RETROFITTING OUTDATED PYRANOMETER FOR IoT INTEGRATION TOWARDS A CIRCULAR ECONOMY MODEL

Abstract

An innovative way of applying the circular economy concept in the obsolete research equipment domain is by repairing and upgrading critical subcomponents of the initial equipment, for reuse purposes. Thus, a large percentage of environmental waste is reduced, resulting from the whole process of manufacturing a brand new modern one, along with the implied purchasing costs, while serving its intended purpose simultaneously. The whole re-engineering process produces increased overall cost efficiency, by massively reducing the raw material requirements, the electrical energy consumption for design and manufacture, and the resulting waste material. In this respect, the article addresses the inherent issues in retrofitting an old model analog signal pyranometer, designed in the ‘90s. The upgrade initiative aims to massively increase the digital processing speed, the quality, and the quantity of the data acquisition, while also providing an integrated local storage solution and wireless access through a designated IP address using a web interface, for data interrogation in real-time. All these are done at low costs, with market-available materials, to avoid any high expenses related to acquiring new ones.