AES Corporation announces the launch of “Maximo,” an advanced, artificial intelligence-driven solar installation robot. This robotic tool works to assist construction crews, and is designed to improve speed, efficiency and safety on the job.
Maximo, the solar installation robot
According to projections by the International Energy Agency, annual solar energy additions are expected to triple by 2035, while the labor force will need to nearly double to meet this demand. The Maximo robot would allow solar panels to be installed in half the time and at considerably lower cost.
[post_relacionado]AES President and CEO Andres Gluski emphasized that“Maximo is the first proven solar installation robot on the market.” Largely due to the rise of artificial intelligence and data centers, Gluski mentions that these innovations are critical to streamlining the construction of projects more quickly and efficiently.
With nearly 10 MW of solar installed, the AES robot aims to reach 100 MW installation by 2025. The company plans to leverage Maximo to build up to 5 GW of its solar portfolio over the next three years. Among the most relevant projects is Bellefield, a 2 GW project in Kern County, California, which will be the largest solar project with storage in the United States, under contract with Amazon. Another project is Oak Ridge Solar in Louisiana, which also provides power to Amazon’s operations. Amazon’s operationsmarking the first utility-scale deployment of Maximo.
How does the Maximo solar installation robot work?
AWS Director of Sustainability Chris Walker expressed his enthusiasm for collaborating with the company on the implementation of Maximo, as energy needs grow, the demand for solar and wind projects also increases.
The robot enables several artificial intelligence-driven functions including machine vision for accurate panel placement, continuous learning that optimizes its performance, and image reconstruction that improves visibility in adverse lighting conditions. These features allow Maximo to operate in a variety of climates and environments, having already been validated at various project sites in the United States. Installation at Bellefield is scheduled to begin in August.
Finally, AES product manager Chris Shelton noted that the U.S. solar industry is advancing at an impressive rate, with current installation at around 15,000 modules per hour. This rate is expected to increase to 50,000 modules per hour by 2035, and in response to this growth, the company is expanding Maximo’s capabilities and deploying fleets of constantly evolving robots to meet this challenge.
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Source: AES
Photo: Amazon