Robots clean solar panels for improved efficiency

摘要

A fully autonomous and energy-independent cleaning system for solar panels using robots, known as E4, has been developed by Eccopia, Israel. Each robot has its own solar panel for self-charging and a mechanism for self-cleaning, both of which are actuated when the robot is quiescent. The E4 systems can handle an entire solar park using a fleet of cleaning robots, each assigned to a row of PV panels. Using a soft microfibre rotating brush and a controlled air flow, the robots exploit gravity to move dust particles downwards and off the panels.