Swiss precision equipment manufacturer Heppenstall Technology AG owns a robot maker we visited in "First They Came For the Window Washers: 'Window Cleaning Robots Making Their Way To Skyscraper Happy UAE'":
The technology was originally developed to clean solar photovoltaic panels, a high value use when dust can cut electrical production 10 to 50%. The fact that they make economic sense in this application has to be troubling for the window washers guild.Today we find out how fashion-forward the Swiss are.
As of 2012 Serbot is a small part of material handling/heavy lift specialist Heppenstall Technology AG....
From Greentech:
SunPower Cleans Up Solar With Acquisition of Greenbotics
SunPower buys a robotic solar-panel-cleaning machine for the EPC and services side of the house.
On the heels of a strong third quarter, SunPower (SPWR) just announced the acquisition of Greenbotics for an undisclosed cash amount. Greenbotics is a small developer of solar panel cleaning automation for utility-scale applications.
It's a minor acquisition in terms of dollar magnitude and workforce size, but it's well known that cleaner panels improve power production, especially in the particulate-rich regions of the U.S. Southwest, the Middle East, and Chile, all of which are becoming increasingly popular as sites for solar installations.
Greenbotics claims that over the past two years, it has used its robots to wash "hundreds of megawatts" of U.S. solar systems. According to a release, "The robots can be configured for use with a variety of solar panels and mounting types, including fixed-tilt arrays and single-axis trackers, and offer a less costly and greener alternative to manual cleaning methods, pressure washers and sprayer trucks."
The company claims that cleaning PV panels in dusty regions can increase power harvest by up to 15 percent. The robots use less than half a cup of water to wash each panel, according to the company....MUCH MORE
