Amazon and AES with the AI ​​robot Maximo for solar module installation - solar park in half the time & counteract the shortage of skilled workers

🌞🚀 Amazon relies on the innovative AI robot Maximo when building solar parks, which significantly reduces both construction time and costs. Developed and operated by AES, a renewable energy company, this robot uses advanced technologies to speed up and increase the efficiency of solar panel installation. It is a prime example of how companies like Amazon and renewable energy developers are leveraging AI technologies to advance the expansion of sustainably produced energy.

⚡🔋 Four years ago I wrote that Amazon's investments in renewable energy are not an act of charity, but a strategic plan to secure future market share and reduce long-term costs. These strategic investments in carbon neutrality and renewable energies are entirely legitimate from an economic and ecological perspective.

More about it here:

• 2020: CO2 neutrality with photovoltaics – Learn from Amazon Logistics

🤖🔧 The Maximo robot was designed to make building solar farms more efficient and cost-effective. By leveraging state-of-the-art technologies, including AI-powered computer vision, Maximo can place solar panels precisely and independently. The ability to calculate the best placements in real time and position the solar modules accordingly allows for a significant reduction in construction times and associated costs by up to 50 percent.

🌿🏗️ A notable deployment of Maximo took place at the Oak Ridge Solar Farm in Louisiana. This project, supported by investments and partnerships from Amazon, was a testament to Maximo's performance in extreme conditions. Despite the high temperatures, Maximo was able to efficiently install a large number of solar modules. Maximo will also be involved in the construction of the Bellefield facility in Kern County, California. This solar-plus-storage project is believed to be the largest of its kind in the United States.

👷‍♂️📉 Maximo's automation of lifting work not only relieves employees of physically demanding tasks, but also addresses another pressing problem: the shortage of skilled workers in the US solar industry. According to Amazon, the need for skilled workers will increase dramatically in less than ten years, with many solar companies already struggling to find qualified staff. By using Maximo, companies can compensate for this deficit and increase the efficiency of their projects.

🌐💡 The increasing integration of AI and robotics in the construction of renewable energy plants marks a significant advancement in the industry. Maximo impressively shows how innovative technologies can contribute to solving current challenges. The use of AI in the solar industry not only offers short-term benefits, such as accelerating construction projects and reducing costs, but also contributes to the stability and sustainability of the energy supply in the long term.

🚀🔮 The influence of AI technologies on the solar energy industry could increase even further in the coming years. Technological innovations like Maximo could soon become the standard in the industry. The associated automation and increased efficiency will make it possible to make the energy transition faster and more cost-effective. This is of great importance not only from an ecological but also from an economic point of view.

🌲🏢 Amazon's commitment to renewable energy and the use of AI reflects a broader trend in the industry. More and more companies are realizing that sustainable investments are not only good for the environment, but also good for business. Integrating advanced technologies into their business processes allows them to strengthen their market position while making a positive contribution to society.

🌍🔋 The vision of Amazon and other industry pioneers is clear: sustainable energy production, supported by innovative technologies, is the key to a sustainable and environmentally friendly world.

Solar parks and ground-mounted PV systems: Maximo sets new standards: Efficient solar installations through AI – Image: Amazon

📉 The use and implementation of artificial intelligence has seen a steep rise in many industries, and the solar sector is no exception. The latest breakthrough in this space is Maximo, an AI-powered robot from AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) that is revolutionizing the speed, efficiency and safety of solar system installation. Maximo is a groundbreaking, automated helper that works alongside construction teams to meet the growing need for renewable energy.

📊 Forecast

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), annual solar installations are expected to triple by 2035 and the workforce will need to nearly double. Maximo can install solar panels in half the time and at half the cost. This means projects can be completed more quickly and renewable energy can be integrated into the grid more quickly. This significantly reduces the time until electricity is available to customers.

📢 Statement from AES

“Maximo is the first proven successful solar installation robot on the market,” said Andrés Gluski, President and CEO of AES. “We are facing an unprecedented surge in demand, driven in large part by the rise of AI and data centers. Innovations like Maximo are therefore fundamental to bringing our projects online faster and more efficiently.”

🔧 Features and Benefits

Maximo significantly increases the security and scalability of solar integration by taking on the heavy lifting of placing and attaching the modules. This not only accelerates project timelines, but also creates new cutting-edge jobs and opens up opportunities for new segments of the workforce. Using Maximo also means more jobs will be created in the field of solar system installation, while at the same time giving professionals the opportunity to develop AI skills and become familiar with new technologies.

📈 Current and future projects

To date, Maximo has installed nearly 10 megawatts (MW) of solar energy and is expected to reach a total of 100 MW by 2025. AES plans to use Maximo to help build up to 5 gigawatts (GW) of its solar backlog and projects over the next three years. Maximo is also being used in the 2 GW Bellefield project in Kern County, California, the largest solar-plus-storage project in the US under contract with Amazon. The Oak Ridge Solar Project in Louisiana, also to power Amazon operations, was a significant milestone in Maximo's development as its first large-scale deployment.

🌍 Sustainability perspective

“As society’s energy needs grow, so does the demand for new solar and wind projects. We need to innovate to scale faster,” said Chris Walker, director of sustainability at AWS. “We look forward to working with renewable energy developers like AES who are prioritizing the use of AI technologies to move us toward a carbon-free energy future.”

🚀 Technological features

Maximo's AI-powered features include:

AI-driven computer vision

Ensures precise placement of solar panels and improves installation accuracy.

Continuous learning

Adjusts to achieve optimal performance and promote efficiency improvements.

Image reconstruction

Creates faithful images obscured by glare or similar lighting conditions via a proprietary generative AI pipeline.

📊 Industrial statistics

“Currently, the U.S. solar industry installs approximately 15,000 panels per hour, which equates to a million pounds,” said Chris Shelton, chief product officer of AES. “In the future, this installation rate is expected to increase to 50,000 modules per hour by 2035. In response to this exponential growth, we are scaling Maximo and deploying fleets of continually evolving robots to empower our team to install faster and more competitively.”

🔄 Future scaling

Maximo is capable of working in various climate and lighting conditions and has been field tested on various projects in the USA. His deployment to the Bellefield project is scheduled to begin in August.

🌐 Future vision

Maximo offers promising support to meet the increasing demand for clean energy. AI-driven automation of the installation process ensures that projects are not only completed faster and more cost-effectively, but are also safer. This not only opens up new job opportunities, but also promotes learning and application of technologies that will shape the future of the energy industry.

🌱 Sustainability and innovation

AES' commitment to sustainability and technological innovation is an ongoing process that exemplifies how by integrating cutting-edge technologies, companies can not only improve their efficiency and scalability, but also help combat climate change. Maximo's ability to deliver high-demand projects in a shorter time frame represents a significant step toward a sustainable energy future.

🚀 Maximo is a revolutionary robot that speeds up solar panel installation using the latest technologies developed by Amazon Web Services (AWS). The first of its kind, this AI-controlled robot helps build solar farms faster and smarter. Maximo, developed and operated by energy company AES, can reduce the time and cost of solar panel installation by up to 50%. This helps shorten project timelines, create new work opportunities and reduce exposure to construction teams in high temperatures. Maximo is also an important example of how Amazon and renewable energy developers are using AI solutions to combat climate change at scale.

Maximo's first major deployment was at the Oak Ridge Solar Farm in Louisiana, a project made possible by Amazon. There he successfully installed solar panels despite the extremely high temperatures. Currently, Maximo will be involved in the construction of another Amazon-backed project in Kern County, California - the Bellefield facility, which represents the largest solar-plus-storage project in the United States.

🌍 The importance of AI solutions in the fight against climate change

“AI is a critical tool that is already helping us develop sustainable solutions and combat climate change at scale,” said Kara Hurst, Amazon’s chief sustainability officer. “As society’s energy needs grow, so does the demand for new solar and wind projects, and we are pleased to partner with energy developers like AES who are bringing new renewable energy to the grid and prioritizing innovative technologies that can accelerate these efforts.”

Deise Yumi Asami, founder of Maximo at AES, said: “The demand for clean energy continues to grow and at AES we believe that innovation can help us meet these needs of our customers. Maximo amplifies labor by enabling solar panel installation in half the time and at half the cost. It utilizes some of the most advanced technologies to ensure the fastest, most precise installation in even the most challenging environments. With Maximo, we will transform the speed of delivery of our solar projects and help meet the world’s growing energy needs.”

🤖 Advanced technology powered by AI

To carry out its work, Maximo uses AI capabilities such as computer vision and data analysis to ensure precise placement of modules and real-time information systems to make its decisions. AES's robot development process involved a range of AWS tools, including AWS RoboMaker, a cloud-based simulation service that enables robotics developers to run, scale and automate simulations.

In addition to automating heavy lifting operations, Maximo can also operate in almost any weather or lighting condition, which is particularly useful for the Bellefield project, which is located in a sandy desert region with extreme temperatures. Once Maximo arrives later this year, he will work with teams to move hundreds of heavy solar panels into place. According to AES, using Maximo means less time in desert heat for workers and faster delivery of renewable energy. In addition, it allows a wider range of people to work with him and is expected to help solve labor shortages in the long term. The need for U.S. solar workers will double in less than ten years. However, 90% of solar companies report that they have difficulty finding qualified workers.

The Bellefield project will include a 1 GW solar plant with up to 1 GW of battery storage. The battery can store the excess solar energy generated during the day and release it at night or when the grid is busy, ensuring a steady supply of carbon-free energy for more hours of the day. Bellefield will be able to generate enough energy to power 467,000 California homes annually.

Maximo isn't the only example of how Amazon and AES are using renewable energy projects and AI solutions to address climate change. At Baldy Mesa, another Amazon-backed solar-plus-storage farm developed, operated and managed by AES, machine learning models powered by AWS help predict when and how the storage batteries should return energy to the grid .

🌞 The role of Amazon and AES in the renewable energy sector

Amazon is known for its ambitious climate goals and commitment to renewable energy. Partnering with companies like AES highlights the importance of technological innovation in achieving these goals. Maximo is a prime example of implementing advanced technologies to address the solar industry's current challenges.

As Kara Hurst points out, energy demand will continue to increase in the future, and it is critical that companies like Amazon invest not only in renewable energy projects, but also in the technologies that make those projects more efficient and effective. Investing in AI and automation not only helps improve project timelines and reduce costs, but also creates a sustainable future.

🚧 Combination of innovative strength and AI technologies

Maximo exemplifies progress in the field of solar technology and renewable energies. By combining innovation and AI technologies, it offers a solution to the solar industry's current challenges, from accelerating installation processes to reducing workload and alleviating the skills shortage.

The ongoing partnership between Amazon and AES to promote renewable energy and sustainable technologies shows the importance of collaboration between major technology companies and energy developers. These collaborations are crucial to achieving ambitious global climate goals and shaping a sustainable energy future.

Maximo is more than just a robot; it symbolizes the future path of the solar industry – faster, more cost-effective and precise installations that ultimately contribute to achieving climate protection goals and meeting growing energy needs. As the world seeks green energy solutions, Maximo stands at the forefront as a beacon of innovation and progress.

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