Seville, Spain – October 2025 – Iberdrola, one of Europe’s leading renewable energy companies, has successfully deployed ABB DSAI146 3BSE007949R1 Analog Input Modules to upgrade the signal acquisition system of 15 utility-scale solar power plants in southern Spain. The deployment, part of Iberdrola’s strategy to optimize renewable energy production efficiency, addressed critical issues with legacy input systems, including signal degradation in extreme heat, interference from solar inverters, and poor integration with smart grid platforms. Six months post-upgrade, the plants have achieved 99.99% signal reliability, a 15% increase in energy yield optimization efficiency, and a 5-7% boost in actual energy production—key achievements in the fight against climate change.
The Challenge: Extreme Conditions Compromise Solar Plant Performance
Iberdrola’s 15 solar power plants in southern Spain—including the 500 MW Andasol Solar Park and the 300 MW La Florida Solar Plant—operate in some of the harshest outdoor conditions in Europe. Summer temperatures regularly reach 45°C, with frequent dust storms and high levels of solar radiation. The plants rely on 300+ sensors to monitor critical parameters such as solar irradiance, panel temperature, and inverter performance, with accurate signal acquisition essential for optimizing energy yield.
Prior to the upgrade, the plants used legacy input modules that suffered from temperature-induced drift, leading to 3-4% measurement errors in irradiance data. This resulted in suboptimal panel angle adjustments, with the plants losing 5-7% of their potential energy yield—equivalent to approximately 35 GWh of electricity annually, enough to power 10,000 homes. Additionally, the legacy modules were highly susceptible to electromagnetic interference (EMI) from solar inverters, causing 18-22 signal drop incidents per month. Each incident forced the plants to switch to manual operation, leading to further energy losses and increased operational costs.
Compounding these issues, the outdated systems lacked compatibility with Iberdrola’s smart grid management platform, requiring manual data transfer that delayed yield optimization by 2-3 hours. This delay prevented the plants from responding quickly to changes in weather conditions—such as sudden cloud cover or dust storms—further reducing energy production efficiency. The legacy modules also had a short lifespan in the extreme heat, requiring replacement every 2-3 years, adding to maintenance costs.
“Reliable signal acquisition is the backbone of efficient solar power production,” said Carlos Ruiz, Renewable Energy Operations Director at Iberdrola. “Our legacy input modules were unable to withstand the extreme heat and electrical interference in southern Spain, leading to significant energy losses and increased operational costs. We needed a high-temperature-resistant, anti-interference input solution that could seamlessly integrate with our smart grid platform, deliver precise data for real-time yield optimization, and withstand the harsh outdoor environment—all while supporting our goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2040.”
The Solution: ABB DSAI146 3BSE007949R1’s High-Temperature Resilience and Grid Compatibility
Iberdrola evaluated input modules from three leading manufacturers, focusing on temperature stability, EMI resistance, smart grid compatibility, and durability. The ABB DSAI146 3BSE007949R1 stood out due to its wide temperature operating range, advanced EMI filtering, and compliance with IEC 61400-25 renewable energy standards. The deployment process involved installing over 500 modules across the 15 solar plants, with ABB’s technical team working closely with Iberdrola’s operations team to ensure minimal disruption to energy production—all work was completed during off-peak hours and scheduled maintenance windows.
Key features of the ABB DSAI146 3BSE007949R1 that addressed Iberdrola’s challenges include:
- Extreme Temperature Stability: The DSAI146 3BSE007949R1 is designed with temperature-compensated circuitry, maintaining measurement accuracy of ±0.1% across a temperature range of -40°C to +85°C. This eliminates temperature-induced drift, ensuring precise irradiance and panel temperature data even in southern Spain’s hot summers.
- Advanced EMI Filtering: Equipped with multi-stage EMI filters and shielded signal cables, the module reduces inverter-induced interference by 99.5%, ensuring stable signal transmission. It also supports galvanic isolation between input and output, preventing ground loop interference common in solar power plants.
- Smart Grid Integration: The module supports MODBUS TCP/IP and IEC 61850 protocols, enabling seamless integration with Iberdrola’s smart grid management platform. Real-time data synchronization eliminates manual data transfer, allowing for immediate panel angle and inverter adjustments to optimize energy yield in response to changing weather conditions.
- Weather-Resistant Design: Rated to IP67 protection class, the DSAI146 3BSE007949R1 is dust-tight and waterproof, withstanding dust storms and occasional rain in southern Spain. Its corrosion-resistant aluminum housing ensures long-term reliability in outdoor environments, with an MTBF of 18 years—significantly reducing replacement and maintenance costs.
The Results: Maximized Yield, Reduced Interference, and Smarter Grid Operations
Six months after full deployment, the ABB DSAI146 3BSE007949R1 input modules have delivered impressive operational improvements for Iberdrola’s solar power plants, with measurable gains in energy production and efficiency:
| Metric |
Before DSAI146 Deployment |
After DSAI146 Deployment |
Improvement |
| Signal Reliability |
99.2% |
99.99% |
0.79% Increase (95% Reduction in Signal Drops) |
| Energy Yield Optimization Efficiency |
85% |
100% |
15% Increase |
| Irradiance Measurement Error |
3-4% |
±0.1% |
97% Reduction |
| Monthly Signal Drop Incidents |
18-22 |
1-2 |
95% Reduction |
| Yield Optimization Delay |
2-3 Hours |
Real-Time (≤10 ms) |
100% Elimination of Delay |
| Annual Energy Production |
700 GWh |
735-749 GWh |
5-7% Increase (35-49 GWh Additional Electricity) |
“The ABB DSAI146 3BSE007949R1 has transformed our solar plant operations,” Ruiz said. “The precise, reliable signal data has enabled us to optimize energy yield to its full potential, with our plants now producing an additional 35-49 GWh of electricity annually—enough to power 10,000 to 14,000 homes. The seamless integration with our smart grid platform has improved our operational efficiency, allowing us to respond quickly to changes in weather conditions. The module’s ability to withstand extreme temperatures and interference has proven invaluable in southern Spain’s challenging environment, and its long lifespan is reducing our maintenance costs significantly. We plan to deploy this input module across 25 more solar and wind plants in Europe and Latin America by 2030, as part of our commitment to accelerating the global energy transition.”
Elena Petrova, ABB’s Global Product Manager for Renewable Energy Components, commented: “Renewable energy facilities operate in some of the harshest environments on earth, requiring input modules that can deliver reliable performance under extreme conditions. The DSAI146 3BSE007949R1 is engineered specifically for these challenges, with extreme temperature stability, advanced EMI filtering, and seamless smart grid integration. Iberdrola’s success demonstrates how this module can help energy companies maximize energy yield, reduce operational costs, and advance their sustainability goals—critical steps in the fight against climate change.”
