Soiling Index Measurement System

Name: Soiling Index Measurement System
Brand: Aeron Systems

Weather Monitoring System

IEC61724-1:2021 compliant short-circuit current reduction due to soiling of solar PV plants.

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AccuracyClass A
IP RatingIP65
Temp Range−40 to +150 °C
SensorRTD PT1000

Soiling Index Measurement System

ARN-SIMS100-01
ARN-SIMS100-02

Quantifies short-circuit current reduction between a clean reference panel and a soiled test panel — simultaneously — deriving instantaneous and daily average Soiling Loss Index values per IEC 61724:1-2021 Annex C.

Soiling loss, made measurable

The deposition of contaminating agents on solar panel surfaces hampers power plant performance. Without quantification, soiling loss remains invisible — and unmanaged. ARN-SIMS100 makes soiling loss measurable, real-time, and actionable — enabling O&M teams to manage and enhance PV power plant performance with data-driven precision.

Illustration: what dust, sand, bird droppings and pollen do to a panel's output. Example figures.

Clean
Relative Output: 100%
Maximum short-circuit current. Full surface area receiving irradiance. Baseline reference state.
Partly soiled
Relative Output: 78%
Dust, sand, and airborne particulates begin accumulating. Partial shading of active cell area. Measurable Isc reduction.
Heavily soiled
Relative Output: 52%
Significant surface contamination from prolonged exposure. Substantial performance degradation. Immediate O&M intervention required.

Reference panel, kept cleanTest panel, soiled like the plant

How ARN-SIMS100 measures it

IEC 61724:1-2021 Annex C — Short-circuit current reduction using a clean and soiled PV reference device pair

Simultaneous measurement. Algorithmic precision.

The ARN-SPIM2000 interface device measures short-circuit current of both clean and soiled panels simultaneously, with RTD PT1000 module temperature data, to compute the Soiling Loss Index.

1
Acquire
ARN-SPIM2000 simultaneously measures short-circuit current from clean reference panel and soiled test panel.
2
Sense
RTD PT1000 Class A sensors on the back of both panels provide module temperature for correction.
3
Process
Onboard algorithm computes instantaneous Soiling Loss Index and daily average for fixed and tracker systems.
4
Transmit
Data logged to SD card and transmitted via Modbus RTU/TCP, LTE, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet simultaneously.

IEC 61724-1:2021 Method 2 — Clean & Soiled Panel Pair

ARN-SIMS100 uses the ARN-SPIM2000 interface device to simultaneously measure the short-circuit current (Isc) of both the clean reference and soiled test panels. This data, combined with module temperature readings, is processed through an algorithm to derive instantaneous and daily average soiling loss index values.

Out

Reference Panel (Clean)Isc Baseline · PT1000 Temp · Wattage up to 1200W
Test Panel (Soiled / On-site)Isc Soiled · PT1000 Temp · Isc Range: 0–20A

ARN-SPIM2000Solar Panel Interface DeviceSimultaneous Isc MeasurementShunt Accuracy: ±0.05% FSDPT1000 Class A Temp Sensors

InstantaneousSoiling Level Index · Resolution: 0.01%
Daily AverageSoiling Index · Fixed & Tracker Based
RS485 · ModbusLTE · Wi-Fi · ETH

Everything you need to measure and manage soiling loss.

IEC 61724-1:2021 Compliant
System compliance as per IEC 61724-1:2021 — Measurement method 2, Short-circuit current reduction due to soiling (Annex C).
Instantaneous Soiling Index
Real-time instantaneous Soiling Level Index with 0.01% resolution, enabling continuous monitoring of panel contamination.
Daily Average Soiling Index
Daily average Soiling Index calculated for both Fixed and Tracker-based PV systems for comprehensive performance analysis.
Multi-Network Connectivity
Connectivity over Ethernet, Wi-Fi & LTE(4G)/UMTS/GPRS — real-time data transmission from any remote plant location.
SCADA Integration
Seamless data connection to SCADA systems over RS485 Modbus RTU and TCP/IP for full plant integration and monitoring.
Onsite PV Module Support
Onsite PV modules can be used to calculate accurate soiling index, eliminating the need for separate reference panels.
GPS Time Synchronization
Time synchronization via GPS and internet ensures precise timestamps across all logged soiling and temperature parameters.
Easy Configuration
Intuitive configuration interface for rapid deployment and setup in the field with minimal expertise required.
Simple Installation & Maintenance
Designed for simple installation and maintenance, minimising downtime and reducing O&M costs at solar PV plants.

Technical Specifications

Soiling Index Measurement System

Soiling Index Measurement System ARN-SIMS100 Datasheet

Communication

RS232 (1)	NMEA Output / MODBUS Slave
RS232 (2)	MODBUS Master
RS485 (1)	MODBUS Master
RS485 (2)	MODBUS Slave
Baudrate RS232/RS485	9600 / 19200 / 38400 / 57600 / 115200 bps
Network Interfaces	Ethernet, Wi-Fi, LTE (4G)
Output Data Format	Comma Separated Format (CSV)

Soiling

Panel Wattage	Up to 1200 W
Short-Circuit Current (Isc) Range	0 – 20 A
Shunt Accuracy	±0.05% FSD
Soiling Leveling Index Resolution	0.01%

Temperature

Sensor Type	RTD PT1000 Class A
Range	−40°C to 150°C
Accuracy	Class A: ±(0.15 + 0.0020 \|t\|) °C

Electrical

Voltage Input	+9 to +28 V DC
Current Consumption	12 V ≤ 85 mA

Storage

SD Card Memory	8 GB (default), expandable to 32 GB
USB	Data retrieval on Pen Drive

Environment

Operating Temperature	−40 to +80°C
Protection	IP65

From measurement to plant decision.

Cleaning schedules driven by data, not guesswork
ARN-SIMS100 provides the O&M team with real-time soiling loss values, enabling cleaning interventions precisely when — and only when — they are economically justified. No more calendar-based schedules.
- Real-time soiling level index visible to O&M
- Daily average enables trend and ROI calculation
- Fixed and tracker-based system support
- Immediate alert when soiling crosses threshold
Quantified loss. Proven output.
Transform soiling from an unknown variable into a measured, reportable performance parameter for plant owners, EPCs, and asset managers.
- Bankable performance data per IEC 61724-1:2021
- Onsite PV modules for accurate real-world index
Plug into your existing plant ecosystem
RS485 Modbus RTU/TCP connectivity ensures ARN-SIMS100 feeds soiling data seamlessly into existing SCADA and plant monitoring platforms.
- RS485 Modbus RTU (master + slave)
- TCP/IP connectivity
- CSV output for external tools

Field-proven at infrastructure scale.

Deployed across utility-scale solar assets spanning multiple geographies and climate zones — from tropical archipelago to hyper-arid desert environments.

75 MWCAYANGA-BUGALLON SOLAR PROJECT
Philippines, 16°N, 120°E. Ground-mount utility-scale PV installation in Central Luzon region. Tropical climate conditions with seasonal dust and humidity variation. ARN-SIMS100 deployed for continuous soiling loss monitoring across the plant.
1,500 MWacAL KHUSHAYBI PV IPP
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 24°N, 46°E. Large-scale desert solar IPP in arid central Arabia. High ambient dust loading from sand storms and dry desert wind. Real-time soiling index critical for O&M scheduling in extreme desert environment.
1,800 MWDEWA VI SOLAR PARK
Dubai, UAE, 24°N, 55°E. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park phase, Al Qudra Road. High-performance requirements for utility IPP compliance. Soiling loss data feeds directly into plant performance reporting and cleaning operations.

Two configurations. One measurement standard.

Same precision measurement — select the configuration that fits your installation.

System Only: ARN-SIMS100-01
Without soiling panels and mounting structure. Uses existing onsite PV modules as reference devices.
- ARN-SPIM2000 Solar Panel Interface Module
- Full SIMS100 measurement electronics
- Compatible with any existing onsite PV panels
- Suited for sites with accessible reference modules
Complete System: ARN-SIMS100-02 (Recommended)
With dedicated 75W soiling panels (×2) and mounting structure. Fully self-contained, installation-ready.
- 2 × 75W dedicated soiling reference panels
- Mounting structure for clean/soiled pair
- ARN-SPIM2000 Solar Panel Interface Module
- Turnkey installation — no additional hardware required

Model	Product Code
ARN-SIMS100-01	90001
ARN-SIMS100-02	90063
Custom configurations	sales.iot@aeronsystems.com

Integrate soiling intelligence into your plant operations.

Talk to our field engineering team to discuss deployment architecture, SCADA integration, and system configuration for your specific plant and climate conditions.

Standard	IEC 61724-1:2021 · Annex C
Protection	IP65 · Dust + Water
Operating Range	−40°C to +80°C
Connectivity	ETH · Wi-Fi · LTE · Modbus
Time Sync	GPS + Internet
Data Output	Real-Time SI + Daily Average
Models	−01 System / −02 Complete Kit
Origin	Made in India · v2.0.0 · Aug 2025