Rioglass Solar Enhances CSP Plant Performance Through Advanced Drone-Based Solutions
Madrid, 19 October 2026
Advanced receiver thermography enables customers to prioritize corrective actions and keep plant output at its best, with a clear return on investment.
In a CSP plant, performance depends on high-quality components and on detecting deviations before they become costly failures. Receiver tubes, mirrors, collectors, tracking systems and insulation operate in demanding conditions, where even minor issues can reduce output and raise operating costs.
A complete view of the solar field from the air
Drone-based inspections allow Rioglass Solar to cover large areas quickly, safely and systematically, using thermal and visible-light cameras to assess receivers, mirrors, collectors and other critical components.
By combining aerial inspection with expertise in receivers, mirrors, optics and thermal behaviour, the company turns images into diagnostics that classify defects, estimate losses and guide corrective action, giving customers clear technical and financial insight for faster, better-targeted decisions.
Turning accurate diagnosis into measurable financial returns
Receiver vacuum loss requires particular attention because its origin determines the most effective corrective action. Rioglass Solar has developed a method to accurately distinguish between air infiltration and hydrogen accumulation, enabling operators to choose the right corrective route: receiver replacement where air ingress is confirmed, and noble gas injection where hydrogen accumulation is identified. This accuracy gives customers a clear advantage over conventional inspection, helping avoid unnecessary or poorly targeted interventions. By aligning each intervention with the actual root cause, it optimizes payback.
According to Rioglass Solar’s analysis, a typical annual drone inspection at a 50 MW CSP plant in Spain identifies at least 2% of receivers with air ingress, 1% broken, and 3% affected by hydrogen permeation; together, it could represent potential losses of approximately €0.5 million per year. Accurate diagnosis is therefore crucial to ensure that each issue is addressed with the appropriate corrective action. Even when limited to replacing broken receivers and injecting those affected by hydrogen, these measures recover most of their value with a one-year payback period. Timely action is also critical: hydrogen-related damage can worsen quickly, raising the risk of tube breakage and corrective costs.
The diagnosis also supports tailored responses to other findings, such as optomechanical deviations, broken mirrors, and insulation defects. Hydrogen meter measurements and getter sorption capacity analysis further strengthen decision-making.
Comprehensive inspection of critical solar-field components
Rioglass Solar’s drone-based services integrate thermography, visual inspection, optomechanical characterization, and insulation assessment into one diagnostic framework. Thermal imaging detects receiver vacuum-loss patterns and, with advanced analysis, helps identify their causes.
In parallel, visual inspection identifies broken mirrors, alignment deviations, and other defects that affect optical performance, while optomechanical assessment evaluates tracking, torsion, and module misalignment. Insulation inspection reveals gaps or damage that add to thermal losses. Together, these services give operators a sound basis for prioritizing repairs, planning replacements, and reducing losses.
Field-proven experience
Rioglass Solar has carried out extensive drone inspection campaigns at CSP plants across three continents, bringing field-proven capability to operators that need reliable results at scale. This experience is backed by long-term service agreements that demonstrate the reliability and continuity of its solutions.
Rioglass Solar’s experience in receivers, mirrors, and O&M services lets it support customers from diagnosis to corrective action.
About Rioglass Solar
Rioglass Solar, with manufacturing sites in Asturias and Seville, Spain, is a global leader in CSP optical components, with extensive experience in mirrors, receiver tubes, and specialized plant services. Its industrial and technical capabilities improve solar plant performance, reliability, and lifetime worldwide.