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Revolutionary Robotic Solution for Photovoltaic Solar Module Installation

With the solar sector’s rapid growth—an anticipated 43GW will be added in 2025 alone—EPCs continuously seek to streamline the photovoltaic (PV) solar module installation process to meet increasing demand and aggressive timelines. Rosendin has designed a unique autonomous robotic solution to help revolutionize utility-scale solar construction and increase worker safety. Developers attest that this is the first major innovation in solar power for decades and are eager to utilize it for their own commercial use.

Solar Robots Brochure

Solar Industry Installation Challenges

Traditional installation methods require extensive manual labor. Large solar farms can have well over a million panels that require installation. Often, solar fields are characterized by rocky terrain, with harsh weather conditions such as extreme heat, dust, wind, and rain. Panels are large and cumbersome, measuring 4×8 feet, with each panel weighing 80 to 100 lbs. Workers lift the panels four to eight feet onto the rack to place and fasten it. Moving and raising these panels is challenging for the workers and is frequently accompanied by injuries. In addition, the remote nature of solar sites makes it difficult for contractors to find skilled labor, and keeping them safe is of utmost importance.

Rosendin’s Robotic Solution

Rosendin’s robotic solution is designed to optimize the PV installation process at large-scale sites via its three separate autonomous systems: two panel-carrying robots and a panel-setting robot, which work synergistically with human operators to install PV panels.

  • The picker/panel setting robot has an arm with 8-vacuum-based suction cups to lift panels and place them on rack
  • The carrier robots each hold 30-35 panels and work in tandem to ensure a steady supply of panels

The two Panel Carrier Robots carry pallets of solar panels between the loading area and the Panel Setting Robot’s installation location. This system and the hybrid gas/battery power source enable a continuous feed of panels and eliminate downtime.

Business Opportunity

Rosendin wishes to share its R&D and is seeking a partner to spearhead the manufacturing of these robots and to sell or rent this technology to solar builders worldwide. Broader business opportunities exist for product enhancements, large-scale distribution, and new market formation.

Rosendin will be hosting a live exhibition at a large-scale solar energy project in Texas and would like to invite you to join us on April 17, 2025. This real-time demonstration will show how skilled electrical teams work alongside the robotic system, collaboratively installing PV panels faster, safer, and more efficiently.

For additional information and to register for this private event, please contact Marina Griffin at [email protected].

A Tool for Safer & Less Strenuous Work Conditions

These robots are innovative tools that relieve heavy lifting, reduce the risk of injury, and help trade workers be safer and more productive. Under their direction, the robots easily deliver and maneuver PV solar modules. At the installation location, the robot places the panel, field operators guide it into position, and complete the installation by fastening hardware and electrical connections. Overall, job site safety is improved, and installation duration is expedited

Tried and Tested

The robots were designed to withstand exposure to high temperatures while navigating a range of construction site terrain, including deep mud, uneven surfaces, and more. They were extensively field-tested at large-scale solar construction sites, resulting in a robotic system capable of production rates of under one minute per panel. In a ten-hour shift, data shows that the robots, along with a two-person crew, could install close to 600 panels.

A manual crew installing 600 panels would walk an average of 20 feet per panel each way. At the end of the day, each person will walk a total of 4.5 miles, carrying the shared weight of 80lbs above their heads half of that distance. In comparison, the crew working with the robot only walks 4 ft per panel, for a total of 0.45 miles a day not having to carry any panels.

Benefits

Advantages of the robotic systems include:

  • Increases efficiency and productivity for developers
  • Speeds up construction timeframes
  • Reduces labor cost
  • Decreases worker fatigue
  • Accelerates expansion of renewable energy production
  • Enhances worker safety by reducing risks of trips, strains and sprains

“Pushing the needle of what is possible in the electrical industry is always at the forefront of Rosendin’s commitment to investing in our employee’s overall health and safety while in the field. These robots will be a cornerstone of worker safety as the country shifts to more renewable energy sources.”

David Lincoln, Senior Vice President
Rosendin

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