With Sajad Badalkhani, Service & Technical Support Manager at OTT HydroMet Food for geeks! Most measurement instruments are either analog or smart. This applies to our Kipp & Zonen portfolio for solar irradiance monitoring, too. But which one to choose for which application? In this episode of OTT CAST, we welcome Sajad Badalkhani, an experienced technical expert for solar monitoring instruments. We discuss the technical differences between analog and smart sensors and who they are designed for. Sajad explains the concept of the Modbus protocol and introduces the SMP12, an ISO 9060:2018 Class A pyranometer with integrated heating and built-in sensors for remote monitoring of humidity and tilt angle. Tune in and learn about: Pros and cons of analog and smart sensors Introducing the Modbus protocol Next level monitoring with the new Kipp & Zonen SMP12 ===== CONTACT https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/

With Maarten van Pel and Renske Cox, Ambassadors for Sustainable Travelling at 4x4electric.com Special Holidays Episode! This Dutch couple has seen quite a big part of the world. Maarten van Pel and Renske Cox always have been passionate travelers. But one day, they decided to stop flying. This decision gave birth to a spectacular idea and their biggest adventure yet: Driving from the Netherlands to Cape Town and back – powered mainly by solar energy. In this episode of OTT CAST, we welcome two dedicated ambassadors for sustainable traveling. Maarten and Renske talk about their 13-months trip with more than 38.000 kilometers driven in a Skoda Enyaq, a battery electric vehicle (BEV). Thanks to PV panels on the rooftop and in the trunk of their car, they were able to generate more than half of the needed energy form the sun. Tune in and learn about: Impressions from Africa, a beautiful continent full of contrasts How and where to charge a BEV with solar panels Effective use of Kipp & Zonen CMP3 pyranometer to optimize charging performance ===== CONTACT https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/

With Dr. Stephan Treuke, Coordinator River Basin Management at Emschergenossenschaft The river Emscher in Western Germany has a turbulent history. Within one century, it turned from a leisurely meandering stream to Europe’s dirtiest river and, most recently, to a restored recreation area. In this episode of OTT CAST, we discuss the history and the challenges of the double transformation that the Emscher went through. Our guest is Dr. Stephan Treuke of the Emschergenossenschaft, the organization responsible for the river basin management. He sees big restoration projects not as isolated hydrological problems but as cross-discipline opportunities to develop and improve the infrastructure of a whole region. Tune in and learn about: The history of a river confined to a concrete channel and released again Challenges and potentials of river basin management for regional development What industrial regions around the world can learn from the Emscher restoration Further reading Homepage: English website of the Emschergenossenschaft ===== CONTACT https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/

With Dawid Brudny, Vice President at APM PRO In a coalescing world, safe and efficient transportation of people and goods becomes increasingly important. Thus, it comes with little surprise that weather monitoring for roads, railways, and air traffic rank among the most innovative applications across meteorology. The company APM PRO is a successful innovator of the Polish and Eastern European road industry. Recently, APM PRO has developed Control Pro Ice, an automated de-icing system that ensures safe traffic at tunnel entrances. Thanks to specialized meteorological and pavement condition sensors, the system detects any slippery conditions and automatically triggers a sprinkler system to cover the affected sections of road with de-icing agent. For this episode of OTT CAST, we’ve visited Dawid Brudny, Vice President at APM PRO, to talk about this project, the importance of on-site meteorological measurements, and other innovations in the road weather industry. Tune in and learn about: The automated de-icing system Control Pro Ice Why tunnel entrances have their own micro-climate The importance of meteorological measurements for safe traffic ===== CONTACT https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/

With Marc Korevaar, Scientist, and Sajad Badalkhani, Technical Support & Services, both OTT HydroMet Dirty PV modules generate less energy than clean ones. This phenomenon called “soiling” sums up to losses of several billion dollars every year. Cleaning increases efficiency, but comes at a cost, too. So, finding the right cleaning schedule and method is key to a higher profitability. In this episode of OTT CAST, we discuss the different sources of soiling and how it is impacting solar energy generation. Marc Korevaar, scientist, and Sajad Badalkhani, Technical Support & Services Manager, present solutions to measure the degree and take actions based on solid data. Tune in and learn about: Impact of soiling on solar energy generation, leading to losses of several billions of dollars every year Different kinds of soiling, from sand to dust to leaves to pollen and bird droppings The measurement principle of the Kipp & Zonen soiling monitoring system DustIQ Further reading OTT HydroMet Blog: Firmware Update Improves Response and Handling of DustIQ PV Magazine: Soiling – a multi-billion dollar issue ===== CONTACT https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/

With Daryl Ritchison, Director of the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network (NDAWN) In Episode 20 of OTT Cast, we welcome Daryl Ritchison to share his expertise on mesoscale monitoring. With over 30 years of experience in the field of Meteorology in both forecasting and environmental monitoring, Daryl Ritchison is often consulted for his expertise in the field. As the leader of the pioneering North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network (NDAWN) National Mesonet Program, Daryl provides insight into the development of the Mesonet Program and how increasing spatial resolution of monitoring networks can support a variety of stakeholders and provide a significant return on investment for a community. Tune in to join our new host Julie Dauer and learn about: The intricate relationship between precipitation, snow water equivalent (SWE), and soil moisture, and how these factors impact critical aspects of our lives such as flooding and crop yield. The National Mesonet Program: how the NWS leverages the data and the program’s ability to cultivate a synergetic community dynamic How the OTT Pluvio² has vastly improved the accuracy of his network by providing comprehensive data on all types of precipitation ===== CONTACT https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/

With Victor Cassella and Sasha Ivans, Meteorologists at OTT HydroMet As a developer and manufacturer of hydrological and meteorological monitoring solutions, at OTT HydroMet we know a thing or two about collecting and evaluating atmospheric data. That’s why Victor Cassella and Sasha Ivans, two of our experienced meteorologists at OTT HydroMet, strongly supported this year’s AMS Annual Meeting’s incorporated statement: “Full, open, and timely access to data is critical to the advancement of atmospheric and related sciences”. But where does this data come from? Even the smartest algorithms need real data to evaluate and turn into forecasts or analyses. Victor and Sasha talk about various industries and scientific disciplines and how their expectations and requirements are changing facing climate change. Tune in and learn about: Different regions are differently impacted by climate change – exemplified by the contrast between the west and the east of the USA Industries and applications affected by climate change, ranging from traditional weather observation to agriculture to renewable energy production Tailored weather monitoring stations for every application ===== CONTACT https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/

With Jay Wilson, Director for Business Development & Sustainability at OTT HydroMet The World Meteorological Organization has launched an ambitious initiative: Within 5 years, every person on this planet must be protected by early warning systems. While the mission sounds clear and it is backed by the United Nations, the path to achieving it is challenging. In this episode, Jay Wilson explains the differences between monitoring networks in various regions of the world and the consequences of data gaps in developing countries. Jay has gained valuable experience in her time working for the WMO, on many international trips, and in countless discussions with weather professionals around the world as the Director for Business Development & Sustainability at OTT HydroMet. Jay has a lot to tell – tune in and learn about: The observation gap and its impact on societies in developing countries EWS4ALL – the WMO’s initiative to create early warning systems for all within 5 years How to sustainably invest in environmental monitoring systems FURTHER LISTENING Climate change is impacting the way we monitor and analyze environmental processes. The need for both meteorological and hydrological data is growing. Learn more in episode 10 of our podcast. ===== CONTACT https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/

With Laura Goodfellow and Frank Zokoll, Transportation Weather Monitoring Experts Railway traffic is the backbone of both business and individual transport. Keeping the flow safe and on time is a challenge, especially due to the fact that railways are prone to inclement weather. Strong winds, snowfall, floods, heat, freezing switches, and platforms … rail network operators have a lot to consider to ensure safe train traffic. Many of these meteorological phenomena occur in unique areas, thus knowledge of hyper-local conditions along the rails can be extremely helpful. Key to knowing the actual situation along the rails are reliable, low-maintenance, and densely spread weather monitoring stations. The Lufft WS series of modular, compact weather sensors offers a robust and versatile basis for a broad range of monitoring applications. In this episode of our podcast, we discuss ways to keep the flow safe and on time even under adverse atmospheric conditions. Tune in and learn about: Essential atmospheric parameters for rail traffic weather monitoring Various monitoring applications Powerful combinations of compact weather stations and additional sensors, such as snow height sensors or rail temperature probes ===== CONTACT Contact us: https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/ ===== FURTHER READING Weather monitoring plays a key role to ensure safe and timely rail transport. Download the brochure on Rail Weather Monitoring: https://info.otthydromet.com/weather-monitoring-railway.html ===== CONTACT https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/

With Brandon Ankney and Steven Marks, Road Weather Experts Keeping roads and highways safe is critically important. In addition to autumn’s and winter’s perils, the increase of weather fluctuations and extreme weather events throughout the year pose further challenges to road decision-makers. Ideally, a dense network of road weather monitoring stations reliably provides accurate, hyper-local data from the road. Wherever that is not feasible, be it due to local characteristics or tight budgets, mobile sensing, and streamlined Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) can fill the gaps and ensure availability of essential weather and road surface information. In this episode, our road weather monitoring experts Brandon Ankney (USA) and Steven Marks (Germany) discuss various ways to monitor road surface conditions and atmospheric properties cost-effectively. Tune in and learn about: Essential atmospheric parameters for road weather monitoring Streamlined two-sensors Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS Lite) Retrofitting stations with new technology by utilizing existing infrastructure Contact us: https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/ ===== Further reading & listening Podcast: Ep.2| Intelligent Road Weather Monitoring Brochure: Download our Road Weather Monitoring Guide to discover OTT HydroMet's portfolio for safer roads Blog: Retrofitting Caltrans' Road Weather Stations using existing infrastructure ===== CONTACT https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/

With Robin Guy, Senior Service Engineer The Scottish Islands are, undoubtedly, a beautiful part of the world. Amid awesome cliffs, green valleys, and wild beaches, the main means of transport are the ferries bringing people and cars from one island to another. To ensure safe ferry traffic, the landing stages are equipped with environmental monitoring instruments for water and weather measurements. Ferry captains rely on accurate information on water level, wind, and further weather parameters. They pull this data from OTT HydroMet sensors sited at the peer. Robin Guy is installing and maintaining these sensors. In this episode, he tells about his life as a service engineer and how his team contributes to safe ferry traffic and a longer life span of the used technology even in the harshest conditions. Tune in and learn about: Environmental monitoring for Scottish ferry traffic Possibilities and importance of on-site checks and calibration The colorful life of a service engineer Contact us: https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/ Further reading Blog: Wind gust measurement following WMO standards ===== CONTACT https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/

With Katja Weber, Hydrology Application Development Manager Europe One year after the cataclysmal floods in Western Germany and its bordering states, politicians and scientists of various disciplines are discussing measures to mitigate the impact and harm of heavy rain and flood events. It’s little wonder these events were subject to many conversations and presentations at IFAT 2022, the World's leading trade fair for environmental technologies with a strong focus on the water infrastructure. A must-show for hydrologists like Katja Weber. In this episode, recorded live at the OTT HydroMet booth, the experienced Hydrology Application Development Manager explains how to set up a hydrological monitoring network from the right choice of location and sensor to sophisticated software. Tune in and learn about: How the floods in Western Germany could happen Downsides of radar forecast and the need for local measurements The new Aquarius water monitoring software with sophisticated alert and archive functions Contact us: https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/ ===== CONTACT https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/

With Francois Laurent, Sales Manager France, and Marin Dimitrov, Business Development Manager Eastern Europe What a show it was! In May 2022, the solar industry has come together in Munich to celebrate its unbroken growth around the globe. In this episode of OTT CAST, we share the learnings and topics that were discussed at the OTT HydroMet booth. While some regions, such as Eastern Europe are starting to catch up building a solar energy infrastructure, established players are investigating ways to increase efficiency of their systems. Monitoring soiling losses and optimizing PV panel cleaning schemes become increasingly important. The Kipp & Zonen DustIQ soiling monitoring system can be help a lot to understand soiling and mitigate its impact on your plant performance. Tune in and learn about: The impact of soiling on PV performance and ways to monitor it The new Kipp & Zonen SMP12 pyranometer and its most acclaimed features How the solar PV market in Eastern Europe is maturing Get in touch with our experts and check how you can benefit from their experience. Contact us: https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/ Further reading The impact of soiling and ways to monitor it: https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/kippzonen/dustiq/ The new Class A pyranometer Kipp & Zonen SMP12: https://info.otthydromet.com/OTT-Hydromet-SMP12-Black-Product-Guide-Squeeze.html ===== CONTACT https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/

The drought that has gripped much of the U.S. West has been a long-running dry stretch for the last 1200 years, a sign of both environmental and human impact. As 2022 shapes up to extend the ‘megadrought,’ researchers are finding the situation is unlikely to improve in the near future. In our debut hydrology podcast, guest speakers Cristina Windsor, Business Development Manager for Groundwater & Irrigation at OTT HydroMet and Dave Colvin, Groundwater Team Leader at LRE Water, share their expertise and weigh-in on: Current drought conditions in the U.S. West influenced by climate and public impact The role of groundwater in aquifer storage and recovery Defining drought and shifting the conversation to forward-thinking monitoring methods Get in touch with our experts and check how you can benefit from their experience. Contact us: https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/ ===== CONTACT https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/

With Laura Goodfellow and Frank Zokoll, Business Development Managers Road Weather, and Steven Marks, Sales Manager Road Weather Low visibility is a major root cause for traffic accidents and thus a significant safety risk. Meteorological phenomena as fog, snow and, in desert areas, sandstorms are very dynamic and often limited to a small area. Monitoring those events close to the road and adapting traffic flow with Variable Message Signs (VMS) accordingly can save lives. In this episode, three road weather experts share their experience on traffic-impacting meteorological events and individual regional properties. We learn how to compile a typical road weather monitoring station, too. These are some topics discussed in this episode: Formation and fog and black ice and their impact on road safety Providing atmospheric data for Variable Message Signs (VMS) Technical details on OTT HydroMet’s visibility sensors Lufft VS2k and VS20k Get in touch with our experts and check how you can benefit from their experience. Contact us: https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/ We recommend also: OTT HydroMet offers a comprehensive portfolio of sensors, software, and services to monitor road weather conditions. Download our Guide to Road Weather Monitoring for free: https://info.otthydromet.com/2116_Lufft_CNT_c-met_traffic-brochure_Global-en_Landing-Page.html?utm_source=platforms&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=visibility ===== CONTACT https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/

With Ashish Raval, VP Global Tenders, Projects & Key Opinion Leaders at OTT HydroMet Understanding and fighting climate change is on top of the agenda for most countries in the world. Currently, politicians, scientists, and activists are gathering at COP26, the 26th UN Climate Change Conference, and pointing out the growing demand for early warning systems and weather monitoring networks. Ashish Raval has a lot to tell about these systems. Since more than 20 years, Ashish is setting up hydrological and meteorological stations in critical places around the globe. From post-Katrina New Orleans to the Himalayan to the Caribbean; in our tenth episode, Ashish shares some stories and learnings he gathered on his journey. Furthermore, he speaks about the challenges different regions pose to environmental monitoring suppliers. Tune in to learn: Why climate change is on top of the agenda for most countries How OTT HydroMet set up an early warning system after a disastrous Glacier Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in Bhutan Different regions hold different challenges, or in Ashish’s words “No shoe fits all” Contact us: https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/ We recommend also: Blog article: Extreme Weather Events Surge in Number and Impact ===== CONTACT https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/

With Paulien Adema, Sales Director Europe, Udo Kronmüller, Sales Engineer & Tobias Weil, Business Development Manager Western Europe Starting with uncertain expectations, Intersolar Europe has turned into an overwhelming success. Although Covid-19 and its effects still pose challenges, the solar industry looks ahead optimistically. The OTT HydroMet booth proved to be a magnet for visitors, who showed great interest for the company’s environmental monitoring solutions. In our latest episode, we ask our participants about their experience and impression after the first major in-person event after the long Covid hibernation. We talk about: Soiling and its impact on PV plant performance The new Kipp & Zonen SMP12, our new pyranometer with pioneering technologies Current challenges and opportunities across the solar industry If you want to contact our guests directly, just click on the link below or paste it in your browser. Contact us: https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/ ----- Further reading Whitepaper: Overview of Solar Energy International Standards: ISO 9060, IEC 61724-1, ISO 9846 and 9847, ISO/IEC 17025 Blog article: Shedding Light on ISO 9060 Case Study: NOMADD Cleaning Robots ===== CONTACT https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/

With Peter Rau, Software Developer of ViewMondo, Laura Goodfellow, Application Development Manager Road Weather & Jeff Cole, Business Development Manager Road Weather & Aviation Ensuring safe conditions on runways is a highly responsible task. From November 4 on, the International Civil Organization launches the Global Reporting Format (GRF) will be applicable for airports all over the world. It features major points that are already covered in the TALPA that is valid for North America. In our latest episode, we explain what will change and how airports can prepare for it. Our experts discuss: how ICAO GRF will make runways safer the structure of the new reporting format GRF OTT HydroMet's solution to support airport operators combining Lufft MARWIS mobile road sensor and ViewMondo monitoring software Our experts are happy to answer your questions and support you to make your airport compliant with the latest regulations. Contact us: https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/ ----- Further reading Check out our landing page for Airport Weather Monitoring with webinars, whitepapers and blog posts: Runway Monitoring for Airports Landing page ===== CONTACT https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/

With Tobias Weil, Business Development Manager & Dieter Knauss, Teamleader Research Meteorology To make meteorological measurements comparable, the World Meteorological Organization WMO establishes guidelines for atmospheric parameters. These are covered by WMO-No. 8 for highest precision meteorological monitoring. However, for many applications like road weather monitoring, smart cities and others, meeting scientific standards is not necessary. In this episode, we explain the less popular CIMO WMO recommendations from Class A to D intended for many industries. Furthermore, we discuss various technologies to measure atmospheric parameters. Tune in to learn about: The Commission for Instruments and Methods of Observation CIMO and its recommendations from Class A to D How location and installation impact measurement quality A helpful tip: This question helps to choose the right sensor Do you have questions? Contact us: https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/ ===== CONTACT https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/

With Shane Reed, Sales Manager Solar & Damon Nitzel, Application Development Manager Solar Experts for Solar Energy Solutions In this episode, we take a look at a rapidly growing segment within the solar energy industry. Commercial and industrial scale installations (C&I) combine advantages of smaller and larger installations: Being flexible in size and power output, C&I installations equipped with storage capacities can support the stability of the grid while offering benefits of distributed generation. Don't miss if you're interested in topics like these: C&I Solar is projected to grow at 11% CAGR from 2021-2025 and will play a pivotal role in the near future The impact of atmospheric conditions on plant performance Appropriate environmental monitoring for C&I scale PV installations Read more The New WS50PV: All-in-one Weather Sensor for C&I PV Plants (for North America) Contact us: https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/ ===== CONTACT https://get.otthydrometinsights.com/podcast-contact-us/