solar spectrum, approximately 350-1100 nm
(approximately 80 % of total shortwave radiation is within this range). However, silicon-cell pyranometers are
calibrated to estimate total shortwave radiation across the entire solar spectrum. Silicon-cell pyranometer
specifications compare favorably to specifications for World Meteorological Organization (WMO) moderate and
good quality classifications and specifications for International Organization of Standardization (ISO) Class C
classification, but because of limited spectral sensitivity, they do not meet the spectral specification necessary for
WMO certification.
Typical applications of silicon-cell pyranometers include incoming shortwave radiation measurement in
agricultural, ecological, and hydrological weather networks, and solar panel arrays.
Apogee Instruments SP series pyranometers consist of a cast acrylic diffuser (filter), photodiode, and signal
processing circuitry mounted in an anodized aluminum housing, and a cable to connect the sensor to a
measurement device. Sensors are potted solid with no internal air space and are designed for continuous total
shortwave radiation measurement on a planar surface in outdoor environments. SP series sensors output an
analog voltage that is directly proportional to total shortwave radiation from the sun. The voltage signal from the
sensor is directly proportional to radiation incident on a planar surface (does not have to be horizontal), where the
radiation emanates from all angles of a hemisphere.
This manual covers model SP-212 and SP-215 pyranometer sensors that provide a voltage output. Additional
models are covered in their respective manuals.
Model
Signal
SP-212
0-2.5 V
SP-215
0-5 V
SP-110
Self-powered
SP-214
4-20 mA
SP-230
Self-powered
SP-420
USB
SP-421
SDI-12
SP-422
Modbus
Serial Number 0-12198 (SP-212), 0-12208 (SP-
215): A sensor’s model number and serial
number are located near the pigtail leads on the
sensor cable. If you need the manufacturing
date of your sensor, please contact Apogee
Instruments with the serial number of your
sensor.
Serial Numbers 12199 (SP-212), 12209 (SP-
215) and above: A sensor’s model number and
serial number are located on the bottom of the
sensor. If you need the manufacturing date of
your sensor, please contact Apogee
Instruments with the serial number of your
sensor.
SP-212-SS
SP-215-SS
Power Supply
5 to 24 V DC
5.5 to 24 V DC**
**Sensors with a serial number smaller than 4502 should
not be powered with more than 5 V DC
Current Draw
nominal current draw 300
µA
nominal current draw 300 µA
Sensitivity from serial numbers
10517 and above
1.25 mV per W m-2
2.5 mV per W m-2
Sensitivity from serial numbers
10516 and below
2 mV per W m-2
4 mV per W m-2
Calibration Factor from serial
numbers 10517 and above
0.8 W m-2 per mV
0.4 W m-2 per mV
Calibration Factor from serial
numbers 10516 and below
0.5 W m-2 per mV
0.25 W m-2 per mV
Calibration Uncertainty at
1000 W m-2
Less than 3 % (see Calibration Traceability below)
Calibrated Output Range
0 to 2.5 V
0 to 5 V
Measurement Repeatability
Less than 1 %
Long-term Drift
(Non-stability)
Less than 2 % per year
Non-linearity from serial
numbers 10517 and above
Less than 1 % (up to 2000 W m-2 ;
maximum radiation measurement is 2000 W m-2)
Non-linearity from serial
numbers 10516 and below
Less than 1 % (up to 1250 W m-2 ;
maximum radiation measurement is 1250 W m-2)
Response Time
Less than 1 ms
Field of View
180°
Spectral Range
360 to 1120 nm (wavelengths where response is 10 % of maximum;
see Spectral Response below)
Directional (Cosine) Response
± 5 % at 75° zenith angle (see Cosine Response below)
Temperature Response
0.04 ± 0.04 % per C (see Temperature Response below)
Operating Environment
-40 to 70 C; 0 to 100 % relative humidity; can be submerged in water up to 30 m
Dimensions
Serial # 12199 (SP-212),
12209 (SP-215) and above
30.5 mm diameter, 37 mm height
Dimensions
Serial # 0-12198 (SP-212),
0-12208 (SP-215)
24 mm diameter, 33 mm height
Mass (with 5 m cable)
Serial # 12199 (SP-212),
12209 (SP-215) and above
140 g
Mass (with 5 m cable)
Serial # 0-12198 (SP-212),
0-12208 (SP-215)
90 g
Cable
5 m of two conductor, shielded, twisted-pair wire; TPR jacket (high water resistance, high
UV stability, flexibility in cold conditions); pigtail lead wires; stainless steel (316), M8
connector
Calibration Traceability
Apogee Instruments SP series pyranometers are calibrated through side-by-side comparison to the mean of four
Apogee model SP-110 transfer standard pyranometers (shortwave radiation reference) under high intensity
discharge metal halide lamps. The transfer standard pyranometers are calibrated through side-by-side comparison
to the mean of at least two ISO-classified reference pyranometers under sunlight (clear sky conditions) in Logan,
Utah. Each of four ISO-classified reference pyranometers are recalibrated on an alternating year schedule (two
instruments each year) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado. NREL reference
standards are calibrated to the World Radiometric Reference (WRR) in Davos, Switzerland.
Spectral Response
Temperature Response
Mean temperature response of four
Apogee silicon-cell pyranometers.
Temperature response measurements
were made at approximately 10 C
intervals across a temperature range of
approximately -10 to 50 C under
sunlight. Each pyranometer had an
internal thermistor to measure
temperature. At each temperature set
point, a reference blackbody
pyranometer was used to measure solar
intensity.
Spectral response estimate of Apogee
silicon-cell pyranometers. Spectral
response was estimated by multiplying
the spectral response of the photodiode,
diffuser, and adhesive. Spectral
response measurements of diffuser and
adhesive were made with a
spectrometer, and spectral response
data for the photodiode were obtained
from the manufacturer.
Cosine Response
Mean cosine response of eleven Apogee
silicon-cell pyranometers (error bars
represent two standard deviations
above and below mean). Cosine
response measurements were made
during broadband outdoor radiometer
calibrations (BORCAL) performed during
two different years at the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in
Golden, Colorado. Cosine response was
calculated as the relative difference of
pyranometer sensitivity at each solar
zenith angle to sensitivity at 45° solar
zenith angle. The blue symbols are AM
measurements, the red symbols are PM
measurements.
Directional, or cosine, response is
defined as the measurement error at
a specific angle of radiation incidence.
Error for Apogee silicon-cell
pyranometers is approximately ± 2 %
and ± 5 % at solar zenith angles of 45°
and 75°, respectively.
Important: Only use the nylon screw provided
when mounting to insulate the non-anodized
threads of the aluminum sensor head from the
base to help prevent galvanic corrosion. For
extended submersion applications, more
insulation may be necessary. Contact Apogee
tech support for details.
Nylon Screw: 10-32x3/8
Mount the sensor to a solid surface with the nylon mounting screw provided. To accurately measure PPFD incident
on a horizontal surface, the sensor must be level. An Apogee Instruments model AL-100 Leveling Plate is
recommended to level the sensor when used on a flat surface or being mounted to surfaces such as wood. To
facilitate mounting on a mast or pipe, the Apogee Instruments model AL-120 Solar Mounting Bracket with Leveling
Plate is recommended.
To minimize azimuth error, the sensor should be mounted with the cable pointing toward true north in the
northern hemisphere or true south in the southern hemisphere. Azimuth error is typically less than 1 %, but it is
easy to minimize by proper cable orientation.
In addition to orienting the cable to point toward the nearest pole, the sensor should also be mounted such that
obstructions (e.g., weather station tripod/tower or other instrumentation) do not shade the sensor. Once
mounted, the green cap should be removed from the sensor. The green cap can be used as a protective covering
for the sensor when it is not in use.
Model AL-100
Nylon Screw: 10-32x3/8
Model AL-120
This manual suits for next models
3
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