Are solar panel installation robots reducing labor costs?

Photo courtesy Rosendin Electric Newly developed solar panel installation robots are drastically reducing labor costs and human toil associated with building solar photovoltaic farms, as Rosendin Electric’s partnership with robotics firm ULC Technologies has found after a year of successful trials on real solar jobsites.

How are solar panels delivered?

Typically panels are delivered on pallets to the end of each row of a solar installation by a skid steer, and workers had to carry them over uneven ground down the lane to install them. Now, the carrier robots can be loaded from the end of the row and bring the panels down as they are installed.

How do you install solar panels on a large solar farm?

Installing panels on large solar farms is tough work, requiring multi-person crews to lug 80- to 100-lb panels into place on preassembled mounting racks—with some holding a panel steady while another worker screws it into place.

How does a solar installation robot work?

The installation robot works with carrier robots that keep it supplied with solar panels to place as it moves down a row. But it’s not just about improving efficiency. “As we started getting into it, we did the time motion studies and got a four-person crew down to a two-person crew, and the safety aspects of it were huge,” says Lincoln.

How does a solar panel picker robot work?

The autonomous robot can pick up and place solar panels using a vacuum suction attachment. Its electric motors are powered by batteries, which are recharged by an onboard diesel generator. Two other robots serve as panel carriers, working in tandem to ensure there is always a fresh stack of panels for the picker robot to grab one.

Can a robotic arm move around a solar site?

But the idea of a factory-style robotic arm moving around a solar site brought them to ULC and its Robotic Roadworks and Excavation System. After a year-and-a-half of development, the two companies now have a solar installation robot up and running, and it’s been deployed on Rosendin solar projects across the country.