In the Andalusia region of southern Spain, a 100-megawatt photovoltaic power plant loses approximately 15% of its electricity production each year due to dust accumulation—equivalent to the annual electricity needs of 3,000 households. Traditional manual cleaning not only consumes a significant amount of water resources (over 20 tons of water per megawatt for each cleaning), but it also poses risks associated with working at heights and potential damage to components. To address this issue, automatic solar panel cleaning robots are transforming photovoltaic operations and maintenance (O&M) in Spain. Their waterless dry cleaning technology can enhance electricity generation efficiency by 10%-65%, while also reducing maintenance costs by over 70% over a 25-year period.
Core Advantages: Why Do Spanish Photovoltaic Power Plants Need Cleaning Robots?
Spain enjoys over 3,000 hours of sunshine each year; however, drought conditions and dust storms cause dust accumulation on panels three times faster than in northern Europe. Automated solar panel cleaning robots tackle industry challenges through three major innovations:
- Waterless Cleaning Technology: Utilizing PA610 flexible nylon spiral brushes, they achieve a 99% cleaning rate in environments ranging from -30°C to 70°C, avoiding scratches on glass caused by traditional water washing and saving water resources (in some regions of Spain, water prices have reached €3 per cubic meter).
- Intelligent Scheduling System: By integrating weather data, the robots automatically plan cleaning schedules, such as initiating operations within 48 hours after a dust storm, ensuring minimal electricity generation loss. An embedded 4G module supports remote monitoring, allowing maintenance personnel to view cleaning progress and fault alerts in real-time through an app.
- Optimized Lifecycle Costs: For a 1-megawatt power station, manual cleaning costs an average of $13,000 to $73,000 per year. In contrast, the initial investment in robots is between $10,000 and $20,000, with a total 15-year expenditure being only one-fifth of that for manual labor.
Technical Analysis: From Mechanical Design to Smart Management
Cleaning Performance: The robots are equipped with independently driven high-speed motors, with brush speeds of 60-120 revolutions per minute and a walking speed of 12 meters per minute, allowing for a single cleaning distance of up to 3,000 meters. A unique self-cleaning program automatically removes dust from the brush heads after each task, extending the lifespan of the consumables.
Environmental Adaptability: With an IP65 protection rating, they can operate in harsh weather conditions such as heavy rain and strong winds, easily overcoming obstacles with a 22° climbing capability to navigate the gaps between panels. The battery capacity of 24V/16Ah supports all-day operation.
Intelligent Operations and Maintenance: The cloud platform automatically generates cleaning reports and records data on generation increases. For instance, a photovoltaic power plant in Spain experienced an additional monthly generation of 23,000 kWh in summer after deploying the robots, reducing the payback period for the investment to just 2.8 years.
