Utility Scale

Meet Maximo, the AI-enabled solar installation robot

Meet Maximo, the AI-enabled solar installation robot
AES Corporation has introduced Maximo, a groundbreaking, AI-powered robot that enhances solar installation speed, efficiency and safety (courtesy AES)

Slide over, solar installers – Maximo is here to handle the heavy lifting.

Today the AES Corporation unveiled a first-of-its-kind AI-powered solar installation robot, Maximo, which works alongside human teams to accelerate project construction.

“We’re excited to share Maximo with the world today,” beamed AES chief product officer Chris Shelton. “The goal here is to supercharge the workforce that delivers clean energy.”

Maximo aims to enhance the speed, efficiency, safety, and scalability of solar installation by automating the placing and attaching of solar modules, explained Ron Rodrique, vice president of project management at AES. Utility-scale solar panels often weigh 60 pounds or more, and installers have to bend and lift heavy loads hundreds of times over the course of a single job.

“I think where Max really makes a difference is it takes away that heavy lifting, the repetitiveness wearing down on people and bodies,” suggested Rodrique.

“That’s really intense work,” added Shelton. “We have a ton of data to show if we can improve that, it’s net beneficial.”

Maximo installs solar panels on a job site under the guidance of humans (courtesy: AES)

Maximo will not take any human jobs, AES insists, noting its staffing on job sites has not changed since Maximo joined the workforce. The robot has already installed nearly 10 MW of solar and is projected to install 100 MW by 2025. Previously, Maximo helped power Amazon operations at the Oak Ridge Solar project in Louisiana, its first utility-scale deployment.

“We call it ‘Max’, like a companion or a pet,” smiled Shelton. “It does have that feel to it, and the crews have reflected that on the sites.”

Invented and owned by energy company and developer AES, Maximo was programmed using a wide range of Amazon Web Services (AWS) tools, including AWS RoboMaker, a cloud-based simulation service that enables robotics developers to run, scale, and automate simulation.

AES expects to use Maximo to help build up to 5 GW of its solar backlog and pipeline over the next three years. That includes the 2 GW Bellefield project in Kern County, California, which is currently the largest solar-plus-storage project in the country, and has an offtake agreement with Amazon. It will begin installing at Bellefield in August. 

“We are facing unprecedented increases in demand, driven in large part by the rise of AI and data centers, and innovations like these will be fundamental for accelerating our ability to bring projects online faster and with greater efficiency,” said Andrés Gluski, AES president and CEO.

Maximo, the first AI-powered solar installation robot in action (courtesy: AES)

AES says Maximo can install solar panels in half the time and at half the cost. It will not only accelerate project timelines but also create new high-tech jobs and provide new opportunities for the human workforce. Basically, the company hopes adding AI-powered automation will open up the field to more humans, not less.

“We are not focused on eliminating or replacing people in this equation,” confirmed Shelton. “It’s actually just the opposite- we want to bring more people into this workforce.”

“As we start to evolve this, we open up the door to different workers. It’s not necessarily that heavy strenuous job now, it’s more about controlling the unit,” noted Rodrique.

According to the IEA, by 2035, solar annual additions are expected to triple, and the workforce will need to nearly double. There is more than 1 million MW of utility-scale solar being developed right now.

“The US solar industry is setting an impressive pace, installing about 15,000 modules per hour, weighing one million pounds,” said Shelton. “Looking ahead, this installation rate is projected to reach 50,000 modules per hour by 2035. In response to this exponential growth, we are scaling Maximo, deploying fleets of continually improving robots to empower our teams for faster and more competitive installations.” 

An AES installer working alongside Maximo, the solar installation robot (courtesy: AES)

Maximo can perform in a broad range of climates and lighting conditions and has been validated in the field across a variety of US project sites. Deise Yumi Asami, head of renewable technology and innovation at AES, says Maximo can manage the complete installation of solar panels and learns with every installation and each module it handles.

“Maximo is like equipment,” she quipped. “A tool for our construction workforce that helps them be more productive and to keep systems going the entire time we’re on site.”

“The crews are looking at Max as their buddy, their coworker, who will help get their job done efficiently and safely,” added Rodrique.

Maximo’s AI-powered features include: 

  • AI-powered computer vision: Aims to ensure precise panel placement
  • Continuous learning: Adapting for optimal performance and driving efficiency improvements. 
  • Image reconstruction: Proprietary generative AI pipeline that reconstructs images obscured by glare or related lighting conditions.  

Other companies have unveiled somewhat similar autonomous solutions aimed at accelerating project construction. Last year, Terabase Energy and Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corp. introduced systems that they say will improve project timelines, quality, and safety.

Terafab’s automated field factory combines a digital twin of the project site, advanced supply chain and inventory management systems, an onsite wireless digital command center, a field-deployed automated assembly line, and installation rovers to allow for automated, 24/7 construction. Each Terafab unit is capable of installing up to 1 GW per year. In November 2023, Terabase Energy announced the successful completion of its first commercial project built using its automation platform, which installed 17 MW of the 225 MW White Wing Ranch solar project in Arizona. 

Sarcos signed an agreement with Blattner Company to refine its own autonomous mobile robotic system for utility-scale solar construction. It uses a mobile platform with an attached robotic arm to place individual panels one by one with the assistance of workers in the field.