Luminous Robotics – Scale for a Solar Future, Deployment

Summary

Need

The project aims to address several critical issues in the solar energy sector. Currently, the installation of solar modules on single-axis trackers (SAT) is heavily reliant on manual labour, which is both labour-intensive and costly. Workers are required to physically lift and place solar modules onto racking structures, a process that is not only time-consuming but also poses significant safety risks.

Luminous Robotics aims to address these issues by deploying its LUMI autonomous robot, which can handle the installation of solar modules more efficiently and safely. By reducing the reliance on manual labour, the project aims to lower the levelized cost of energy for utility-scale solar photovoltaic installations by up to 6.2% and enhance installation efficiencies by 3.5 times compared to traditional methods.

Without intervention, the solar industry will continue to face high labour costs and safety risks, which could hinder the scalability and economic viability of large-scale solar projects. Additionally, the anticipated labour shortages in the construction sector could further exacerbate these challenges.

Action

Luminous Robotics will pilot its proprietary LUMI autonomous, flexible robot for solar module installation at two utility-scale solar farm sites in Culcairn (NSW) and Goorambat (VIC). The LUMI robot automates the process of picking and placing solar modules onto racking structures using a tracked chassis and industrial robotic arm. The project will be delivered in three phases:

• Phase 1: Two LUMI units will be deployed at Goorambat (currently under traditional manual installation methods) to install modules at >2x speed of conventional approaches.
• Phase 2: Maintain two LUMI units at Goorambat and deploy three additional units at Culcairn. Robots will acquire large scales of onsite data used to further refine the AI-driven machine learning capabilities of the entire fleet.
• Phase 3: A full fleet of LUMI robots (5 units) will be deployed across both sites, capable of installing 3.5MW per week with minimal supervision.

Outcome

1. Technology development: Improvement and refinement of the LUMI unit performance through a data driven approach utilising AI and ML algorithms.
2. Lowering the cost of utility-scale solar PV: Contributing to ARENA’s 30-30-30 target, the Recipient is aiming for a 6.2% reduction in PV LCOE during the project with longer term potential for further reductions in the ‘soft costs’ (non-hardware costs such as maintenance, labour, and permitting) associated with large-scale solar (LSS) farm development.
3. Removing Barriers to Renewable Energy Uptake: The Project will provide a proof-point to the market that the Recipient’s technology is a viable and low-risk technology for Australian EPC companies compared to incumbent, manual module installation methods.