Solar O&M market in India is growing with robotic innovation

Robots such as the IFBOT M20 model can clean over 1,500 m² per hour while others like the Sol- Bright Gen.6 achieve an efficiency above 99.5 percent with less than 1 percent downtime.

- Héctor Javier Ramírez Quezada Maintenance Automation and Electronics Specialist, Electrical - Tenaris- Houston, Texas

The solar industry seeks to implement a circular strategy that optimises environmental, economic and operational sustainability across the photovoltaic module lifecycle. This balance is achieved through the combination of repair, reuse and recycling, which prevents premature waste and maximises resource value.

Repair serves as the primary sustainable action. By addressing minor defects or replacing components, such as microcracks or connectors, the operational life of a panel is extended, avoiding unnecessary disposal. Rapid testing technologies also enable module evaluation in under a minute to determine whether they should be repaired or remain in service. Reuse occurs in secondary markets or less demanding installations. Panels that still function, albeit at lower efficiency, can be reassigned to community or small-scale projects. Pilot initiatives like Second Life Solar utilise mobile testing stations to repurpose functional modules, preventing them from ending up in landfills. Advanced recycling facilitates the recovery of up to 95 per cent of valuable materials, such as glass, silicon, aluminium, silver, and copper, through mechanical, thermal, chemical, and robotic processes. These materials can be reintegrated into new panel production or other industries, saving up to 95 per cent of the energy compared to extracting virgin materials.

Robotic solutions for operation and maintenance practices