AMF03 mounting fixture

Albedo, also called solar reflectance, is defined as the ratio of the reflected to the global radiation. It is a dimensionless number smaller than 1. It is a property of the ground surface.

An albedometer is an instrument that measures both global and reflected solar radiation and, by calculation, the solar albedo, or solar reflectance for a particular ground surface. An albedometer is composed of two pyranometers, both installed horizontally, the downfacing one measuring reflected solar radiation.

You may use one AMF03 albedometer kit and two pyranometers with housings similar to those of models SR30-M2-D1 and SR300-D1 to construct an albedometer. Likewise, the AMF02 albedometer kit may be used to construct an albedometer out of two SR20 pyranometers.

AMF03 is easy to use. It allows you to combine two separate pyranometers, creating an albedometer. All you need are two mechanically compatible pyranometers and the AMF03 kit. Mounting instructions and a set of hex keys are delivered with AMF03.

AMF03 is supplied with a glare screen. A glare screen is a metal ring, mounted on the downfacing sensor. At solar elevations of < 5 °, when the sun is just above the horizon, the glare screen prevents that direct solar radiation is measured by the downfacing sensor. This is important, because it would otherwise lead to unrealistic albedo measurements. Modern data quality assurance can also attain the data quality by calculating solar elevation and rejecting any data at solar elevations below a certain value, for example < 10 °. You may decide to mount the glare screen after transport and on-site installation, so that the dome protector can remain on the dome until the albedometer is firmly installed.