Nanosatellite IoT network operator Astrocast is participating in the EU-funded CiROCCO initiative, which aims to establish a low-cost network of electronic sensing nodes in under-sampled remote areas in Egypt, Serbia and Spain. Astrocast will be involved in CiROCCO’s Benban solar farm project in Egypt, where satellite IoT (SatIoT) will support with renewable energy systems (RES) planning.

Astrocast’s SatIoT connectivity will allow data transmission to take place in this remote location between the various sensors and their operational teams, enabling them to transmit, access and interpret the data they need.

Sensor information that is transmitted via Astrocast’s SatIoT will be used to deliver a data modelling infrastructure. This will enable this project to manage energy and optimise production more effectively. It includes tracking solar radiation measurements – to harmonise this with actual power production, for data assimilation into solar energy models and for forecasting purposes.

Wind speed and direction will be tracked. This will help provide information about dust forecasting and load estimation. Dust modelling will be compared with air quality quantification. Temperature and humidity of the solar panels will be monitored too, and this will help the operator to ensure optimal operating conditions and manage maintenance alerts relating to solar panel efficiency.

The Benban solar farm will also use the information that it gathers about real power and energy production to validate the observational and modelling approaches that are being deployed. As a result, the project hopes to develop a sophisticated, dedicated energy management system for the Benban solar project – and a more powerful model that other organisations can learn from, replicate and apply to other solar farms in Egypt and across the world.

Fabien Jordan, CEO, Astrocast said: “Astrocast is dedicated to providing global IoT connectivity. We are proud to be part of the CiROCCO initiative, and to contribute our expertise to establish a low-cost and sustainable network of electronic sensing nodes in under-sampled desert areas. We believe that the data generated from this initiative will play a crucial role in enhancing climate change models and supporting the European Green Deal challenges. Furthermore, by participating in the Renewable Energy Systems Planning pilot project in Egypt, we aim to leverage our satellite technology to optimise energy production and contribute to developing a dedicated energy management system for the Benban solar project and beyond.”