Future of Solar Cleaning is Autonomous, Water-Free, Data-Driven

Q: What is Ecoppia's value proposition and how has it helped the company grow its presence in the Mexican market?

A: Ecoppia is a pioneer in the robotics cleaning segment. For nearly a decade, Ecoppia has been leading the industry by developing waterless, autonomous cleaning solutions for photovoltaic (PV) solar assets. Our value proposition consists of significantly increasing electricity production. Soil accumulation on PV assets causes losses and our solutions ensure highly effective cleaning of the modules. The solution is completely autonomous and features frequent cleaning cycles. This eliminates the need for manual cleanings, which is the standard practice in the industry. Ecoppia reduces the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and enables higher power production rates.

The added value of Ecoppia and its key differentiator is that it not only offers the installation of the robots but a complete solutions and services package. We are leaders in technology and executing the operations and maintenance (O&M) services. We guarantee the optimal availability rate of our cleaning solution and system to our clients, not only in the short term but during the full life cycle of the power plant, which can span from 25 to 35 years.  

Q: What does the Mexican market represent in Ecoppia's business strategy and how is the company planning to help improve the PV solar industry in Mexico?

A: The Mexican solar sector is one of the largest in Latin America. We already have local presence in Mexico together with a multinational player. Ecoppia aims to deliver an efficient energy output, making it completely autonomous, reliable and safe. 2022 was a good year for us in Mexico, as we already have a site that is fully deployed and in daily operation. We are currently in discussion with the main players in the energy sector and expect growth as we look to increase our presence in the country. 

For Ecoppia, innovation means integrating cutting-edge technology into our solar sites. We are constantly improving our solutions to better fit the market needs, site complexities and challenges, as well as evolving along with changing solar plant design configurations.

Q: How do your cleaning solutions contribute to the performance of PV systems and how can they improve the LCOE?

A: Firstly, our solutions are fully autonomous. We do not require an energy supply for the execution and implementation of our robots, as they are equipped with self-charging solar panels. They charge their batteries and are able to run independently. Also, our solution is completely dry; it does not consume any water for cleaning, which helps reduce water costs and has an environmental impact at the same time.

Ecoppia’s product also increases the number of cleanings per site. Solar panels usually get cleaned a few times a year at most, while our robots clean on a daily basis, whenever conditions allow. Compared to a few cleanings a year, robotic cleaning creates an enormous benefit in terms of solar panel efficiency. Ecoppia can analyze client sites, map their layout, as well as humidity, and dirt levels, provide financial simulation to demonstrate how much value our solution can add.

Q: How is Ecoppia using digital tools to further enhance its solution?

A: Our robots are also fully integrated within a cloud-based system, with which we can provide the customer with several metrics that are collected daily on-site. The data is gathered and can be processed to provide a better understanding of the plant’s operations. Ecoppia can then take the necessary actions to execute preventive maintenance and maintain the robots at optimal efficiency. Furthermore, this cuts maintenance costs since we monitor the robots every day to improve O&M.

Ecoppia, founded in 2013, is a pioneer and leader in robotic cleaning solutions for solar PV systems, offering a cloud-based platform and a suite of advanced, fully autonomous robots that cost-effectively maximize the performance of utility-scale PV sites globally.