IMDEA Energy, together with nine other international organisations, including IMDEA Networks, is participating in the European SUN-DT project to promote the digital transition of solar thermal tower plants.

These plants use thousands of mirrors (heliostats) that track the position of the sun and concentrate its light onto a receiver located at the top of the tower. There, very high-temperature heat is generated, which is then converted into electricity. Despite the advantages of this manageable thermal technology, its performance still depends on highly complex field operations, with thousands of heliostats and elements such as the solar receiver and storage system that must work in perfect synchrony. Therefore, digitising them is key to maximising their efficiency, cutting costs and accelerating their deployment.

Within this initiative, IMDEA Networks is leading the development of the 5G wireless communications layer that will enable their characterisation and calibration. Thanks to this system, it will be possible to automatically detect any misalignment in real time and recommend corrective actions. Instead of scheduling complete maintenance rounds, operators will only adjust the mirrors that actually require intervention.

This operation directly improves optical efficiency and saves numerous hours of field work, a key contribution to the large-scale deployment of this tool. In addition, it provides reliable links.