Solar energy development and use get a boost with new robotic solutions for solar installations and solar panel cleaning.
These are a robot named Atlas from global energy company AES Corporation and a drone solution from the Israeli companies Airobotics and Solar Drone.
AES’s Atlas is an artificial intelligence-based robot that is designed to accelerate solar installations as a complement to existing construction programmes. In particular Atlas, which was developed over several years, is designed to perform the ‘heavy lifting’ including the placing and attachment of solar panels.
Stated benefits include more rapid, precise and cheaper installation as well as the ability to install larger panels, along with increased worker safety.
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“Stakeholder commitment to a net zero-carbon energy future has never been higher, but our industry risks not being able to achieve this goal if we continue to adopt clean energy at the current pace,” said Chris Shelton, AES Senior Vice President and Chief Product Officer.
“The AI-enabled Atlas robot automates the construction of new solar resources, enabling a safer work environment, shorter project timelines and lower overall energy costs.”
Atlas is intended to complement rather than replace members of the current solar workforce. According to data from AES, approximately two-thirds of solar jobs are installation and construction-related and in the US alone up to 900,000 solar workers are needed by 2030 to reach the country’s clean energy goals.
Moreover, the annual pace of new solar installations must increase by three times that of the year 2020.
The drone solution is intended to comprise a solar panel cleaning system, including a drone docking station for automatic battery replacement and cleaning fluid replenishment to enable it to operate continuously.
As solar PV grows, solar panel cleaning is expected to become a major market, with dirt, dust, sand, mud and bird droppings reducing the efficiency and impacting the power output.
Particularly in remote areas and for floating and rooftop solar where access is limited, cleaning can become time consuming and costly.
Under the agreement Airobotics will develop and supply the solution to Solar Drone, which offers drone-based solar farm services. Solar Drone claims a single drone can clean up to 500,000 solar panels a year with minimal maintenance.
The companies are targeting initially Israel, Europe, India and the UAE, anticipating sales of $10 million in the first three years.
