How does a robot install solar panels?

Suction cups grip the glass face of the solar panels and the arm swings them into place, guided by cameras that give the robot a three-dimensional view of the scene. The robot’s limitations give a glimpse of how hard it’s going to be to completely automate the installation process.

Can a robot install solar panels twice as fast as humans?

AES said its robot, nicknamed Maximo, would ultimately be able to install solar panels twice as fast as humans can and at half the cost.

How is automation used in the solar industry?

Automation in controlled and structured environments, such as factories, has been around for decades. In the solar industry, robotics and advanced manufacturing techniques have been used in the four steps of module manufacturing: silicon ingots, wafers, cells, and modules.

Can Maximo install solar panels in half the cost?

According to the IEA, by 2035, solar annual additions are expected to triple, and the workforce will need to nearly double. Maximo can install solar panels in half the time and half the cost, working together with on-the-ground crews to accelerate renewable energy deployment, reducing time-to-power for customers.

Can robots install ground-mounted solar panels?

Now companies such as PV Kraftwerker and Gehrlicher in Germany are developing mobile robots that can automatically install ground-mounted solar panels day and night, in all sorts of weather. PV Kraftwerker’s robot is designed to assemble power-plant-grade solar panels, which are four times the size of the ones you’d see on a home.

Can solar farms be automated?

Other solar companies are also exploring automation. Built Robotics, a San Francisco-based start-up, is using pile-driving robots to build the foundations for solar farms. By automating some processes, a task that typically takes 6 to 7 workers can be done with two workers up to three times as fast, the company said.