Luminous Robotics' LUMI robot, receiving $4.9 million in funding, will automate solar panel installation in Australia, increasing efficiency and safety.
An efficient robot designed to automate solar panel installation will begin working in Australia with a new funding boost. Developed by Boston-based Luminous Robotics Inc., the LUMI robot can pick up solar panels and securely place them onto racks. The company recently unveiled LUMI Series 3, which delivers a 10x boost in automation for solar construction, starting at module installation.
The Australian government’s $100 million Solar Scaleup Challenge has selected Luminous Robotics to receive $4.9 million in funding. \LUMI’s first version, unveiled in 2023, utilizes artificial intelligence and can assist existing workforces installing 80-lb (36.2 kg) solar panels up to 3.5 times faster. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) revealed that Luminous’ project will introduce and demonstrate the LUMI robot. This AI-powered pick and place technology is designed to streamline utility-scale solar construction. LUMI addresses one of the industry’s most labor-intensive tasks: panel installation. The robot autonomously places solar modules onto racking structures, allowing onsite workers to complete the final securing process. This reduces manual labor and improves installation speed, safety, and cost-efficiency. \Darren Miller, ARENA CEO, stated that reducing operation and maintenance costs in the deployment of large-scale solar is crucial to achieving ARENA’s ultra-low-cost solar vision. “ARENA has set an ambitious goal to reduce the installed cost of solar to 30 cents per watt and bring the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) below $20 per megawatt hour,” he said. “These are important targets, because at this cost, solar will form the foundation for Australia’s renewable energy superpower future.” LUMI robot is expected to enhance productivity and safety on Australian solar farms. It will help the existing workforce install solar panels up to 3.5 times faster, eliminating the need for heavy lifting. While LUMI has already demonstrated cost reductions on solar farms in the U.S., the ARENA project marks the first global deployment of a full fleet of five LUMI robots. This unlocks the potential to lower solar farm costs by up to 6.2%, according to Luminous Robotics. \Jay M. Wong, Luminous CEO, expressed excitement about working with ARENA and Equans to showcase the future of solar construction in one of the world’s most advanced solar markets. “With LUMI, we’re not just introducing a robot – we’re setting out to redefine the standard for how solar farms are built and help sites energise faster and safer,” he said. “Deploying our LUMI fleet in Australia will allow us to capture the data, performance insights, and real-world impact needed to drive global adoption – the kind of scale and transformation we founded Luminous to achieve.” Reports have revealed Luminous has partnered with Equans, a global engineering, procurement, and construction firm, to deploy LUMI at two Australian solar farms: the 440MW Neoen Culcairn Solar Farm in New South Wales and the 250MW Engie Goorambat East Solar Farm in Victoria.
Solar Energy Robotics Automation Artificial Intelligence Sustainability Australia
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