FLIR PV78 Solar Irradiance Meter | IEC 62446-1 Rated

FLIR PV78 Solar Irradiance and Temperature Meter with Tilt Sensor and METERLiNK

The Data Your Solar Report Actually Needs

When an inspector, asset manager, or client asks why a solar system isn’t hitting its energy yield predictions, the first question is always: what were the conditions at the time of testing? Without a calibrated irradiance measurement taken at the panel surface, any performance comparison against the manufacturer’s STC datasheet is essentially guesswork.

For solar professionals working under AS/NZS 5033 compliance obligations and the requirements of the IEC 62446-1 photovoltaic system documentation standard, having a dedicated, calibrated irradiance meter isn’t optional — it’s a core part of the commissioning and maintenance toolkit.

Four Critical Measurements. One Instrument.

The FLIR PV78 is a purpose-designed solar site measurement tool that consolidates four measurements that previously required separate instruments or cumbersome setups:

Solar Irradiance (W/m²) The PV78 measures irradiance from 0 to 1,400 W/m² — the full range you’d encounter from overcast Melbourne mornings through to peak summer radiation on a north-facing Perth rooftop. The 50–1,400 W/m² measurement range aligns with IEC 62446-1 requirements for solar PV system performance verification, making results directly usable in compliance documentation.

Panel Surface Temperature Connect the included external temperature probe and mount it directly to the panel surface for continuous module temperature readings across a range of −30 °C to 100 °C. Module temperature is essential for accurate STC correction — a panel at 65 °C will deliver measurably less power than at 25 °C, and documenting that temperature gives your performance calculations credibility.

Ambient Temperature The built-in meter sensor captures ambient temperature from −10 °C to 50 °C, logged alongside irradiance for contextual reporting — particularly useful when comparing against manufacturer performance guarantees or modelling seasonal yield variation.

Tilt Angle and Compass Direction The integrated tilt sensor and compass let you verify and document the physical orientation of panels and arrays. For new installations, this confirms panels have been mounted at the specified pitch and azimuth. For performance investigations, it helps rule out suboptimal positioning as a contributing factor to underperformance. A quick check during commissioning can prevent the kind of dispute that arises months later when an owner questions why their north-facing system is underperforming.

METERLiNK — From Rooftop to Report Without the Clipboard

One of the most practical features for busy solar teams is the FLIR METERLiNK® Bluetooth connectivity. Rather than squinting at a screen, manually transcribing values, and entering data back at the office, the PV78 transmits live readings wirelessly to the METERLiNK mobile app on your Android or iOS device.

From the app, you can monitor multiple compatible FLIR meters simultaneously, log readings with timestamps, annotate with site notes, and generate reports directly from the field. Share results with a client or upload to a job management system before you’ve even packed your test kit. For compliance-focused work, the digital audit trail is an added benefit over handwritten site notes.

The METERLiNK app also integrates with compatible FLIR thermal cameras, allowing irradiance and temperature data to be embedded directly into thermal inspection images — a significant workflow improvement for thermographers conducting PV array inspections.

Built for Australian Solar Conditions

The PV78 was designed to be positioned on or near the panel surface for continuous monitoring, not just a quick spot reading. The external probe and mounting bracket enable it to be secured in place during extended testing sessions — useful for monitoring irradiance variation during partial cloud cover, or for logging conditions over a test period to build a more representative performance picture.

The high-contrast, large LCD remains visible in direct sunlight — critical for working on rooftops in Australian summer conditions where display washout is a real usability problem with cheaper instruments.

Who Uses the FLIR PV78?

CEC-accredited solar installers use the PV78 during commissioning to capture the irradiance and temperature conditions at the time of performance testing — providing the contextual data required for IEC 62446-1 documentation and demonstrating diligence under AS/NZS 5033 requirements.

Solar O&M teams use it during scheduled maintenance visits and performance investigations, logging irradiance alongside system output data to calculate performance ratio and identify degradation or shading losses.

Solar surveyors and designers use it during pre-installation site surveys to document available solar resource and verify optimal panel orientation before system design is finalised.

Large-scale solar farm operators use the PV78 alongside dataloggers and monitoring systems to cross-reference on-ground irradiance against pyranometer data for yield analysis and performance modelling validation.

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Technical Specifications