Solar Power World

  • Home
  • Top Solar Contractors
  • Articles
    • Most Recent Posts
    • News
      • Latest News Items
      • Solar tariffs
    • Featured
      • Latest Feature Stories
      • Contractor’s Corner
      • Trends in Solar
      • The Solar Explorer
  • Policy
    • Monthly Snapshots
  • Markets
    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Community Solar
    • Utility
  • Products
    • 2021 Top Products
    • Batteries and Storage
    • Inverters
      • Global Manufacturing Locations
    • Racking and Mounting
    • Software
    • Solar Panels
      • U.S. solar panel manufacturers
      • Global Manufacturing Locations
  • Subscribe
  • Resources
    • About SPW
    • Digital Issues
    • Event Coverage
    • Podcasts
    • Product Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Inverter Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Solar Panel Manufacturing Locations
      • U.S. solar panel manufacturers
    • Solar Classrooms
    • Suppliers
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
  • Leadership
    • Vote for the 2022 Leaders!
    • 2021 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
    • 2019 Winners
    • 2018 Winners

RE2 Robotics receives $1.9 million in DOE funding for automated solar panel placement on utility-scale projects

By Kelly Pickerel | March 2, 2021

Share

RE2 Robotics has been selected for $1.9 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) to develop a robotic system for the Outdoor Autonomous Manipulation of Photovoltaic Panels (O-AMPP).

“RE2 will utilize its extensive experience and technological foundation in autonomous manipulation to customize and integrate a robotic arm for this program,” said Dr. Amanda Sgroi, principal research scientist. “Our machine learning and artificial intelligence modules, RE2 Detect and RE2 Intellect, will be applied to ensure that the system is capable of autonomously manipulating and placing PV modules to construct a solar field.”

The O-AMPP program will enable RE2 to apply its outdoor, autonomous robotic technology, which uses computer vision and machine-learning techniques, to the solar construction industry. RE2’s mobile robotic arm capability will be optimized to support transfer, manipulation and placement of PV modules to enhance the process for solar field assembly.

The Solar Energy Technologies Office Fiscal Year 2020 (SETO 2020) funding program supports projects that will improve the affordability, reliability and value of solar technologies on the U.S. grid and tackle emerging challenges in the solar industry. Specifically, RE2’s program falls under the Innovations in Manufacturing – Hardware Incubator. These technologies will lower the costs of solar energy technologies, facilitate the secure integration of solar electricity onto the grid, and support a strong U.S. solar manufacturing sector and supply chain.

“Our goal is to provide the solar industry with a new resource to expedite construction,” said Jorgen Pedersen, president and CEO. “The solar construction process is mostly manual today, with large amounts of repetitive tasks across very large projects. Developing technologies that make the process more efficient will serve to make solar an even more economic source of energy for the future. However, using RE2’s mobile intelligent manipulation technology, we seek to improve labor productivity, bolster worker safety, reduce construction costs, and improve the efficiency and quality of installation. It is possible that through this innovative robotic concept, solar energy may become more accessible to all.”

RE2 will partner with several industry leaders, including The AES Corporation, Array Technologies, JLG Industries, Mortenson, and Pratt Miller to provide the solar industry with robotic construction capabilities.

News item from RE2

About The Author

Kelly Pickerel

Kelly Pickerel has over a decade of experience reporting on the U.S. solar industry and is currently editor in chief of Solar Power World.

Comments

  1. Travis Schneider says

    March 17, 2021 at 9:33 am

    I can completely understand the concern about the potential for a reduction in workforce needs as a result of this technology. However, the primary objective of this project isn’t to reduce the size of team required to install modules. Rather the goal is to improve their speed, or efficiency when installing modules, so that plants can be produced in a shorter amount of time. This will increase the capacity of these teams to build more plants over the course of the year for a lower cost. Ultimately this will improve access to solar power, and actually create new jobs as more people invest in solar.

    Reply
  2. Chris says

    March 9, 2021 at 3:33 pm

    Well, if this stuff works it would reduce the amount of manpower needed for these large and small solar fields.

    Reply
  3. Green Ridge Solar says

    March 3, 2021 at 6:30 pm

    This sounds like a great innovation. However, it could turn out to be a concerning development for those construction workers who rely on solar installation jobs.

    Reply

Tell Us What You Think! Cancel reply

Related Articles Read More >

Priority Power energizes 2-MW Kansas solar project
Solar net metering on track to end in Indiana
California Energy Commission to give grants to cities, counties that adopt SolarAPP+
Ingeteam unveils 7.65-MW inverter power station on skid

SPW Digital Editions

Solar Power World Digital EditionBrowse the current issue and archived issues of Solar Power World in an easy-to-use, high-quality format. Bookmark, share and interact with the leading solar construction magazine today.

Contractor's Corner Podcast

June 27, 2022
Contractor's Corner: Got Electric
See More >

Solar Policy Snapshot

Solar policy differs across state lines and regions. Click to see our monthly roundup of recent legislation and research throughout the country.

Read More >

Solar Power World
  • Top Solar Contractors
  • Solar Articles
  • Windpower Engineering & Development
  • Battery Power Tips
  • Top Products
  • Leadership
  • About/Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Advertising
  • WTWH Media

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Site Map | Privacy Policy | RSS

Search Solar Power World

  • Home
  • Top Solar Contractors
  • Articles
    • Most Recent Posts
    • News
      • Latest News Items
      • Solar tariffs
    • Featured
      • Latest Feature Stories
      • Contractor’s Corner
      • Trends in Solar
      • The Solar Explorer
  • Policy
    • Monthly Snapshots
  • Markets
    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Community Solar
    • Utility
  • Products
    • 2021 Top Products
    • Batteries and Storage
    • Inverters
      • Global Manufacturing Locations
    • Racking and Mounting
    • Software
    • Solar Panels
      • U.S. solar panel manufacturers
      • Global Manufacturing Locations
  • Subscribe
  • Resources
    • About SPW
    • Digital Issues
    • Event Coverage
    • Podcasts
    • Product Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Inverter Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Solar Panel Manufacturing Locations
      • U.S. solar panel manufacturers
    • Solar Classrooms
    • Suppliers
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
  • Leadership
    • Vote for the 2022 Leaders!
    • 2021 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
    • 2019 Winners
    • 2018 Winners