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 is using the innovative AI robot Maximo to build solar farms, significantly reducing both construction time and costs. Developed and operated by AES, a renewable energy company, this robot uses advanced technologies to accelerate and increase the efficiency of solar panel installation. It's a prime example of how companies like Amazon and renewable energy developers are leveraging AI technologies to drive 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 undertaking to secure future market share and reduce costs in the long term. These strategic investments in carbon neutrality and renewable energy are entirely legitimate from both an economic and environmental perspective.

More about it here:

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

🤖🔧 The Maximo robot was developed to make the construction of solar farms more efficient and cost-effective. By utilizing state-of-the-art technologies, including AI-powered computer vision, Maximo can precisely and autonomously place solar panels. Its ability to calculate the optimal placement in real time and position the solar panels accordingly allows for a significant reduction in construction time and associated costs by up to 50 percent.

🌿🏗️ A remarkable Maximo deployment took place at the Oak Ridge Solar Farm in Louisiana. This project, supported by investments and partnerships from Amazon, demonstrated Maximo's capabilities under extreme conditions. Despite the high temperatures, Maximo was able to efficiently install a large number of solar panels. Furthermore, Maximo will be involved in the construction of the Bellefield facility in Kern County, California. This solar-plus-storage project is considered the largest of its kind in the USA.

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

🌐💡 The increasing integration of AI and robotics into the construction of renewable energy plants marks a significant advancement in the industry. Maximo impressively demonstrates 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 long-term stability and sustainability of the energy supply.

🚀🔮 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 industry standard. The associated automation and efficiency gains will make it possible to implement the energy transition more quickly and cost-effectively. This is of great importance not only from an ecological but also from an economic perspective.

🌲🏢 Amazon's commitment to renewable energy and the use of AI reflects a broader trend in the industry. More and more companies are recognizing 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 leaders is clear: sustainable energy production, supported by innovative technologies, is the key to a future-proof and environmentally friendly world.

📉 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 field is Maximo, an AI-powered robot from AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) that is revolutionizing the speed, efficiency, and safety of solar panel installations. Maximo is a groundbreaking, automated assistant that works alongside construction teams to meet the growing demand for renewable energy.

📊 Forecast

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), annual solar installations are expected to triple by 2035, requiring a near doubling of the workforce. Maximo can install solar panels in half the time and at half the cost. This allows projects to be completed faster and renewable energy to be integrated into the grid more quickly, significantly reducing the time until electricity is available to customers.

📢 Statement from AES

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

🔧 Features and Benefits

Maximo significantly increases the safety and scalability of solar integration by taking over the heavy lifting involved in placing and securing the modules. This not only accelerates project timelines but also creates new, state-of-the-art jobs and opens up opportunities for new segments of the workforce. Furthermore, the use of Maximo means that more jobs are created in the field of solar installation, while simultaneously giving skilled workers the opportunity to develop AI skills and familiarize themselves with new technologies.

📈 Current and future projects

To date, Maximo has installed nearly 10 megawatts (MW) of solar power and is projected to reach a total of 100 MW by 2025. AES plans to use Maximo to support the development of 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, contracted with Amazon. The Oak Ridge Solar project in Louisiana, also serving Amazon operations, was another significant milestone in Maximo's development, representing 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-powered computer vision

Ensures precise placement of the solar panels and improves installation accuracy.

Continuous learning

It adapts to achieve optimal performance and promote efficiency improvements.

Image reconstruction

It generates true-to-life images, via a proprietary generative AI pipeline, that were obscured by glare or similar lighting conditions.

📊 Industrial Statistics

“Currently, the US solar industry installs approximately 15,000 modules per hour, which equates to a weight of one million pounds,” explained 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 continuously evolving robots to enable our team to install faster and more competitively.”

🔄 Future scaling

Maximo is capable of operating under various climatic and lighting conditions and has been tested on-site at several projects in the USA. Its deployment at the Bellefield project is scheduled to begin in August.

🌐 Future vision

Maximo offers promising support to meet the growing demand for clean energy. AI-driven automation of the installation process ensures that projects are not only completed faster and more cost-effectively, but also more safely. This not only opens up new job opportunities, but also promotes learning and the 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 companies can not only improve their efficiency and scalability by integrating cutting-edge technologies, but also contribute to combating climate change. Maximo's ability to deliver high-demand projects in a shorter timeframe represents a significant step towards a sustainable energy future.

🚀 Maximo is a revolutionary robot that accelerates solar panel installation, leveraging the latest technologies developed by Amazon Web Services (AWS). The first of its kind, this AI-powered robot supports faster and smarter solar farm construction. Developed and operated by the energy company AES, Maximo can reduce solar panel installation time and costs by up to 50%. This helps shorten project timelines, create new job opportunities, and reduce the strain on construction teams in high temperatures. Maximo is also a prime example of how Amazon and renewable energy developers are using AI solutions to combat climate change on a massive scale.

Maximo's first major assignment 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. Maximo is currently involved in the construction of another Amazon-supported project in Kern County, California—the Bellefield facility, which will be the largest solar-plus-storage project in the US.

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

“AI is a crucial 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 excited to work 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, explained: “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 the workforce by enabling solar panel installations in half the time and at half the cost. It utilizes some of the most advanced technologies to ensure the fastest and most precise installation, even in the most challenging environments. With Maximo, we will transform the speed of delivery for our solar projects and help meet the world’s growing energy needs.”

🤖 Advanced technology powered by AI

To perform its tasks, Maximo utilizes AI capabilities such as computer vision and data analytics to ensure precise module placement and real-time information systems to inform its decisions. The robot's development process at AES 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, Maximo can also operate in virtually any weather or light condition, which is particularly beneficial for the Bellefield project, located in a sandy desert region with extreme temperatures. Once Maximo arrives there later this year, it will work alongside the teams to move hundreds of heavy solar panels into place. According to AES, using Maximo means less time spent in the desert heat for workers and faster delivery of renewable energy. Furthermore, it allows a wider range of people to work with it and is expected to help address labor shortages in the long term. The demand for U.S. solar workers is projected to double in less than a decade. However, 90% of solar companies report difficulty finding qualified personnel.

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

Maximo is not the only example of how Amazon and AES are using renewable energy projects and AI solutions to tackle climate change. At Baldy Mesa, another Amazon-backed solar-plus-storage farm designed, operated, and managed by AES, machine learning models powered by AWS help predict when and how the storage batteries should feed energy back into the grid.

🌞 The role of Amazon and AES in renewable energy

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

As Kara Hurst points out, energy demand will continue to rise in the future, and it is crucial that companies like Amazon invest not only in renewable energy projects but also in the technologies that make these projects more efficient and effective. Investing in AI and automation, for example, not only improves project timelines and reduces costs but also contributes to creating a sustainable future.

🚧 Combination of innovative strength and AI technologies

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

The ongoing partnership between Amazon and AES to promote renewable energy and sustainable technologies demonstrates the importance of collaboration between large technology companies and energy developers. These collaborations are crucial for 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 more precise installations that will ultimately contribute to achieving climate protection goals and meeting growing energy demands. As the world searches for green energy solutions, Maximo stands at the forefront as a beacon of innovation and progress.

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