Autonomous Robotic System for Snow Removal in Large-Scale Photovoltaic Arrays

Snow accumulation on photovoltaic (PV) panels drastically reduces energy output and can induce uneven mechanical loads that damage the panels. We present a novel autonomous robotic system for efficient PV panel snow removal, featuring two core engineering innovations: (1) an adaptive dual-track suspension locomotion system that maintains traction on slippery, inclined panel surfaces and traverses wide gaps between panels, and (2) a hybrid brush–auger–impeller snow-clearing mechanism that mechanically sweeps snow off the panel and then forcefully ejects it away. These are integrated with a distributed control architecture and a multi-sensor navigation module for fully autonomous operation. In this study, a prototype was developed and tested. The experimental results demonstrated stable motion on 30° sloped panels and effective removal of approximately 95% of snow in a single pass. The robot clears up to 135 m2/h of fresh light snow and maintains a clearing efficiency of over 85% even on refrozen icy layers. This translates to a reduction in manual labor and preserves over 90% of the PV array’s energy output compared with the no-nothing scenario. These results validate the robot design and are in close agreement with theoretical predictions of its stability and performance.