Industrial Control

Case Study: Energy Saving Solution for Solar Power Plant

Energy efficiency is the planet’s new defining force. A leading Germany-based solution provider for solar thermal power plants seeking to maximize efficiency proved to be the perfect match for a ZigBee wireless sensor network utilizing ZigBit RF modules. Solar thermal power plants in part achieve their commercial solar energy production by connecting thousands of individual modular solar panels that rotate on an axis, tracking the sun from East to West to best capture solar energy. Nature’s simplest power source is nonetheless incredibly complex to harvest, requiring considerable coordination, maintenance and clockwork precision.

Enter the ZigBee wireless network. The solutions provider implemented thousands of ZigBit RF modules to connect fixed objects throughout the solar thermal power plant, which then organized themselves into a self-healing mesh network. With the complex orchestration of power plant operations now united by a sophisticated wireless network, performance elevated to new levels of precision. Temperature control improved, maintenance burdens were eased, overall power plant efficiency improved and energy was saved. Today, the daily solar-to-net electric efficiency exceeds 20% during clear summer days.