SunPower, the second largest US solar manufacturer, has acquired solar farm cleaning equipment manufacturer Greenbotics.
The company’s robotic cleaning units can boost the output of solar farms by removing dust and use less up to 90% less water compared to other cleaning methods, SunPower said.
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“It’s half the cost of normal cleaning,” Tom Werner, CEO, SunPower told Bloomberg before comparing the technology to the Roomba automated vacuum cleaner.
Robotic cleaning systems are becoming more widespread as solar farms look to reduce maintenance and operation costs.
Alion Energy also makes an automated cleaning system. The company told PV Tech that it is eyeing the Middle East market in particular.
The Greenbotics robot in action
