Robotics

Autonomous cleaning robot brushes away solar panel dust as it rolls

View 2 Images
Enel Green Power has ordered 150 SandStorm autonomous cleaning robots for its solar farms in Totana and Las Corchas, Spain
Reiwa Engine
Enel Green Power has ordered 150 SandStorm autonomous cleaning robots for its solar farms in Totana and Las Corchas, Spain
Reiwa Engine
The SandStorm autonomous cleaning robot employs "a system of specially designed and manufactured brushes" to remove dust and debris from rows of panels at large solar farms
Enel Green Power

Keeping panels clear of dust in large solar farms can be a time-consuming, wasteful and costly business. A Sicilian technology startup called the Reiwa Engine has developed an autonomous robot called SandStorm to reduce maintenance and cleaning costs by as much as 80%.

Dust, dirt or sand that settles on the surface of solar panels can significantly reduce their efficiency. Personnel at solar farms can restore full yield using power washers or drive tractors down the rows of panels while hydraulic brushes sweep away the dirt, but precious water resources are wasted and vehicle operation causes emissions, plus there are labor and fuel costs to factor in as well.

A couple of years ago, Enel Green Power (EGP) began testing the first robot from the Reiwa Engine at the energy company's Innovation Lab at Passo Martino in Sicily.

The SandStorm cleaning bot clears away dust and debris as it moves autonomously along a row of panels, using brushes instead of water, and is able to adapt to uneven panel alignment as well as cross gaps of more than 50 cm (19.6 in).

The SandStorm autonomous cleaning robot employs "a system of specially designed and manufactured brushes" to remove dust and debris from rows of panels at large solar farms
Enel Green Power

The motor-driven cleaner returns to its docking station when its batteries run low, or at the end of its shift. It can also operate during the night to avoid shading the panels during productive hours.

Trials then moved to a 1-MW section of a power plant at Totana in Spain, and EGP is now planning to roll out 150 SandStorm robots at solar farms in Totana and Las Corchas, representing a total capacity of 135 MW, with financing from Cycero allowing Reiwa to enter full production to meet service volumes.

The partnership has also recently tested a transport robot at its facility in Pass Martino that makes it possible for SandStorm cleaners to move between rows of panels – "reducing the number of robots required for each plant, and as a result, the operational complexity and the initial investment as well."

Sources: EGP, Reiwa

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
3 comments
Bob Flint
The name "Sand Storm" is the last thing you would want on the surface of the glass, as the brushes scrap/rotate the sand' dirt around rendering a dull translucent surface in no time. Maybe an air blasting touchless system, or if the arrays follow the sun, then have then position vertical and vibrate at night to self shed the bulk of the dirt.
Dave Holland
Bob Flint… You nailed it. Considering all the aging panels and mirrors I have looked at over the years. It isn’t a great name and, unless someone can show evidence of the state of the panels after long term exposure to the real world, it isn't convincing.
Primecordial
We need a "snowstorm" up here