The AES Corporation introduced Maximo, a groundbreaking, AI-powered robot that enhances solar installation speed, efficiency and safety. Maximo is a first-of-its-kind robotic solution that works alongside construction teams to help meet rapidly growing renewable energy demand. According to the IEA, by 2035, solar annual additions are expected to triple, and the workforce will need to nearly double.

Maximo can install solar panels in half the time and half the cost, working together with on-the-ground crews to accelerate renewable energy deployment, reducing time-to-power for customers. Maximo enhances the safety and scalability of solar installation by automating the heavy lifting for placing and attaching solar modules. It accelerates project timelines, creates new high-tech jobs and brings opportunities to new segments of the workforce.

Maximo expands job opportunities in solar installation, while providing individuals the experience to develop AI skills and learn emerging technologies. Maximo has already installed nearly 10 MW of solar and is projected to install 100 MW by 2025. AES expects to use Maximo to help build up to 5 GW of its solar backlog and pipeline over the next three years.

AES will utilize Maximo in its construction of the 2 GW Bellefield project in Kern County, California, the solar-plus-storage project in the US, under contract with Amazon. Oak Ridge Solar project in Louisiana, also helping power Amazon operations, was a significant milestone in Maximo's journey as its first utility-scale deployment. Maximo's AI-powered features include: AI-Powered Computer Vision: Ensures precise panel placement, enhancing installation accuracy.

Continuous Learning: Adapting for optimal performance and driving efficiency improvements. Image reconstruction: Proprietary generative AI pipeline that reconstructs images obscured by glare or related lighting conditions. Maximo can perform in a broad range of climates and lighting conditions and has been validated in the field across a variety of US project sites.

It will begin installing at Bellefield in August.