Cleaning rooftop solar installations: a performance lever for operators

Optimize the profitability of your photovoltaic installations

thanks to the AX Solar Robot robotic cleaning

In a context where every kilowatt-hour counts, the cleanliness of photovoltaic panels becomes a strategic imperative. Whether your installations are located on an agricultural building, an industrial roof, or a parking lot canopy, energy performance depends directly on their regular maintenance. With AX Solar Robot cleaning robots, rooftop cleaning becomes fast, safe, and cost-effective.
Robot solaire made in France

The main types of rooftop photovoltaic installations

For these rooftop solar panel installations, AX Solar Robot currently offers a wide range of robots to meet the needs of renewable energy producers looking to optimize their low-carbon electricity production:

  • RIDER®: a mobile intervention robot, moveable from roof to roof, and controlled from a cherry picker. It is particularly well-suited for cleaning service providers or for electricity producers with multiple installations who want to be autonomous in their cleaning operations.
    • The RIDER exists in 3 sizes: RIDER® M, RIDER® FR and RIDER® S.

Discover our full range:

Model Weight Brush Sizes Battery Life Maximum Slope Our Recommendation Manufacture
RIDER M 85 to 105 kg (depending on options) 110 cm or 130 cm ≈ 2 h 20–25° (rubber/leather) For professional cleaners, heavy-duty use (+200,000 m²/year) Germany
RIDER FR 65 kg 130 cm 3 hours 28° (rubber) Middle-of-the-range, good weight/performance compromise France
RIDER S 55 kg 80 cm 1.5–2.5 hours 15–20° (rubber/leather) For small installations, gentle slopes Germany

Solar-powered agricultural sheds

Farms were among the first to invest in photovoltaics. Barn roofs provide an ideal surface for generating electricity while also sheltering equipment or livestock. However, these environments are subject to:
  • Organic dust (straw, hay, soil)
  • Bird droppings
  • And deposits from agricultural machinery.
Result: a 5 to 10% loss of yield per year without cleaning.

Industrial and logistics roofing

Logistics buildings, warehouses, and factories offer vast areas suitable for solar energy production. However, their environment—urban pollution, fine dust, and industrial emissions—causes the modules to gradually become soiled. Robotic cleaning allows for:
  • maintaining energy productivity
  • extending the lifespan of the panels
  • and reducing corrective maintenance costs
Robot de nettoyage Spider ax solar robot

Photovoltaic shade structures

Solar car parks are strategic installations for businesses and communities to achieve self-consumption of energy. Exposed to harsh weather, exhaust fumes, and dust, these structures require regular and safe maintenance. AX Solar Robots, lightweight and autonomous, offer a solution perfectly adapted to the height and slope of the carports.

Commercial and administrative rooftops

Public buildings, schools, municipal warehouses, and corporate headquarters are increasingly relying on solar energy to reduce their carbon footprint. However, these facilities require discreet, rapid, and secure interventions that don’t disrupt operations. The AX Solar Robot cleaning system meets these requirements for reliability and cost-effectiveness.

Cleaning: a high value-added preventive maintenance operation

A dirty photovoltaic panel reduces its energy production, even if only partially. The average loss observed when not cleaned is 2 to 10% depending on the site. In addition to reduced efficiency, deposits can also:
  • Damage the glass surface over the long term
  • Create hot spots
  • And lead to premature failures
    • In other words, cleaning is a preventive maintenance operation, essential for protecting the efficiency and lifespan of the installations.