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The company has tested a Comau solution that uses robotics to build a photovoltaic farm. The project, called AutoPV, is being built in Peñaflor in the Spanish province of Valladolid. The 3 MW part of the farm, which is part of a larger installation with a total installed capacity of 122 MW, uses Hyperflex automated technology.

According to António Coutinho, president of EDP Innovation, ‘EDP is at the forefront of the global automation trend in the renewable energy sector. By investing in such an innovative solution, we are helping to make the construction of photovoltaic parks faster, more efficient, safer and more sustainable. We believe that technology and innovation are critical allies in accelerating the energy transition, so this is a strategic axis of investment and growth for EDP globally.’

The AutoPV project aims to significantly accelerate investment by reducing the assembly time of photovoltaic panel structures by up to 50%. The human-machine collaboration model enables robots to perform the heaviest tasks, such as handling the structure and solar panels. This allows workers to focus on more advanced technical tasks, creating an effective balance between the use of modern technology and human expertise.

The pilot at Peñaflor is just the first step in introducing automation solutions into EDP’s solar business plan. The aim is to turn this into a global and integrated process, capable of generating competitive advantages in all the company’s operations and increasing our human capital to run more qualified operations, adds António Coutinho.

As part of the pilot project, part of the solar farm will be built using a mobile factory called Hyperflex. This system consists of an automatic assembly station, where the photovoltaic structure is pre-assembled, and a rover, which transports and precisely positions the structure at the designated location. The entire installation is transported by truck to the solar farm for final assembly on site. The automated construction process using Hyperflex technology and the rover takes place in three key stages: unloading and assembly from the truck, construction of the structure and dismantling for subsequent projects.

“The collaboration with EDP confirms the importance and added value of automation in renewable energy and, in particular, in this case, in the installation of solar panels. It is also a recognition of our ongoing commitment to developing innovative solutions that are also flexible to respond to different requirements. With our advanced technology, we allow our customers and partners to experience better quality, increased efficiency and lower overall costs, helping them to contribute to making sustainable solar energy a reality”, Pietro Gorlier, CEO of Comau, tells us.

Currently, 98% of the energy produced by EDP comes from renewable sources, including solar power, where the company has an installed capacity of more than 4 GW.