{"id":172236,"date":"2026-01-29T13:33:41","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T19:33:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/?p=172236"},"modified":"2026-01-29T13:33:58","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T19:33:58","slug":"heliodome-a-simulator-that-replicates-solar-radiation-inside-the-lab","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/climate-and-sustainability\/heliodome-a-simulator-that-replicates-solar-radiation-inside-the-lab\/","title":{"rendered":"Heliodome: A Simulator That Replicates Solar Radiation Inside the Lab"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Researchers at Tec de Monterrey have developed the Heliodome<\/a>, a solar<\/a> simulator that reproduces sunlight conditions from anywhere in the world inside a laboratory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The device is capable of precisely simulating solar radiation, temperature, and the sun\u2019s position in the sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jos\u00e9 Rodrigo Salm\u00f3n Folgueras, research professor at the EIC of Tec de Monterrey. (Photo: Tec de Monterrey)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This allows scientists to test the efficiency and durability of solar technologies such as photovoltaic panels<\/a>, green roofs, and materials like waterproof coatings and thermal insulators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How the Heliodome Works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jos\u00e9 Rodrigo Salm\u00f3n Folgueras<\/a>, a research professor at Tec de Monterrey\u2019s School of Engineering and Science<\/a> (EIC) and one of the project leaders, explains that the team achieved these simulations by adjusting variables such as irradiation, light direction, tilt angle, and temperature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can move the light source as if it were the sun, change the angle based on the time of day or season, and adjust the intensity. And even if it\u2019s raining outside, the conditions inside the lab stay exactly the same,\u201d he notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The device currently operates manually, but the team aims to scale it up to work automatically. (Photo: Courtesy of Jos\u00e9 Rodrigo Salm\u00f3n Folgueras)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Challenge of Testing Solar Technologies Outdoors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before the Heliodome, testing relied entirely on the weather, which caused delays and added uncertainty to the results. Experiments were typically conducted outdoors and had to be scheduled based on forecasts predicting ideal weather conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jos\u00e9 Luis L\u00f3pez Salinas, researcher at the EIC of Tec de Monterrey. (Photo: Tec de Monterrey)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For instance, if researchers wanted to analyze how a technology performed in winter, they had to wait for that season to arrive. Even on clear, windless days with consistent solar radiation, a sudden change in the weather could ruin hours’ worth of collected data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This need for constant, controlled conditions to ensure reliable testing\u2014both for their own innovations and for consulting projects with companies\u2014led the team to seek out a solution, explains Jos\u00e9 Luis L\u00f3pez Salinas<\/a>, a researcher at the EIC and advisor on the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe needed a controllable light source that could mimic the sun, and nothing like that was readily accessible to us,\u201d L\u00f3pez Salinas says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Developing an Accessible Alternative<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The team conducted a global study to identify patents and commercial alternatives. However, they found that existing devices were either too expensive or too large\u2014designed for industrial-scale use\u2014or had limitations when it came to replicating key elements like temperature or the spectrum of solar radiation throughout different times of the year. In short, they lacked the versatility their experiments required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the course of more than a year, the researchers developed their own solution: a low-cost device equipped with a variety of light bulbs, including incandescent, halogen, fluorescent, infrared, and ultraviolet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The result was a matrix of around 30 lamp combinations that can realistically simulate solar radiation based on the time of day or season in any given city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Validation with Real-World Data and Computer Simulation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To ensure the simulator reflected real-world conditions, the team validated the system using both international databases and field measurements. To do this, they relied on international platforms such as the Photovoltaic Geographical Information System (PVGIS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also used sensors to collect field data\u2014temperature, humidity, solar irradiation, and spectrum\u2014and adjusted the system\u2019s parameters to match real-world scenarios, such as a sunny summer afternoon in Mexico City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe conducted a statistical experiment to fine-tune and calibrate the Heliodome, using experimental data, international databases, and computer simulations,\u201d explains Salm\u00f3n Folgueras, who adds that this is a project that has been evolving since 2011.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The team designed around 30 different lamp configurations to simulate various types of solar radiation. (Photo: Courtesy of Jos\u00e9 Rodrigo Salm\u00f3n Folgueras)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Structure and Types of Simulated Radiation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Today, the device consists of a metal arch-shaped structure that allows spherical movement, with a movable lamp or light source that can be manually adjusted to mimic the sun\u2019s movement at various angles. Its configurations also make it possible to control variables such as solar irradiation, its direction, and the temperature an exposed object receives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The various combinations of bulbs also enabled the replication of three types of radiation associated with sunlight:<\/p>\n\n\n\n