Module cleaning robots at Chinese plants

Solar panel cleaning used to rely on crews with water and brushes. The video reposted from AI for Earth shows a different routine at Chinese plants: a robot that travels along the module rows, powered by its own photovoltaic panel.

The performance data here comes from an independent source. The September 2025 fact sheet from Tasks 13 and 16 of the IEA photovoltaic programme attributes an average, growing loss of 4% to 7% of global solar energy to soiling, and multi-billion-euro losses every year. Cleaning choices depend on water, layout and budget.

For an operator, soiling is revenue that fails to arrive every month at a plant already financed. The robot swaps part of a recurring crew and water cost for equipment with its own upkeep. The math depends on the site: frequent rain narrows the advantage; persistent dust in dry climates widens it.

In Brazil's semi-arid region, with high irradiation and long dry seasons, the issue is concrete. Measuring soiling losses at each plant comes before choosing the robot. Without measurement, cleaning is habit. With it, it is a decision.