Smartphone Light Sensors as an Innovative Tool for Solar Irradiance Measurements
In recent years, the teaching of experimental science and engineering has been revolutionized by the integration of smartphone sensors, which are widely used by a large portion of the population. Concurrently, interest in solar energy has surged. This raises the important question of how smartphone...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-10-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/24/21/7051 |
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| author | José Luis Di Laccio Andrés Monetta Rodrigo Alonso-Suárez Martín Monteiro Arturo C. Marti |
| author_facet | José Luis Di Laccio Andrés Monetta Rodrigo Alonso-Suárez Martín Monteiro Arturo C. Marti |
| author_sort | José Luis Di Laccio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In recent years, the teaching of experimental science and engineering has been revolutionized by the integration of smartphone sensors, which are widely used by a large portion of the population. Concurrently, interest in solar energy has surged. This raises the important question of how smartphone sensors can be harnessed to incorporate solar energy studies into undergraduate education. We provide comprehensive guidelines for using smartphone sensors in various conditions, along with detailed instructions on how to calibrate them with widely accessible clear-sky satellite data. This smartphone-based method is also compared with professional reference measurements to ensure consistency. This experiment can be easily conducted with most smartphones, basic materials, and a clear, open location over a few hours (methods). The findings demonstrate that smartphones, combined with simple resources, can accurately measure solar irradiance and support experiments on solar radiation physics, atmospheric interactions, and variations in solar energy across locations, cloud cover, and time scales. This approach provides a practical and accessible tool for studying solar energy, offering an innovative and engaging method for measuring solar resources. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5d9f7874caeb4059a95d4804ab1fe7dc |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj-art-5d9f7874caeb4059a95d4804ab1fe7dc2025-08-20T02:49:56ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202024-10-012421705110.3390/s24217051Smartphone Light Sensors as an Innovative Tool for Solar Irradiance MeasurementsJosé Luis Di Laccio0Andrés Monetta1Rodrigo Alonso-Suárez2Martín Monteiro3Arturo C. Marti4Departamento de Física, CENUR Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República, Salto 50000, UruguayDepartamento de Física, CENUR Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República, Salto 50000, UruguayFacultad de Ingenieria, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11300, UruguayFacultad de Ingenieria, Universidad ORT Uruguay, Montevideo 11100, UruguayFacultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, UruguayIn recent years, the teaching of experimental science and engineering has been revolutionized by the integration of smartphone sensors, which are widely used by a large portion of the population. Concurrently, interest in solar energy has surged. This raises the important question of how smartphone sensors can be harnessed to incorporate solar energy studies into undergraduate education. We provide comprehensive guidelines for using smartphone sensors in various conditions, along with detailed instructions on how to calibrate them with widely accessible clear-sky satellite data. This smartphone-based method is also compared with professional reference measurements to ensure consistency. This experiment can be easily conducted with most smartphones, basic materials, and a clear, open location over a few hours (methods). The findings demonstrate that smartphones, combined with simple resources, can accurately measure solar irradiance and support experiments on solar radiation physics, atmospheric interactions, and variations in solar energy across locations, cloud cover, and time scales. This approach provides a practical and accessible tool for studying solar energy, offering an innovative and engaging method for measuring solar resources.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/24/21/7051solar energysolar irradiancesmartphone light sensordirect normal solar irradianceclear-sky satellite datacalibration |
| spellingShingle | José Luis Di Laccio Andrés Monetta Rodrigo Alonso-Suárez Martín Monteiro Arturo C. Marti Smartphone Light Sensors as an Innovative Tool for Solar Irradiance Measurements Sensors solar energy solar irradiance smartphone light sensor direct normal solar irradiance clear-sky satellite data calibration |
| title | Smartphone Light Sensors as an Innovative Tool for Solar Irradiance Measurements |
| title_full | Smartphone Light Sensors as an Innovative Tool for Solar Irradiance Measurements |
| title_fullStr | Smartphone Light Sensors as an Innovative Tool for Solar Irradiance Measurements |
| title_full_unstemmed | Smartphone Light Sensors as an Innovative Tool for Solar Irradiance Measurements |
| title_short | Smartphone Light Sensors as an Innovative Tool for Solar Irradiance Measurements |
| title_sort | smartphone light sensors as an innovative tool for solar irradiance measurements |
| topic | solar energy solar irradiance smartphone light sensor direct normal solar irradiance clear-sky satellite data calibration |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/24/21/7051 |
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