Robots can now make the construction of solar farms a lot easier and safe for humans. With robots building these farms, more people could gain access to green energy faster.
According to a report by Canary Media, the use of robots and automation for solar farms could help reach the net-zero goal in the next decades.
The gigawatts of utility-scale solar capacity that is expected to be installed in the U.S. is growing rapidly. In 2022, 12 gigawatts of utility-scale solar capacity were installed, but between 2023 and 2030, 358 gigawatts of solar capacity is expected to be installed.
With more annual installations, some companies are investing in technology to automate the building and installation of solar farms.
Robots and machines can help build a farm in numerous ways. For example, Built Robotics is using robots to build the structural foundations of a solar farm. These robots operate with a combination of cameras, GPS, and artificial intelligence, while the robotic platform can be installed from machinery from Caterpillar, Hitachi, Volvo, among others. The robots can install steel beams into the soil with accuracy, that is the first step to build a solar farm. This method can be five times faster than the traditional methods.
Other startups are focusing on the installation of the solar panels themselves. Terabase Energy is an example of this. Their approach is to install a temporary mini factory near the solar farm construction site. In this factory, workers can supervise a robot that assembles the solar modules. When the panels are assembled, a delivery rover transports the panels where they should be installed and connected with the others. With this process, the startup expects to make the process two times faster than the original.
With robots and automation, companies are expecting to install solar farms faster and to satisfy the demand of clean energy. Also, it might help to address the problem of labor shortage.
By 2032, the solar industry employment will more than double from 255,000 to 538,000. In 2021, 89 percent of solar farms in the U.S. reported difficulty to find qualified applicants.
Automation can solve many problems, even worker safety. Some jobs can be dangerous for humans, robots and machines could be more suitable to do things that may harm a human being. With more robots, solar companies may be able to hire more diverse people.
“There are not enough good workers, and it’s hard to retain the good workers. So we make the job much better. We also make it so anybody can do it — you don’t have to be a big guy. You could be a small person; you could be an older person,” said Matt Campbell, CEO of Terabase to Canary Media.
People could really benefit from using robotics and AI in large solar projects. With more demand for solar energy and a crescent need of energy, maybe the future’s only solution to address this problem is to use robots.
