☀️ Solar Robotics Newsletter

September 6, 2026

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Hello solar robotics enthusiasts!

Welcome to this week's Solar Robotics Newsletter, produced by Straylight Ventures, where we cover the latest in robotics, automation, and AI transforming utility-scale solar. This week: EDP tests autonomous drones and robotic cleaning at its Alqueva floating solar park, Burns & McDonnell and Gritt expand their robotics partnership into new construction tasks, and Andrew Morse discusses robotics moving from pilots to scale in a SolarQuarter interview.

• EDP is testing AI, autonomous drones, and robotic cleaning solutions at its Alqueva Floating Solar Park in Portugal.
• Burns & McDonnell and Gritt are expanding their robotics partnership into module mounting, heavy lifting, concrete pouring, and rebar placement.
• Andrew Morse of FTC Solar discussed robotics moving from pilots to scale in a SolarQuarter interview.
• RoboForce and Samsung SDS validated deployment-first Physical AI robotics at RX ART 2026.
• SUNPURE's fleet of more than 1,000 Venus robots is holding a 99.9%+ daily operational rate in Rajasthan.
• Areg.AI's Mowbot navigated tougher obstacles in its latest vegetation management tests.
• Areg.AI Co-Founder & CEO Hayk Harutyunyan joined the Net Hero Podcast to discuss AI and robotics closing the solar workforce gap.

🎥 Industry Spotlight

EDP tests AI, drones, and robotic cleaning at its Alqueva floating solar park

EDP is testing autonomous drones and robotic cleaning systems at its Alqueva Floating Solar Park in Portugal through the European TALOS project. The pilot is part of EDP's "The Heart of Our Energy" video series and follows project manager Pedro Miguel Albuquerque as he tours the site and explains how the technologies are being evaluated.

The goal is to identify panel faults earlier and target maintenance more precisely, moving operations toward predictive rather than reactive maintenance. EDP describes the test as part of a broader shift from lab experimentation to day-to-day plant operations.

→ Watch the video​

🤝 Partnerships & Recognition

Burns & McDonnell and Gritt expand robotics partnership into construction tasks

Burns & McDonnell has partnered with Gritt AI to evaluate and deploy AI-driven robotics for repetitive, labor-intensive construction tasks, including module mounting, heavy lifting, concrete pouring, and rebar placement. The technology is designed to retrofit existing construction equipment and operate in uneven terrain and changing weather.

Nico Johnson, host of the SunCast podcast, toured an active jobsite thanks to Burns & McDonnell and watched Gritt robots install modules firsthand. He said the technology is no longer theoretical and is already running on a live project.

→ Read the full article​

🎙️ Industry Voices

Andrew Morse: robotics is moving from pilots to scale in solar construction

In an interview with SolarQuarter, Straylight Ventures' Andrew Morse, who also serves as VP of Software at FTC Solar, discussed how robotics is shifting from pilot projects to scaled deployment in utility-scale solar. He said the shift is not about replacing solar workers, but about giving crews better tools for repetitive, physically demanding, and potentially dangerous work.

Morse said the industry question is changing from "can a robot do this" to "how should we build a project when robots are part of the crew," a shift he expects to affect equipment choices, workflows, and project planning.

→ Read the full interview​

🤖 AI & Automation

RoboForce and Samsung SDS validate deployment-first Physical AI

RoboForce and Samsung SDS presented their Physical AI robotic workforce at RX ART 2026, working alongside Samsung SDS and leaders from across Samsung affiliates. The demonstration covered how the robots can support operations across manufacturing, logistics, shipbuilding, plant environments, and other unstructured worksites.

RoboForce described the event as one step in a larger plan with Samsung SDS, with more details expected soon.

→ Read the announcement​

☀️ Project Deployments

SUNPURE's 1,000+ robot fleet holds 99.9%+ uptime in Rajasthan

More than 1,000 SUNPURE Venus robots are cleaning modules at a large-scale solar project in Rajasthan, India, maintaining a daily operational rate above 99.9% in the Thar Desert. SUNPURE said the milestone shows the difference between one robot performing well and a fleet of more than 1,000 robots performing well every day.

→ Read the post​

🌡️ In the Field

Areg.AI's Mowbot clears tougher obstacles in latest tests

Areg.AI tested the latest version of its Mowbot autonomous vegetation management robot against a harder obstacle course, including navigating underneath panels and around larger obstacles. The company said the tests show Mowbot operating reliably in more challenging terrain.

→ Watch the video​

Open Roles

Planted Solar: VP, Software Engineering (Oakland, CA) → View the listing​

Jetsons Robotics: Mechanical / Robotics Engineer (Noida NCR, India). → View the listing​

Also Worth a Look

ARaymond Energies highlighted how repeatable, torque-free fastening methods can make solar module assembly easier to scale as installation volumes grow. → Watch the video​

SUNPURE's Saturn Module Fitting Robot kept working after dark in new jobsite footage, extending the daily installation window beyond daylight hours. → Watch the video​

LEAPTING's Automatic Navigation PV Module Mounting Robot continued operating at a mining-site PV project in Western Australia despite high heat conditions. → Watch the video​

Areg.AI teased the load capacity of its in-house chassis, which can carry loads of around 1,000 kg. → Read the post​

Keep building the future.

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