ABSTRACT
The selection of the hardware to instrument a particular solar installation depends on the complexity of the installation and the objectives of the investigator. The type of solar energy-related system and the end use for which the collected data are intended will strongly affect the data acquisition approach to be used. Advantages of chart recording technique for a data acquisition system are chart recorder is cost effective and provides a good data point per dollar ratio; and data are provided in a format that allows for constant visual scanning of data inputs. In most cases, the number of data points and the frequency of sampling dictate the use of data loggers or programmable computer-based data acquisition systems. Data loggers and programmable data acquisition systems become economically feasible when a system of 25 or more channels is being considered.
