AES incubated Maximo—the first AI-enabled robot purpose-built to automate the full mechanical installation of solar modules in the field—to address the growing need for faster, safer, and more predictable solar deployment. Maximo has advanced from concept to multi‑site deployment with measurable gains in speed, cost, quality, and safety, and is positioned to scale across AES’s U.S. pipeline and strategic customer projects.
Background & Context
Market Landscape: Trends or challenges that set the stage.
Electricity demand is accelerating—driven by data centers and AI—while utility‑scale solar build‑outs face labor constraints, heavier modules, and variable outdoor conditions. AES recognized that field robotics and AI could unlock a step‑change in deployment speed and worker safety.
Initial Business Priorities: State the core focus areas at the start of the case.
1) Reduce time‑to‑power and construction variability for customers.
2) Improve safety and efficiency by offloading repetitive heavy lifting from crews.
3) Build an extensible automation platform that integrates with EPC workflows and tracker/module ecosystems.
Challenges & Opportunities
Key Challenges:
- Harsh, variable field conditions (light, dust, wind, temperature) vs. factory‑style automation assumptions.
- Increasing module sizes and weights raise injury risk and constrain installation rates.
- End‑to‑end outdoor automation (not just task automation) required to deliver predictable schedules.
- Need for real‑time progress visibility and system diagnostics at project scale.
Opportunities:
- Shorten installation schedules and interest costs for project owners via higher daily throughput.
- Enhance quality and consistency using computer vision and precision placement/fastening outdoors.
- Broaden workforce participation by reducing strenuous manual lifting and repetitive motions.
- Create a data‑rich construction intelligence layer for fleet optimization and predictive maintenance.
Strategic Priorities & Approach
Priority 1 — AI‑Enabled Field Automation Platform:
Develop an AI and computer‑vision stack with onboard compute to perceive, align, and place modules precisely under outdoor variability; architect safety sensing and human‑robot interaction for mixed‑mode worksites.
Priority 2 — Stage‑Gated Incubation and Co‑Creation:
Advance through ideation → feasibility → prototyping → design/fabrication → software development → deployment and optimization, with field crews and partners engaged at each stage to validate fit‑for‑use.
Priority 3 — Systems Integration & Powering the Field:
Engineer dynamic module handling, fastening, and a mobile microgrid to support extended shifts; ensure interoperability with multiple tracker/module formats and integrate telemetry for project‑wide visibility.
Actions Taken
- Built full end‑to‑end outdoor automation: precise pick, placement, and fastening.
- Integrated safety systems (people detection, collision avoidance) and human‑in‑the‑loop controls.
- Deployed a mobile microgrid enabling long shifts with carbon‑free power in the field.
- Launched a construction‑intelligence platform for progress tracking, fleet telemetry, and diagnostics.
- Executed multi‑site pilots and utility‑scale deployments.
- Established supplier and EPC collaboration to validate across module, clamp, rail, and tracker variations.
Results & Impact
- Up to 50% reduction in module‑installation time on targeted scopes.
- Multi‑MW deployments completed; 100MW scheduled and pipeline alignment across 5GW.
- Improved worker safety and ergonomics by offloading heavy and repetitive tasks from crews.
- More predictable schedules through end‑to‑end outdoor automation and real‑time progress visibility.
- Higher quality and consistency via AI‑assisted precision placement and fastening.
Lessons Learned
- Anchor innovation to a strategic north star. Delivering green energy, improving productivity, and creating AI-enabled products.
- Use stage-gates with real-world validation. Progress ideas through feasibility, prototyping, and deployment—validating continuously in outdoor conditions.
- Design for the field. Engineer for variability (terrain, climate, light) and for interoperability across modules and trackers.
- Build with people at the center. Reduce injury risk and open roles to a broader workforce; empower makers.
- Quantify ROI. Target step-change improvements in time and cost to unlock earlier power and better economics.
Future Outlook
AES is scaling Maximo deployments across priority projects and expand capabilities to additional module formats, clamps, and trackers. Maximo business will deepen construction‑intelligence features, integrate predictive maintenance, and partner with EPCs to standardize robotics‑ready site workflows. Near‑term focus includes larger fleets at marquee projects and replicable playbooks for rapid mobilization.
Key Quotes & Testimonials (Optional)
“We are scaling Maximo, deploying fleets of continually improving robots to empower our teams for faster and more competitive installations.” — Chris Shelton, AES
“AI is a critical tool that is already helping us develop sustainability solutions and address climate change at scale,” said Kara Hurst, Amazon’s chief sustainability officer. “As society’s energy needs grow, the demand for new solar and wind projects is also increasing, and we’re excited to collaborate with renewable energy developers like AES that are bringing new renewables to the grid, and prioritizing innovative technologies that can help accelerate those efforts.” (from Amazon article:
https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/sustainability/ai-powered-robot-amazon-solar-farms)
Photos and videos related to the topic of the case study
- Press release: AES launches first AI‑enabled solar installation robot: https://www.aes.com/press-release/AES-Launches-First-AI-Enabled-Solar-Installation-Robot
- AES blog: Meet Maximo—AI‑powered robot changing the solar energy sector: https://www.aes.com/blog/meet-maximo-ai-powered-robot-changing-solar-energy-sector
- External Available Video: Meet Maximo (AES YouTube):
- Meet Maximo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBA1qsWVT3A
- Maximo in Action: https://youtu.be/KiMDBOGixl4?si=SQthIiiwhO5uzP1g
- Meet the Makers: https://youtu.be/ssn4H7D-kVQ?si=aiG55lzXyAO_Yi-t
- Internal Repository with Approved Videos and Photos for External Use: Approved for external
- Maximo Website: maxrobotics.ai