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Sarcos Robotics and Terabase Energy recently announced significant business developments, highlighting how installation robots are increasingly moving from test centers to the field.
At a time when the United States is moving from an energy system based on fossil fuels to one based on renewable energy, it is necessary to go all out to meet climate goals. Some of those hands may be robotic.
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) forecasts a demand for 800,000 new workers in the solar sector by 2030 to build the projects the United States needs to keep pace with its decarbonization plan. However, according to the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), 44% of employers in the solar industry say it is “very difficult” to find qualified candidates.
With this challenge in mind, solar developers are increasingly exploring and deploying autonomous and robotic versions of solar installers, especially at the utility scale. Two of these companies are Terabase Energy and Sarcos Robotics Corp.
Terabase Secures Funding
Terabase Energy, creator of the Terafab automated installation system, has just secured $25 million in funding. The capital increase was led by Prelude Ventures, SJF Ventures and EDP Ventures to support a commercial expansion of their technology.
The company describes Terafab as an automated “field factory” that can double the facilitys productivity. The installation system uses digital twins, logistics software, an on-site digital command center, an automated assembly line deployed on the ground, and installation robots that can operate 24/7.
Terabase also opened a manufacturing facility in Woodland, California this year, describing it as "a factory to make factories." The facility is currently manufacturing the worlds first gigawatt Terafab assembly line, with the capacity to manufacture more than 10 GW of Terafabs per year.
Terabase claims its system will double labor productivity compared to traditional commercial-scale installation methods. The system offers high performance, 24/7 operation, and modularity to enable rapid ramp-up and increased speed of construction of solar fields, significantly reducing project timelines.
“Last year we successfully piloted Terafab, building 10 MW of a 400 MW site in Texas,” said Matt Campbell, CEO and co-founder of Terabase. "This launch is the next step toward rapid business expansion."
Terafab is scheduled to be deployed commercially in the third quarter of 2023. The company claims the automated installation system reduces the levelized cost of electricity for commercial-scale solar projects. It is also scalable, as it is based on a modular design that can be quickly replicated and deployed.
Blattner and Sarcos
The Blattner Company has recently partnered with Sarcos Robotics to enhance employee safety and improve the efficiency of installing PV modules on large-scale solar projects.
“We are very optimistic about the use of robots in solar construction to help solve the labor shortage, productivity and safety issues that are currently holding back the progress of solar initiatives in the United States,” said Matt Hadsell, director of innovation and development at Blattner.
Sarcos proof-of-concept robotic system consists of an autonomous work vehicle, with the companys Guardian XM robotic arm, and an autonomous delivery vehicle. The solution uses cameras to identify where the photovoltaic panels should be installed. The robotic arm then autonomously lifts the panel using a vacuum system and positions it approximately where it needs to be attached to the mounting structure.
“The arm then goes into a special mode where the person holding the panel can easily move it as needed to align and secure it to the panels,” Sarcos explains in a video on its website.
The collaboration will build on the Sarcos Outdoor Autonomous Manipulation of Photovoltaic Panels (O-AMPP) project, funded with support from the US Department of Energys Office of Solar Energy Technologies (SETO). The O-AMPP project started in 2021 and Sarcos expects to commercialize its solution by the end of 2024. |
