Beyond Wires: How Programmable Networks Are Powering the Solar Revolution

Abstract :

The intersection of programmable communications and renewable energy systems is creating
new opportunities for smarter, more sustainable power generation. This lecture examines the
ways software-defined networking concepts are reshaping connectivity in solar power plants,
particularly in heliostat fields where conventional wired control architectures are often too costly

and difficult to scale. It highlights an emerging architecture based on centralized network
control and virtualized network functions, designed to provide robust wireless coordination for
large heliostat deployments. By supporting adaptive sun-tracking through intelligent spectrum
allocation and routing strategies that account for interference, this framework shows how
virtualization methods originally developed for telecommunications can significantly improve the
performance and flexibility of renewable energy operations. More broadly, the work points to a
fundamental shift in infrastructure design, with software-defined systems serving as the
foundation of future energy ecosystems capable of autonomously optimizing generation in
response to changing environmental factors and grid requirements. Its broader relevance
spans industrial IoT and critical infrastructure, demonstrating a path toward highly adaptive,
network-driven energy <a href="http://platforms.

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Speaker(s): Dr. Eirini Eleni Tsiropoulou,

Room: Conference room Videotron (E2033) , Bldg: Pavillon E (Maison des étudiants) , École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS), Montréal, Quebec, Canada, H3C 1K5