[1] Sunlight enters the instrument through a window and is directed onto a thermopile which converts heat to an electrical signal that can be recorded.
The signal voltage is converted via a formula to measure watts per square metre.
Comparisons between pyrheliometers for intercalibration are carried out regularly to measure the amount of solar energy received.
During this event, all participants bring their instruments, solar-tracking and data acquisition systems to Davos to conduct simultaneous solar radiation measurements with the World Standard Group.
[4] Typical pyrheliometer measurement applications include scientific meteorological and climate observations, material testing research, and assessment of the efficiency of solar collectors and photovoltaic devices.