Reducing the cost of solar power with mobile robots
September 10, 2012
QBotix Tracking System (credit: QBotix)
QBotix has developed a dual-axis tracking system that uses rugged, intelligent mobile robots to dynamically operate solar power plants and maximize energy output.
The QBotix Tracking System (QTS) increases energy production of ground-mounted solar power plants by up to 40 percent over existing fixed mount systems and lowers the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) by up to 20 percent,. the company claims.
QTS utilizes a pair of autonomous robots, one primary and one back-up, to control 300 kW of solar panels with high accuracy and reliability.
The robots travel on a track and adjust each mounting system to optimally face the sun in succession. Each robot replaces hundreds of individual motors and controllers found on conventional tracking systems. The embedded intelligence and data communication capabilities of each autonomous robot optimize power plant performance and enables detailed operational knowledge at an unprecedented level.
QBotix Tracking System (credit: QBotix)
QBotix has recently raised $6.5 million in a Series A financing from New Enterprise Associates, Firelake Capital, Siemens Venture Capital, and DFJ JAIC, bringing the total amount of financing raised to date by the company to $7.5 million. The company is composed of solar industry veterans and robotics innovators from Silicon Valley, MIT, Caltech and Stanford.
Solar tracking systems increase energy production by aiming solar modules toward the sun and tracking the sun as its relative position moves during the course of the day.
Conventional tracking systems tend to be expensive, unreliable, and complex to install and maintain. They are typically large structures requiring thousands of pounds of steel and concrete, and contain multiple failure prone controllers and motors to adjust their orientation.
Comments (6)
by Guillermo Valle
How does this work? I mean its just translating the panels, not changing their orientation. How can they then trace the Sun?
by Track a phone by phone number
i think this is a wonderful innovation in solar industry if this machine workds well then it will surely reduce the electricity problem.
by Dan Robinson
I don’t see how more than maybe two small motors, with a system of cables and a pulley for each array, would be worthwhile. The main motor could shift arrays maybe once ever half hour, which I’m guessing should give better than 99% of maximum solar input. A secondary motor could shift them for seasons maybe once a month.
Proper counter-balancing means minimal energy input. A solar array doesn’t need near the precision of an astronomical telescope tracking a star. I built a portable telescope mount using my own version of good bearings and a small spring-wound clock. Proper balancing of the scope could allow the scope to power the clock, which only regulated the speed.
by Bri
We are starting to turn to robotics in day to day situations. Irobot’s was one of the first. It would hardly pass the definition of a robot that most people think of. This one is probably using the brain power to deal with any unforeseen problems such as birds nests ,jammed pivot points, etc. It’s just another example of how they will give endless advantage over ” mindless” mechanical devices. It still will look strange zipping along tending it’s field of solar panels. Whether on tracks or totally self mobile and tending large numbers of panels. I’d stop and stare at it for awhile!
by asiwel
You know, one would hardly call a simple sensor actuator system a “robot” nowadays. At first glance, this looks like a simple and elegant way of replacing a whole bunch of solar panel tracking sensors and positional servos with a single system that moves along a track from one to the next and nudges each a bit through some sort of simple mechanical linkage. It is certainly a good idea and clever mechanical engineering, but the feedback loop, immediate calculations, and guidance commands appear to me not more difficult than a science fair project and requiring far less computational power than any cell phone. These “robots” aren’t quite ready to take over the world, but they can sure save lots of time and money. Engineering seems to always go from one-off/crude/clumsy to high tech/complex/expensive to simple/elegant/sophisticated/cheap.
by Bri
Here they come…walking down the street… They get the funniest looks from….. Everyone they meet!…. Hey hey there the robots. ( I’d like to comment on the Minning the Internet article…… No comment!)