SENER, as a leader company in the solar field and specialist in turn key projects and promotion of CSP plants, has a privileged know-how concerning to the needs of this kind of installations; this enables us to implement innovative solutions and create products adapted to our own needs and to the specific needs of each customer.

SENER is pioneering in solar tracking, designing and installing its first 150 heliostats in 1980. The drives installed are still performing perfectly at the Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA).

SENER 42m2 heliostats at CESA I Installation – Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA)

The key of the solar tracker technology used by SENER lies in the high-performances drive developed, patented and manufactured by SENER, as well as in our own specific structures.

The SENER solar tracker has been designed to provide excellent pointing accuracy in solar tracking while also maximising available panel surface area, guaranteeing the reliability of the system and minimum maintenance. SENER has thus developed an optimal product to satisfy the strict requirements of the following technologies:

• Concentrated Solar Power (CSP):
  • Heliostat for Central Tower Receiver
  • Stirling Discs
• High Concentration Photovoltaic (HCPV) – PV

All of them have in common the need of concentrating the solar radiation into different elements by means of the accurate pointing of large surfaces to the sun. This accurate tracking must be done under hard operating and environmental conditions (wind, rain, snow, dust, sand, etc), operating in the open air and along the whole life cycle of the plant.
Therefore, it is necessary to rely on robust, reliable and validated technology that meets the most demanding requirements, ensuring the energy production during the complete life cycle of the installation and, therefore the profitability of the investment.

SENER is a world reference in the design and production of Control and Actuation Systems for critical applications as defense, space, medical systems and solar. SENER perfectly knows the technical and economical requirements for the drives of a CSP plant. For this reason, the MASS product is leader in the market being the most commercialized drive for CSP in the word.

SENER MASS high performance two axes drive

SENER’s mechanism is an electromechanical drive with features unique in the market. Its compact design, fully closed and sealed, integrates Azimuth and Elevation gears in a single housing, maintaining the adequate lubrication conditions of all components and protecting them against dust and oxidation, providing maximum stiffness. MASS is delivered fully mounted and perfectly integrated, ready for operation.

MASS was specifically engineered from its origins to meet the demanding requirements imposed by concentrated solar power (CSP) and concentrated photovoltaics (HCPV) Technologies.

Advantages:

• Compact design, single housing that withstands and protects azimuth and elevation gear trains
• High pointing accuracy (>0.1º)
• High load capacity (up to 120 m2 with torques above 36 kNm)
• Range of tracking speed
• High reliability and stiffness
• “0” backlash
• Minimum operating and maintenance costs
• High efficiency and low self-consumption
• Easy to install
• Life time of 30 years
• Reliable, installed and bankable technology

MASS drive is a product designed, patented, manufactured and marketed by SENER. Production complies with the most stringent quality controls in accordance with the ISO 9001 standard, and every drive is exhaustively tested to ensure that each and every one of them meet guaranteed performance levels.

As an authority in design and manufacture, SENER adapts the MASS drive to client needs, both in capabilities and interfaces.

 
SENER Manufacturing Facilities
 

The studies performed by our engineers combine simplicity and optimisation with rigidity, performance and cost.

  The SENER heliostats and trackers provide a large surface area and excellent pointing accuracy to maximise energy production. The system is the result of the combination of the MASS drive and the SENER high-performance structure, and the balance between rigidity, low maintenance, maximum size and minimum cost.

SENER HCPV solar tracker and heliostat

• Size: Module surface area 85 m2 for CPV – 120 m2 in heliostat and PV
• Total tracking accuracy: > 0.1º
• Wind loads in operation: 10-12m/s

These large surfaces make it possible to maximise power production while reducing the number of heliostats and solar trackers needed, drastically reducing civil work in the plant and material and maintenance costs throughout the plant's service life.

The local control unit is based on a microprocessor and is comprised of open-loop and closed-loop algorithms that use ephemerides and solar sensors to guarantee a pointing precision of more than 0.01º. The control unit can be configured locally and remotely.

The pointing precision of the whole system is guaranteed across the operating range, even in strong wind conditions, which is critical for plant functionality and profitability.

Solar trackers for modules certification

SENER markets high accuracy solar trackers for HCPV modules certification. The accuracy and rubustness of the tracker make it suitable as measure equipment due no errors are introduced in the modules measures.

The solar tracker surface area is 15m2 to allow an easy manipulation. The dimensions can be customized under demand. The special design of the solar tracker allows the simultaneous measurement of modules in different sizes, so then the comparison among different module’s manufacturers.

SENER is a reference in high accuracy solar trackers for HCPV, these being selected by the Instituto de Sistemas Fotovoltaicos de Concentración (ISFOC) and the National Renewable Research Center (CENER) for modules certification.

SENER markets its products and services according to the specific needs of each client and installation. SENER thus delivers different ranges of products and services in solar tracking technologies:

• MASS two axes drive
• Electromechanical section: MASS drive and control unit
• Solar tracker/complete heliostat: structure, drive, local control and foundation design.
• Structural design
• Start-up
• Maintenance

Some SENER references are:

• CESA I Plant– Plataforma Solar de Almería
• Gemasolar heliostat field
• More than 10MW of PV
• Solar trackers for HCPV modules certification: ISFOC, CENER