SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- EKO Instruments USA announces today that its MS-80SH Plus+ product has won an Honorable Mention in the Top Products presented by Solar Power World contest, in the large-scale category. The MS-80SH Plus+ Solar Monitoring Station is a Class A monitoring solution for Diffuse Horizontal Irradiance (DHI) measurements. EKO is the only pyranometer awarded this year, and an Honorable Mention represents a top 10 result. Solar Power World is the premier media outlet for the U.S. solar market and publisher of the annual Top Solar Contractors List. Now in its second year, the Top Products presented by Solar Power World contest is a product-related awards program for the U.S. solar and storage industry.

SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- EKO Instruments USA announces today that its MS-80SH Plus+ product has won an Honorable Mention in the Top Products presented by Solar Power World contest, in the large-scale category. The MS-80SH Plus+ Solar Monitoring Station is a Class A monitoring solution for Diffuse Horizontal Irradiance (DHI) measurements. EKO is the only pyranometer awarded this year, and an Honorable Mention represents a top 10 result. Solar Power World is the premier media outlet for the U.S. solar market and publisher of the annual Top Solar Contractors List. Now in its second year, the Top Products presented by Solar Power World contest is a product-related awards program for the U.S. solar and storage industry.

EKO Instruments USA Recognized in Top Products Presented by Solar Power World Awards
EKO Instruments USA Recognized in Top Products Presented by Solar Power World Awards
MS-80SH Plus+ has a unique capability to measure diffuse irradiance continuously, especially in dynamic weather conditions, a crucial feature for bifacial modules, which benefit from light captured on both sides. The system delivers the required data without a sun tracker or multiple sensor units. It also provides a major benefit in terms of compliance, specifically, the International Electrotechnical Commission's (IEC) 61724-1 guidelines on the monitoring of photovoltaic system performance.

"Our MS-80SH Plus+ product is a practical and high-performance solution to the increasing diversity of solar power plant locations and photovoltaic (PV) applications," says Wayne Burnett, Chief Strategy & Technology Officer of EKO Instruments USA. "It can be easily deployed and provides the PV industry with a higher-accuracy, more cost-effective solution tracking diffuse irradiance. We are thrilled to receive recognition from Solar Power World and are committed to continued innovation in solar technology."

The Top Products presented by Solar Power World contest celebrates the most innovative and significant products available to the U.S. solar and storage industry. The competition is judged by industry professionals with experience in all markets, and represents the research, product development and installation sectors. Awarded products are assessed on their originality, market promise and benefits to installers and developers.

"The theme among the winning Top Products this year is ease-of-use," said Kelly Pickerel, editor-in-chief of Solar Power World. "Every winning product, whether used at the utility-scale or on residential projects, ranked highly for its benefit to the installer in speeding up construction or generally making it physically easier to complete commissioning."

The MS-80SH Plus+ addresses a critical gap in solar monitoring: accurate measurement of diffuse irradiance. Under overcast or variable sky conditions, diffuse irradiance can exceed direct irradiance (solar radiation that reaches its surface without being scattered by the atmosphere). For bifacial tracker-based systems, accurate diffuse data is essential for optimizing tracker position and overall system performance. More accurate DHI measurements will also support the development of more efficient tracker algorithms as time progresses.

"Bifacial solar panels have become commonplace on large-scale projects, but it's been difficult to get accurate monitoring and measurement values for these specialized panels. The MS-80SH Plus+ device from EKO finally offers project owners a cost-effective way to gather diffuse horizontal irradiance data to optimize tracker positions and improve the solar system's performance. Higher-accuracy data points allow projects to meet their bankability requirements -- the ultimate goal for all asset managers," says Pickerel.

About EKO Instruments
Headquartered in Japan and maintaining a US office and distribution center in California, EKO Instruments has over 95 years of Japanese reliability & precision in solar energy sensors, environmental science, and material analysis. EKO-designed and built instruments are today deployed around the world, supporting environmental research and renewable energy projects through continuous innovation, industry-leading turn-key solutions, and an uncompromising commitment to quality.

In 2013, EKO Instruments became the first solar sensor manufacturer in the world to achieve ISO 17025 accreditation at the international testing and calibration laboratory in Tokyo, Japan; giving our partners and customers added confidence in the precision and reliability of measuring instruments and calibration methods.

For more information, please visit www.eko-instruments.com or www.linkedin.com/company/eko-instruments/