PLECO Project (ESA) | SolarCleano

P.L.E.C.O.

The solution addresses a critical challenge in the solar industry: efficiency losses caused by dust and debris on remote solar farms.

SolarCleano is reaching stars with ESA!

The Project

SolarCleano will implement 5 autonomous robots powered by satellite technology to transform solar plant operations worldwide by combining cleaning, inspection, and predictive maintenance into a single scalable solution, improving energy output while reducing operational costs, risks, and environmental impact.

5 pilot projects around the world:

Sicily (Italy)
Benban (Egypt)
China
Australia
Atacama Desert (Chile)

The Objectives

Large-scale solar plants face continuous efficiency losses due to dust accumulation, particularly in desert and remote environments. These losses can reach significant levels, directly impacting energy production, operational costs, and return on investment. Traditional cleaning methods are labour-intensive, water-dependent, and often unsafe.

The project delivers a fully autonomous robotic system designed to operate continuously across utility-scale solar plants. The system combines dry cleaning, inspection, and data analysis into a single integrated service that maintains panel performance while reducing operational complexity.

Beyond cleaning, the solution introduces predictive maintenance capabilities, enabling early detection of underperforming or defective panels. This transforms maintenance from a reactive process into a proactive, data-driven approach.

The activity demonstrates the system in real operational environments, validating both technical performance and commercial viability. It also highlights how space-enabled technologies support reliable, scalable solar operations in remote locations, contributing to the global transition towards sustainable energy.

1

Reduce O&M costs

2

Offer easier operations thanks to automation

3

Ensure a predictive maintenance

Users & Needs

The service targets operators of utility-scale photovoltaic plants where operational efficiency, reliability, and cost control are critical.

Main user groups:

Solar Plant Operators

EPC Contractors

Energy Producers

Public Energy Projects

Target regions include Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Australia, where large solar installations operate under challenging environmental conditions.

Key user needs:

Maximise Energy Output

Reduce Operationnal Costs

Minimise Water Use

Improve Workers Safety

Operate Reliably in all Environments

Deliver Clear Data

The main challenge is delivering a solution that combines autonomy, reliability, and scalability while integrating seamlessly into existing solar plant operations.

How it works

1

Autonomous Robot in the Field

Robot navigates along panel rows with high-precision positioning.

2

Continuous Dry Cleaning

Removes dust and soiling continuously to restore panel performance.

3

Multi-sensor Inspection

Thermal imaging, RGB cameras, and LiDAR detect defects and anomalies.

4

Edge Processing & Anomaly Detection

Data is processed on the robot. Anomalies are identified and prioritised.

5

Cloud Analytics & Reporting

Only relevant data is sent to the cloud. AI tools generate reports and recommend actions.

The system architecture includes:

Autonomous robots operating in the field
Multi-source communication (4G, Wi-Fi, satellite)
A central cloud platform for monitoring and analytics
A user interface providing actionable insights

From the user perspective, the system provides continuous, autonomous operation combined with remote visibility and decision support.

Powered by Space-Based Precision

Space technologies play a key role in making the system autonomous, reliable, and scalable across large solar plants.

GNSS-RTK satellite navigation gives the robots centimetre-level positioning accuracy. This allows them to move precisely between panel rows, repeat cleaning paths, and accurately locate defects detected during inspection.

For remote solar farms where terrestrial networks may be limited or unavailable, satellite communication provides an additional connectivity layer. Combined with 4G and Wi-Fi, it helps maintain reliable data transmission between the robots, the cloud platform, and the operator interface.
By combining satellite positioning and satellite communication, the system can operate with greater precision, resilience, and independence in isolated environments.

The result: accurate navigation, continuous monitoring, and scalable deployment across solar sites worldwide.

Current Status

The system is currently undergoing field testing in Sicily within an operational solar plant environment, focusing on validating performance under real conditions.

Recent achievements include:

Deployment of the B1A prototype on-site in Sicily
Validation of autonomous navigation and cleaning capabilities in operational conditions
Initial testing of inspection functions, including data acquisition and processing
Integration of communication systems enabling remote monitoring

The current phase focuses on:

Assessing system robustness and reliability during continuous operation
Refining navigation and cleaning performance under site-specific constraints
Collecting operational data to support system optimisation

This testing phase directly supports the preparation of a pilot deployment at the same site.

Upcoming activities include:

Transition to pilot operations in Sicily
Extended testing periods to validate long-term performance
Progressive integration of predictive maintenance and advanced analytics

Environmental & Social Impact

The solution contributes to increasing solar energy production efficiency by maintaining clean panels without the use of water, making it particularly suitable for arid regions.

Key benefits: