The SmartHelio project, funded by the Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF) of Cyprus, aims to develop smart, modular, adaptive optics heliostats for Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) applications.

CST technologies address energy needs sustainably by providing dispatchable electricity and high-temperature process heat. In a CST tower system, a field of heliostats tracks the sun to reflect and concentrate direct sunlight onto a thermal receiver atop a tower. This concentrated solar radiation is converted into thermal energy, which can then be used to generate electricity and heat.

The SmartHelio project seeks to enhance the cost-competitiveness of CST technologies by increasing system efficiency and reducing costs. It bridges the gap between local academia and industry to co-develop and advance to Technology Readiness Level 5 (TRL5) a breakthrough technology: the “smart modular heliostat.” This innovation is expected to facilitate the broader adoption of CST renewable energy systems in local, regional, and global energy markets, offering significant advantages over current state-of-the-art technologies.

The project is a collaboration between The Cyprus Institute and two local companies, Nikolaides & Kountouris Metal Industry LTD and Novatex Solutions LTD. Together, they aim to develop the smart heliostat, providing a key enabling technology for the advancement of CST tower systems.