The race to build large solar farms in the United States is facing a significant challenge – a shortage of workers. To address this issue, companies are turning to innovative solutions, with robots leading the way.
Introducing Maximo: The Solar Panel Installation Robot
AES Corporation, a major player in renewable energy, recently unveiled a groundbreaking robot named Maximo. This robot is designed to handle the heavy lifting involved in installing the thousands of solar panels that make up large solar arrays. With the ability to work twice as fast as humans and at half the cost, Maximo is set to revolutionize solar farm construction.
Maximo, roughly the size of a pickup truck, features an extendable arm equipped with suction cups to efficiently pick up and position solar panels. Using artificial intelligence and computer vision technology, Maximo can accurately lay out panels in rows, ensuring precise installation.
Driving Efficiency in Solar Farm Construction
Following extensive testing, AES plans to deploy Maximo in the California desert later this year for a project aimed at powering Amazon data centers. The company envisions scaling up the use of A.I.-powered robots like Maximo to streamline the construction of solar farms.
Automation is becoming increasingly important in the energy sector as companies seek to address workforce shortages, reduce costs, and accelerate the deployment of sustainable energy solutions. By leveraging robots like Maximo, companies can overcome labor challenges and expedite the transition to solar power, crucial for combating climate change and meeting growing energy demands.
Andrés Gluski, CEO of AES, emphasized the significance of robotics in overcoming construction bottlenecks: “We’re seeing labor shortages on construction projects in the United States, and it’s a bottleneck to the build-out of solar farms. So how do you get around it? Well, robots can work 24 hours, right? Robots can pick up 80-pound solar panels, not a problem.”
