Panel Farms Need Automated Cleaning, Say Israeli Firms

Airobotics will bring its UAS, drone, and aerial data expertise to bear alongside Solar Drone's know-how in solar farm services.

The two companies will develop and supply a unique, automated panel cleaning system that includes the necessary docking system, battery replacement, and cleaner replenishment services. 

In the sustainable, green future so often imagined by writers and dreamers of a better world, few watch the vast sci-fi landscapes with thought towards who will actually clean everything. Those acquainted with even small, domestic solar panels are quickly acquainted with the drop in output when obscured with dirt, sand, or grime. For a small battery tender, such an issue is easily addressed. In the vast, unattended, desert panel farms miles away from human settlement, however, an on-site janitor shack probably isn't just outside the camera's view.

The regions so perfect for always-on sunlight and constant power generation tend to have constant particulate deposits, say Solar Drone and Airobotics, two Israeli companies who recently partnered to address the issue. 

The problem is expected to become a multi-billion-dollar market. Dust, dirt, even splashed mud and bird droppings can decimate solar efficiency and output. When the scale of even an average 5 megawatt farm is considered, a few dozen acres could require cleaning on a consistent schedule, far from an economical job for humans. The distances involved are made even further with such farms, generally seen as an eyesore by most authorities. A fully-automated, unmanned, self-maintaining solar farm could open a bevy of possibilities for power generation in further inhospitable climates, bird-rich areas, rooftop installations, or even seafaring platforms. 

Solar Drone Founder Shmuel Yanai said Airobotics was the perfect partner for the job.

"Today's solutions are unwieldy, uneconomical, and unable to cope with modern solar farms. We believe the entry of Airobotics' drone technology into the market is a game changer, with significant economic potential."

The duo expect sales in the neighborhood of $10 million in the first three years after release, primarily found in the Middle East and Europe. 

FMI: www.airoboticsdrones.com, www.solardrones.net