As the global shift towards clean and sustainable energy accelerates, manufacturers of solar and renewable energy technologies are under increasing pressure to provide high-performance, highly reliable, and cost-effective systems within tight development schedules. Products such as photovoltaic modules, power inverters, wind turbine structures, thermal management systems, and battery energy storage solutions are required to comply with rigorous standards concerning structural integrity, thermal efficiency, aerodynamic performance, electrical reliability, and regulatory compliance. In order to tackle these complex engineering challenges, leading manufacturers are implementing digitalized, simulation-driven development processes utilizing Siemens Design and Simulation solutions. These advanced technologies facilitate virtual prototyping, multi-physics simulation, and design optimization, enabling engineers to accurately forecast real-world performance early in the design phase. By incorporating structural, thermal, fluid, electromagnetic, and system-level analyses, organizations can minimize physical testing cycles, reduce development risks, and significantly speed up time-to-market while ensuring product durability and lifecycle efficiency.
The Challenges Facing Renewable Energy Manufacturers
Solar and renewable energy enterprises confront multifaceted engineering and manufacturing challenges, such as:
- Optimizing the thermal performance of solar panels, inverters, and power electronics.
- Designing structures that are both lightweight and durable for wind and solar installations.
- Managing extreme environmental conditions (wind loads, temperature extremes, dust, humidity).
- Reducing costs associated with prototypes and accelerating development timelines.
- Meeting strict efficiency, safety, and regulatory standards
- Seamlessly integrating mechanical, electrical, and thermal systems.
Traditional design strategies that rely heavily on physical testing often result in prolonged cycles, elevated costs, and delayed market entry.
Digitalization with Siemens: From Concept to Production
Siemens Digital Industries Software provides a cohesive ecosystem that integrates design, simulation, and manufacturing into a single digital twin. This allows renewable energy manufacturers to anticipate real-world performance at an early stage, empowering them to make assured and well-informed design choices.
Innovative Product Design with Siemens NX
Siemens NX empowers engineering teams to expedite the creation of cutting-edge renewable energy products:
- Parametric and synchronous modeling facilitates rapid design modifications.
- Comprehensive design that includes mechanical, electrical, and structural elements.
- Sophisticated surface and assembly modeling for solar trackers, mounting systems, and turbine components.
- Seamless integration with CAE and CFD tools.
By performing early design validations in the same environment, manufacturers substantially reduce design rework and engineering mistakes.
Thermal & Fluid Performance Optimization with Siemens CFD
Thermal management is critical in solar and renewable systems – especially for inverters, power electronics, battery packs, and cooling systems.
Simcenter FLOEFD – CAD-Embedded CFD
- Fast thermal and airflow analysis directly inside CAD
- Ideal for early-stage design validation
- Enables engineers to test multiple design variants quickly
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ – Advanced Multiphysics CFD
- High-fidelity simulation for complex airflow, heat transfer, and environmental effects
- Supports wind loading, external aerodynamics, cooling optimization, and energy efficiency studies
Impact:
- Reduced overheating risks
- Improved energy efficiency
- Fewer physical prototypes
- Faster design iterations
Structural & Multiphysics Validation with Siemens CAE
Using Simcenter 3D, renewable energy manufacturers can:
- Analyze structural integrity of solar frames, wind turbine components, and mounting systems
- Simulate fatigue, vibration, and extreme load conditions
- Perform thermal-structural coupling to assess real operating behavior
- Ensure long-term durability and safety compliance
This allows manufacturers to design lighter, stronger, and more reliable products while minimizing material usage.
Cost & Time Savings Through Virtual Validation
By replacing physical trial-and-error with digital simulation, Siemens solutions help manufacturers achieve:
- Up to 30–40% reduction in development time
- Significant cost savings on prototyping and testing
- Faster design iterations and approvals
- Reduced risk of late-stage design changes
Simulation-driven design ensures problems are solved early—when changes are least expensive.
Connected Engineering with Digital Twin & PLM
With Teamcenter PLM, Siemens enables end-to-end digital continuity:
- Centralized management of design, simulation, and manufacturing data
- Improved collaboration across engineering teams
- Better change management and traceability
- Faster product lifecycle decisions
This connected approach accelerates digital maturity and supports scalable growth.
Driving Sustainable Innovation
The digital solutions offered by Siemens facilitate faster innovation for renewable energy manufacturers while also assisting in the attainment of sustainability goals by:
- Minimizing material waste
- Improving energy efficiency
- Reducing carbon emissions through virtual testing
- Enabling smarter, greener product designs
The Future of Renewable Energy Manufacturing is Digital
As solar and renewable energy technologies evolve in complexity and scale, sustained competitiveness depends on the ability to accelerate innovation cycles, manage multi-physics interactions, and deliver high-performance systems at optimized lifecycle costs. Modern renewable products – ranging from photovoltaic modules and power electronics to wind turbine structures and energy storage systems – demand rigorous validation across structural, thermal, fluid, electrical, and reliability domains.
Siemens Design and Simulation solutions provide a comprehensive digital engineering foundation that enables simulation-driven design and closed-loop optimization across the product lifecycle. By leveraging high-fidelity CAE, advanced CFD, and digital twin technologies, manufacturers can virtually validate performance, predict degradation and failure modes, optimize efficiency, and ensure compliance with industry standards—well before physical prototypes are built.
Through the deployment of physics-based digital twins, renewable energy manufacturers gain continuous insight into real-world operating conditions, enabling predictive maintenance, performance optimization, and data-driven decision-making. This integrated digital approach empowers organizations to reduce development risk, minimize costs, and confidently lead the global transition toward a cleaner, more resilient, and sustainable energy future.
Start Your Digital Transformation Today
Looking to accelerate innovation, reduce costs, and optimize renewable energy product performance?
Siemens Design and Simulation solutions – implemented with expert support – can help you get there faster.
Contact us to explore how Siemens digital solutions can power your renewable energy journey.
