August 10, 2009

When it comes to their solar water heating systems, users are most comfortable when they know what's going on in their system.  How much energy is being generated?  What's the temperature in the collectors, and how hot is the water in the storage tank?  In the rare event that something isn't functioning correctly, how can the problem be pinpointed?
 
To access this type of information, users rely on the DL2 data logger add-on module which enables the acquisition and storage of large amounts of data (such as the quality of energy being generated by the solar water heating system) over a long period of time from any iSolar™ differential temperature controller.  Depending on data logging intervals, the DL2 can store over 10 years of an iSolar™ controller data.  The DL2 can be configured and viewed with a standard internet browser via its integrated web interface when connected to a local area network (LAN) router.
 
For extraction of the data stored in the internal memory of the DL2 data logger to a PC, an SD card can be used or if the data logger is connected to a LAN router, the data can be extracted to any PC connected to the same LAN.  The DL2's network IP address can be changed and password protected.  If the LAN is connected to the internet, the DL2 can be accessed worldwide via its integrated web interface, thus enabling system monitoring for yield performance or for diagnostics of faults.
 
Live data from the iSolar™ controller can be viewed through the DL2 data logger, plus historical data can be downloaded into several file types for system analyses with popular spreadsheet programs like Excel™.