FTC Solar holds inaugural Robo Day in Texas to demonstrate robotics and automation tools for utility-scale solar construction
On July 8, FTC Solar brought together robotics firms, EPC companies, developers, and technology partners at its ASTAAR training facility in Seguin, Texas, for what the company called its inaugural Robo Day — a live showcase of automation tools designed to support utility-scale solar construction.
The event drew attendees from more than 20 EPC and developer organizations, with seven robotics and autonomous solutions providers running field demonstrations across multiple phases of PV construction.
FTC Solar hosts first Robo Day in Seguin, Texas
Seven robotics providers — Aonics, BotCrew, Civ Robotics, Cosmic Robotics, Libra Robotics, Ozzies Inc., and RoboForce — each ran live field demonstrations covering distinct phases of PV construction. Tasks on display included pile marking, cable pulling, material staging, and module mounting. The ASTAAR facility gave attendees a hands-on setting to watch these technologies operate under real project conditions, not on a trade show floor or in a controlled lab.
By hosting Robo Day at its own training facility, FTC Solar put that argument to a practical test, giving the broader solar construction ecosystem a real variable.
Why FTC Solar organized the event
The pressure behind Robo Day is pretty straightforward: solar projects are getting bigger, more complex, and more schedule-driven, and construction teams are feeling that squeeze.
Many utility-scale sites sit in remote, hard-to-reach locations, which adds logistical strain on top of already tight labor markets. Rob Turner, Vice President of Construction at MasTec, put it plainly: “A lot of our projects are in remote areas, difficult places to build, sometimes an hour or two just to get to the site. With limited labor, we have to keep looking for ways to create a safe environment where everyone goes home at the end of the day while also building quality and productivity into the job.”
FTC Solar framed the event around one clear idea: automation tools should complement skilled workers, not replace them. Anthony Carroll, President and CEO of FTC Solar, was direct about it: “People remain at the core of everything we do. Robotics is not about replacing the skilled teams who build solar projects. It is about giving them better tools, helping them work more safely, and enabling them to build more efficiently.”
What the demonstrations showed
The field demos were built to show autonomous tools handling repetitive, physically demanding, or precision-based tasks while benefiting from consistency and reducing fatigue-related risk for human crews.
That’s not the same as robots running the job site. Human workers still own supervision, quality control, coordination, and on-the-ground decisions. Automation was framed throughout as a support layer, not a handoff.
FTC Solar also used the event to spotlight its 1P Pioneer tracker platform—a system designed with constructability at its core. Flexible installation sequencing, low training requirements, and an architecture built to serve both today’s field crews and future automated workflows made it a recurring reference point across the demonstrations.
James Emerick, Co-Founder and CEO of Cosmic Robotics, pointed to specific design features that make the 1P Pioneer a practical platform for robotics integration: “Features like the Slide-and-Glide module interface and the separation of rail and module installation steps make it an ideal platform for high-speed robotic installation and the next generation of solar construction.” His broader take was blunt: “Construction automation is the only way to scale solar and meet the growing demands of the industry.”
Broader context: Automation and the scaling of solar
Utility-scale solar is expanding globally, and that growth is putting real pressure on the entire construction supply chain. Projects are getting larger and more numerous. The industry needs faster, more repeatable ways to build at scale, without sacrificing safety or quality.
Industry voices at Robo Day didn’t treat automation as some distant possibility. The conversation has already shifted from whether robotics belongs on solar job sites to how quickly these tools can be woven into standard workflows. That’s a meaningful change in tone.
FTC Solar was founded by renewable energy veterans and works as a provider of tracker systems, software, and engineering services. The company’s position is that tracker design is a foundational variable—how you engineer a tracker shapes what’s possible for both human and robotic installation teams down the line. By hosting Robo Day at its own training facility, FTC Solar put that argument to a practical test, giving the broader solar construction ecosystem a real variable.
Key points from Robo Day
Robo Day was a single-day event, but it pulled together a genuine cross-section of the solar construction industry—EPCs, developers, robotics firms, and a tracker manufacturer—around one shared operational question: How do you build more solar, faster, without compromising safety or quality?
Demonstrations spanned pile marking, cable pulling, material staging, and module mounting. The 1P Pioneer’s design features — including the Slide-and-Glide module interface and separated installation steps — were cited repeatedly as practical enablers of robotic workflows, not just marketing talking points.
FTC Solar’s consistent message was that people and technology need to work together and that tracker design is where that collaboration either starts or stalls. Whether Robo Day becomes an annual event remains an open question, but the company has made clear it sees field-based demonstration as part of how the industry moves forward.
Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.
