AES Corporation, an American utility and power generation company, has introduced Maximo, a groundbreaking AI-powered robot that aims to improve the speed, efficiency and safety of solar PV installations.
Maximo is the first robotics solution to work with construction teams to meet the rapidly growing demand for renewable energy.
According to the IEA, annual growth in solar power generation is expected to triple by 2035, requiring the workforce to nearly double.
Maximo works with field crews to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy and reduce time to power for customers, installing solar panels in half the time and at half the cost.
“Maximo is the first proven solar installation robot on the market,” said Andrés Gluski, president and CEO of AES.
“We are facing unprecedented demand driven by the rise of AI and data centers. Innovations like this will be fundamental to accelerating our ability to bring projects online more quickly and efficiently.”
Maximo makes solar installations safer and more scalable by automating the heavy labor of installing and mounting solar modules, accelerating project timelines, creating new high-tech jobs, and unlocking opportunities for new workforce segments.
Maximo will expand job opportunities in solar installation as well as provide individuals with the opportunity to develop AI skills and learn about emerging technologies.
Maximo has already installed nearly 10 MW of solar PV systems and is on track to install 100 MW by 2025. AES plans to use Maximo to build out its solar PV system backlog and pipeline of up to 5 GW over the next three years.
Under an agreement with Amazon, AES will use Maximo to help build the 2 GW Bellefield project in Kern County, California, the largest combined solar plus storage project in the United States. (Read more on Amazon’s blog.)
The Oak Ridge Solar Project in Louisiana, which also helps power Amazon operations, marked an important milestone in Maximo’s journey as its first large-scale deployment.
“As society’s energy needs grow, so does the demand for new solar and wind projects, and we need to innovate so we can scale faster,” said Chris Walker, director of sustainability at AWS.
“We are pleased to work with renewable energy developers like AES who are prioritizing the use of AI technologies to help speed progress toward a carbon-emissions-free energy future.”
Maximo’s AI-powered capabilities include:
AI-powered Computer Vision: Ensures precise panel placement and enhances installation accuracy. Continuous Learning: Adapts for optimal performance and improved operational efficiency. Image Reconstruction: Proprietary generative AI pipeline that reconstructs images obscured by glare and related lighting conditions.
“Today, the U.S. solar industry is installing at a staggering pace, at approximately 15,000 modules per hour, weighing a million pounds,” said Chris Shelton, AES chief product officer. “Looking forward, this installation rate is projected to reach 50,000 modules per hour by 2035.”
“To accommodate this rapid growth, we are expanding Maximo and deploying a fleet of continuously improving robots to empower our teams to install faster and more competitively.”
Maximo operates in a wide range of climate and lighting conditions and has been proven at various project sites across the U.S. Installation in Belfield will begin in August.