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Robots and automation can assist in the unloading and placement of solar panels onto racks at large utility-scale sites. The process of assembling solar fields can be made more efficient thanks to outdoor, autonomous robotic technology.
Fremont, CA: As the world grapples with depleting oil supplies and the requirement to reduce carbon emissions, the adoption of disruptive technologies such as robotics and automation can serve as an important catalyst for the spread of renewable energy. Robotics and automation, according to current applications and research, help simplify the processes involved in renewable energy generation, particularly for solar energy sources, resulting in increased productivity and cost savings.
Solar Panel Placement
Robots and automation can assist in the unloading and placement of solar panels onto racks at large utility-scale sites. The process of assembling solar fields can be made more efficient thanks to outdoor, autonomous robotic technology. Furthermore, due to the delicate nature of solar cells and wafers, high-speed impact robots are more appropriate and gentler than manual handling, resulting in higher throughputs with a higher yield. Robots assist, rather than replace, solar construction crews, allowing utility-scale contractors to decrease large amounts of repetitive tasks, improve productivity, boost worker safety, and produce more MegaWatt-hours faster.
Cleaning and Maintenance of Solar Panels
Important tasks, such as removing dust from solar cells, can be automated with the help of self-cleaning robots, which would otherwise be dangerous for humans. Dust removal is critical in high-dust-density regions like the Middle East to maximize incident irradiance on the panel and make sure the solar panels offer maximum power output and energy yield. A water-free self-cleaning system can save billions of liters of water over the life of a plant in arid regions.
Manufacturing of Solar Power Systems
When compared to human intervention, robots in the PV manufacturing process make a significant contribution because of their ability to significantly reduce costs while improving precision and accuracy. Manufacturers can use robots and automation to make smarter and faster production decisions, which increases precision, lowers production costs and boosts productivity. Silicon ingots, silicon modules, solar cells, and silicon wafers are just a few examples of delicate components that can be manufactured with high precision using robotic automation.
Integrating robotics into the renewable energy industry is not without its challenges. One of the most significant challenges is the power grid, which is primarily designed to transport energy from large, centralized power plants powered by nonrenewable sources such as natural gas and oil. As a result, before solar and other forms of distributed renewable energy can be truly integrated as a viable source of power, the current power grid must be overhauled.
See Also: Energy Business Review
