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Solar Panel Cleaning System Market size is set to expand significantly over 2021-2027, as a result of the massive rise in demand for solar energy, alongside the rapid expansion in size of solar power harvesting facilities worldwide. For instance, in March 2021, Sunseap Group, a Singaporean solar energy developer, concluded the installation of one of the largest offshore solar plants in Singapore, a 5MW-peak floating solar farm spanning an area equivalent to the size of seven football fields, in the Straits of Johor.
Solar panel cleaning systems are an essential part of the maintenance systems of solar energy facilities. These systems help optimize power output and provide protection to installations against failures caused due to contaminants or improper maintenance, by ensuring regular cleaning of the solar modules through various low- and high-tech cleaning approaches.
The use of solar panel cleaning robots is one of the most versatile forms of module cleaning, and is rapidly gaining more traction over more conventional methods, such as manual brushing. Given the vast array of robotic cleaning systems available in the market, these solutions are suitable across myriad solar applications, from car ports, to ground mounted, to roof top and floating solar facilities.
With respect to cleaning type, the dry cleaning segment is expected to gain substantial momentum by 2027, owing to increasing water shortages, particularly in arid regions. According to a World Resource Institute report, nearly 79% of novel renewable energy capacity is poised to be built in areas facing severe shortages of water, which could boost demand for dry type solar module cleaning solutions over the years ahead. In April 2021, India’s Renew Power inked a contract worth $7.6 million with Israeli firm Airtouch Solar, for the deployment of water-free robotic solar panel cleaning systems at three of its new solar power facilities to be built in Rajasthan.
From a regional perspective, the Asia Pacific solar panel cleaning system market is anticipated to register a commendable growth rate through 2027, as a result of the thriving solar energy ecosystem in developing economies like India. As of December 2020, the installed capacity of solar power in the country was nearly 38 GW. According to the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, solar facilities being built in arid and dry areas in India require cleaning at least once a week, which is in turn likely to generate lucrative growth prospects for the regional industry over the forecast spell.
Enel Green Power S.p.A, IPC Eagle Corporation (Tennant Company), AX System, Solar Cleaning Machinery, Parish Maintenance Supply, Ecovacs Robotics, Ecoppia, Heliotex LLC, and others are some of the prominent entities strengthening the solar panel cleaning system market outlook. Portfolio expansions, strategic partnerships and collaborations are among the major steps being undertaken by these entities, in order to establish a stronghold in the global market.
To illustrate, in July 2020, cleantech company Skilancer Solar introduced a new autonomous waterless robot, designed to clean small-scale solar power facilities, particularly in residential rooftop applications. The new product, which is an addition to its existing portfolio consisting of AI-powered waterless robots built for industrial solar plants, was also a way for the company to make its foray into the residential market.
Meanwhile, in May 2021, an innovative trilateral collaboration was initiated by the IFIICC (International Federation of Indo-Israel Chambers of Commerce), involving the manufacture of next-gen robotic solar cleaning technology by Israel-based Ecoppia for a landmark solar project in the UAE (United Arab Emirates).
The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has created a host of indirect and direct impacts on nearly every industry worldwide, bringing many operations to a standstill. The solar energy domain has also been impacted slightly, with many ongoing solar projects across the globe having to shut down, and power companies facing delays and disruptions due to a slowdown in production levels in China. This impact also unearthed several challenges for peripheral industries, including the solar panel cleaning systems industry, temporarily diminishing demand for these solutions.
However, despite prevailing uncertainties surrounding the pandemic, several entities in the solar energy industry are making targeted efforts to recover from the impact and regain some momentum. Ecoppia, a robotic solar cleaning solutions provider, for instance, continued to secure new projects of nearly 10 GW capacity, even during the months where the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was most severe. This included a credit facility worth $40 million from CIM Group, in July 2020. Developments such as these may thereby aid in the recovery of solar panel cleaning systems market.