Clear Solar+

The rapid growth of distributed photovoltaic generation across Europe is creating a key challenge: ensuring maximum performance and lifetime of installations while reducing operational costs and environmental impact. In practice, and based on experience with industrial IoT deployments, the main gap is often not energy generation itself, but the lack of intelligent, data-driven maintenance systems.

CLEAR SOLAR+ proposes an innovative solution building on Sterna’s Clear Solar technology, evolving it into a comprehensive digital platform for predictive maintenance, optimised cleaning, and intelligent management of photovoltaic installations.

Value proposition

The project will develop a modular solution based on:

• Advanced sensors (including a patented surface soiling sensor) to detect efficiency losses

• Real-time monitoring of production and component status

• AI-based predictive models to anticipate failures and optimise operations

• Smart cleaning strategies based on real data instead of fixed schedules

• A digital platform with data visualisation, alerts, and integration capabilities

The Clear Solar technology already enables accurate measurement of dirt accumulation and quantification of performance losses, as well as detection of potential failures in PV installations . From practical experience, integrating these data streams with operational variables (temperature, historical production, environmental conditions) is essential to generate actionable insights.

Project objectives

• Increase photovoltaic system efficiency (≥10–15%)

• Reduce operational and maintenance costs (OPEX) through predictive strategies

• Develop a scalable and replicable solution for medium-sized installations

• Validate the solution in real operational environments

Innovation and differentiation

• Integration of sensor technology, AI, and digital twin concepts

• Holistic approach to maintenance (beyond simple monitoring)

• Data-driven cleaning optimisation based on real soiling conditions

• Scalable IoT architecture using cloud platforms and NB-IoT/LORA communications

Sterna brings strong expertise in sensor development, electronics, and digital platforms, covering the full value chain from concept to industrialisation . This end-to-end capability significantly reduces risks in pilot deployment and scaling.

Pilot plan (Green Mantis)

The project foresees pilot implementations in:

• Industrial and commercial rooftop PV installations

• Energy communities

• Installations operated by solar installers or O&M providers

These pilots will validate:

• Predictive maintenance models

• Impact of optimised cleaning strategies

• Return on investment across different use cases

Partners sought

For the Green Mantis call, we are looking for European partners to enable real pilot deployments:

Key partner profiles

• Companies with medium-scale PV installations

• Energy communities

• Solar installers and O&M providers

• Energy clusters or regional organisations

• Maintenance and cleaning service providers

Experience shows that early involvement of end-users in pilot phases is critical to accelerate adoption and maximise impact.

Expected impact

• Increased renewable energy production without new infrastructure

• Reduced environmental footprint of maintenance activities

• Digital transformation of the PV O&M sector

• Enhanced competitiveness of European industry