A solar-powered robot patrols a Spanish solar farm for over 30 hours, using thermal cameras to detect overheating wires beneath panels
There are several things that can pose a threat to solar farms, and not all of them come from up above.
In fact, some of the most damaging faults are lurking out of sight, heating up underneath thousands of panels.
Now, as solar energy starts taking on an increasingly bigger role in the global power supply, could the solution to preventing expensive problems be something that no one expected?
The AI system processes the data and assesses irregularities against the operating conditions of the plant, identifying potential hot spots in real time.
Meet the farm’s newest employee
A Villarino photovoltaic plant in Salamanca, Spain, called Iberdrola, has a new member on their team with the job of keeping watch.
Working with Spanish technology firm, Arbórea Intellbird, the company is designing an autonomous inspection robot – Antecursor II.
Inspections of equipment have traditionally always been done in person. But this new robot is can travel around the facility independently, using satellite connectivity for operation.
What’s more, it runs on renewable electrical energy.
This robot was created to detect any developing faults early and reduce the demands of manual inspection.
The heat is on (but not in a good way)
It’s not just the panels themselves that are important, but the connections underneath them, too.
The panel surfaces can be inspected by drones, but they are less adept at seeing what’s going on with the components underneath.
This is what sets the Antecursor II apart: it is able to scan the upper panels as well as the lower structures during the same inspection.
How? It all comes down to the high-resolution thermographic sensors – which can take thousands of meaurements to spot any unusual heat patterns – and its onboard artificial intelligence system, the latter of which was developed by Arbórea Intellbird.
The AI system processes the data and assesses irregularities against the operating conditions of the plant, identifying potential hot spots in real time.
What happens when an issue is detected? An alert is sent to the mobile phones of the technicians, which includes the location and a thermal image with reference values.
A small robot with big responsibilities
One of the standout features of the Antecursor II is that it can inspect for over 30 hours, with no human intervention necessary.
No hot spot left behind
With this innovative robot, possible hot spots are detected and the position of them is sent to technicians.
This helps humans to respond to small issues that could become much bigger maintenance problems if left unchecked.
On large, complex sites, this could make routine inspections more consistent, because connection that are overlooked might otherwise remain unnoticed until there is a drop in performance.
Naturally powered by sunshine
Whether it’s put to work on remote sites or more central ones, this robot operates on renewable energy alone.
To be able to work independently, it uses Starlink satellite coverage.
The machine’s own conditions are monitored and tracked remotely so that problems can be attended to and systems can be kept up to date.
From wire inspector to groundskeeper
It’s not just a top-notch inspector, either.
The Antecursor II also has an integrated cutting system made from lightweight aeronautical materials to manage vegetation around the solar farm.
According to Iberdrola, this avoids emissions and soil pollution, reduces fire risks caused by hot engines and helps prevent stones being thrown into panels by conventional cutting equipment.
The ground cover it creates can also support biodiversity.
A little automation can go a long way
Yes, what solar technology produces is important but, on farms, keeping plants healthy is just as essential.
Because of its combination of thermal inspection, artificial intelligence and renewable-powered mobility, the Antecursor II is showing what’s possible when it comes to proactive maintenance.
Could the future of spotting problems before they escalate, both on land and from space, be solved by autonomous technology?
