Sponsored by the Asper Foundation and Reichman University

Israeli robots will clean solar panels in India under a new agreement.

Airtouch Solar will supply its autonomous and water-less cleaning robot to Avaada Group, India’s leading renewable energy supplier, for the next 25 years.

The robots use microfiber wipes and wind-blowing technology to remove dirt and soil from solar panels. The company’s software can also predict problems in advance and reduce failure rate.

According to the company, the robots will be able to save 80,000 to 100,000 kiloliters of water per megawatt of energy produced annually, in addition to revenue gains and faster cleaning.

Currently, 95 per cent of the solar panel market is operating without a robotic cleaning solution. The solar panel robotic cleaning industry is estimated to be worth $11 billion by the year 2025. 

Tal Laufer, CEO of Airtouch Solar, said: “We continue to expand our activity in India which is one of fastest growing markets in the world.

“The orders we have received from the leading developers like Avaada is a testimony to the quality and reliability of Airtouch robots. The local production, logistics, service and sales infrastructure established over the past years has enabled proximity to clients as well as improved quality of service and response time.”

Kishor Nair, COO of Avaada Group, said: “Airtouch robotic technology solutions would improve our plant operational efficiency by cleaning the dust settled on the solar modules, thereby bringing down the losses.

“Our association with Airtouch will reinforce our commitment to sustainability by way of saving water in the arid zone. The precision Israel technology with “Made in India” is a Win-Win for both the companies.”

Airtouch Solar was founded in 2016, and is based in Beit Shemesh.