TG Hylift Develops A Robotic Cleaner For Floating Solar Modules

A German engineering manufacturer has developed a cleaning robot optimized for installed floating solar modules. It can also be used for solar modules installed on land. The robotic cleaner uses only water without any detergent and works with batteries, maikig it an optimum option for floating solar plants by avoiding any water pollution. 

With floating solar just coming into its own, with projects over the crucial 50 MW size making an appearance, the need for solutions like this was long felt, and the latest innovation will probably spur more such announcements soon for the growing segment.  

The robot is now being tested in a floating photovoltaic installation by Isigenere, a Spanish engineering company, and supplier of floating photovoltaic structures. The company has tested its new cleaning robot in a 500 kW floating installation built on an irrigation pond in the province of Mérida, in southern Spain.

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The cleaning robot named, hyCleaner black Solar facelift, has a modular design and uses only water without any detergent or chemical additive to clean the panels. The robot uses water from an existing irrigation reservoir in the facility in Spain. However, its manufacturers claim that you can also use rainwater, tap water, and recycled water, as well as all kinds of water preparation systems.

The water supply is connected via a connecting link, and power is supplied by incorporated lithium-ion batteries. The robot is simply placed manually in the first row of modules and can be driven by an operator, via remote control with a range of more than 100 meters. Its design ensures minimal disturbance when moving around the installation, and its large track wheels increase movement between the different photovoltaic modules.

Interestingly, the cleaning robot also has an edge detection system, which automatically stops it when it reaches the edges of the module. 

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Depending on the type and intensity of the dirt, the robot can be operated at different speeds. The rotating wash brush has a width of 1100 mm and modifies perfectly according to the width of the module. It cleans the surfaces of the modules and frames in a single operation.

The robot can also be used in inclined installations, claims the manufacturer.

Moreover, Isigenere perceives that since their Isifloating design does not have maintenance aisles between rows, cleaning robots like this one is an ideal solution. “In this way, large continuous photovoltaic surfaces are created,” says the company.