Solar Cleaner

Over het initiatief / About the initiative

In welke fase zit jouw initiatief? / In what stage is your initiative?

Ideefase

Heb je jouw initiatief al gevalideerd? / Did you validate your initiative?

In progress

Meer informatie over jouw initiatief / More info about your initiative

Solar Cleaner is at the forefront of the photovoltaic industry, introducing a ground-breaking AI-driven autonomous robotic solution specifically designed for cleaning solar panels. Our robotic technology targets solar plants with a capacity of at least 500 KWp, focusing primarily on regions with higher labour costs, such as the EU and North America.

The Solar Cleaner’s autonomous robot can clean a plant at 0.05 € / sqm. This in turn allows plant operators to increase the frequency of cleaning cycles which leads to enhanced plant efficiency coupled with a reduction in operational costs. This optimization directly boosts solar plant revenues by 1 M EUR per 100 MWp annually. Our product is tailored to meet the needs of solar plant owners, offering a standalone product or a subscription-based model. The low upfront costs (CAPEX) for the entire robotic solution, is designed to attract new customers, particularly in our early stages of market entry. At a later stage, we plan to introduce a subscription-based model (OPEX), enabling smaller solar plants to access our services without the need for any other cleaning equipment.

Solar Cleaner’s innovation allows solar plant operators the versatility to scale the number of robots in use based on individual requirements. Unlike competing solutions, Solar Cleaner does not require any changes to a plant’s infrastructure allowing customers to try and incorporate our solution with ease.

The Solar Cleaner team combines diversity with deep expertise in robotics and solar energy. Comprised of four Master Robotics students from TU Delft, the team has advanced skills in computer vision, control theory, autonomous navigation, and multi-robot systems. Their technical strengths are complemented by hands-on industry experience: Aleksander Seremak led a solar panel cleaning robot project in partnership with ABB, while Shantnav Agarwal managed utility-scale solar energy initiatives for Petronas in India. This unique blend of academic knowledge and practical know-how positions the team to deliver innovative, real-world solutions in the solar cleaning industry.

Currently, Solar Cleaner is in the early development stages, focusing on designing an MVP leveraging an existing robotic platform. The immediate milestone is the completion and testing of this MVP by Q3 2026, followed by extensive field testing and development of a full-scale prototype. We are expecting the introduction to the market by Q3 2027.

With the EU capacity of solar plants expected to grow annually by 30-40%[1], we anticipate a steadily increasing customer base aligned with the industry’s expansion.

[1] Based on the trend for years 2020-2023. EU Market Outlook for Solar Power 2024-2028, Solar Power Europe.

Wat is er anders/nieuw aan jouw idee/oplossing t.o.v. bestaande oplossingen? / What is different/new about your idea/solution compared to existing solutions??

Most solar plants today still rely on manual cleaning methods. These typically involve personnel using telescopic arms or small cranes equipped with end-effectors that span the width of the solar panels.

While there are robotic or semi-automated solutions available on the market, they often come with significant limitations. Some require extensive infrastructural modifications—such as mounting rail systems on the panels—while others still depend on human operation, like on-panel robots. A recent development by SolarCleano, the B1A autonomous ground vehicle, represents progress in this area. However, due to its size and traction system, it struggles with rough and uneven terrain, making it unsuitable for many solar plant environments.

To address these limitations, we propose a compact, autonomous robotic solution designed for real-world solar park conditions. Our robot can operate independently or as part of a coordinated fleet, requiring no structural changes to the existing plant layout. It features a docking station for automatic resupply of cleaning fluid and battery recharging, enabling around-the-clock operation.

This system significantly lowers operational costs compared to manual methods and offers better scalability. The number of robots can be tailored to the size and layout of each solar plant, based on optimal cleaning cycles and terrain characteristics. Crucially, our robot is built to handle the rough, uneven terrains commonly found in solar parks across Southern Europe and other similar regions.

In short, our solution is:

• Compact and efficient
• Scalable, offering better cost-efficiency as plant size increases
• Requires no infrastructural changes
• Capable of 24/7 autonomous operation
• Designed to navigate and clean solar panels across diverse terrains

Wat zijn jouw volgende stappen om het verder te ontwikkelen? / What are your next steps to develop the initiative?

1. Complete market validation (Q3/4 2025)
2. Secure pre-seed funding to develop a proof of concept (Q4 2025)
3. Develop Proof of Concept (Q3 2026)
4. Introduction to the market (Q3 2027)

Wat heb je nodig om (nog meer) impact te maken met dit initiatief? / What do you need to make (more) impact with this initiative?

To maximize the impact of our initiative, we are actively seeking a collaboration partner from the solar industry. Such a partnership would allow us to access real-world data from operational solar parks, adapt our design to meet specific client needs, and potentially secure a testing site for field trials. These elements are crucial to ensure that our solution is not only technically sound but also aligned with actual industry requirements.

In parallel, we are looking for pre-seed funding to develop and build a Proof of Concept. Achieving this milestone will enable us to demonstrate the core capabilities of our system in practice, validate our technology, and significantly strengthen our case as we move toward scaling the solution.