Self-driving lifting solar panels

Can a robot install solar panels?

Now, they’re turning to robots for help. On Tuesday, AES Corporation, one of the country’s biggest renewable energy companies, introduced a first-of-its-kind robot that can lug around and install the thousands of heavy panels that typically make up a large solar array.

Can robots help build solar panels faster?

The technology has already been used to install 17 megawatts of panels at a solar farm in Arizona and the company says it has made construction 25 percent faster. Terabase has developed a small mobile factory that uses robots to assemble solar modules on-site and install them on racks.

Which companies automate the construction of solar farms?

Other vendors automating the construction of solar farms include Sarcos and AES. Both companies deploy specialized vehicles with robotic arms to automate module transportation and installation. Watch AES ’ Atlas solar robot at work below.

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 many solar panels can a robot install in a day?

AES Corporation’s Maximo robot. It can install hundreds of solar panels, often weighing 60 pounds or more, in a single day, even when temperatures rise into the 100s Fahrenheit. AES Corporation The companies racing to build large solar farms across the United States are facing a growing problem: Not enough workers.

Can a robot install more solar power if there's a labor shortage?

Energy companies say a labor shortage is one big obstacle to installing more solar power. They’re turning to machines to speed things up. AES Corporation’s Maximo robot. It can install hundreds of solar panels, often weighing 60 pounds or more, in a single day, even when temperatures rise into the 100s Fahrenheit. AES Corporation