Les robots sans eau d'Ecoppia (Israël) vont nettoyer les panneaux photovoltaïques de Engie en Inde

[:fr]La société israélienne Ecoppia, leader mondial des robots de nettoyage sans eau des panneaux photovoltaïques vient de signer un accord avec Solairedirect India, filiale du groupe français ENGIE pour déployer son système dans le parc solaire Bhadla Solar (10 000 hectares, 2,255 MW) situé à Jodhpur, dans le Rajasthan, en Inde. Situé dans une vaste zone désertique, le parc solaire de Bhadla est sujet à de fréquentes tempêtes de poussière, qui peuvent réduire la production d’énergie d’environ 40% en quelques minutes.

Les solutions traditionnelles de nettoyage de panneaux sont fortement consommatrices de main-d’œuvre et d’eau, et ne sont ni rentables ni efficaces contre les tempêtes de sable à répétition.

Esther Amar, fondatrice d’Israël Science Info et présidente de l’AJE, Association des Journalistes de l’Environnement, souligne que « la gestion des ressources en eau en Inde est un enjeu stratégique majeur. Elles pourraient s’épuiser complétement compte tenu d’un usage massif pour le nettoyage et le dépoussiérage des panneaux dans les nombreux champs solaires ».

Afin de maintenir le parc solaire de Bhadla au maximum de son rendement, les robots d’Ecoppia nettoieront les panneaux toutes les nuits. Avec le déploiement d’Ecoppia sur son site, ENGIE évalue son économie à plus de 1,5 milliard de litres d’eau et va pouvoir réduire ses coûts d’exploitation de façon drastique.

Parc Bhadla Solar

La société israélienne Ecoppia, très remarquée à COP21, a travaillé en étroite collaboration avec ENGIE tout au long du processus afin de maximiser l’efficacité du déploiement et d’optimiser le retour sur investissement. Ecoppia s’appuie notamment sur l’expérience acquise avec les principaux conglomérats énergétiques comme Adani Power, SunEdison et NTPC.

Gaurav Sood, directeur général de Solairedirect India a déclaré : «nous sommes fiers d’être l’un des premiers fournisseurs mondiaux d’énergie solaire à adopter cette technologie de rupture pour le nettoyage des panneaux».

Eran Meller, CEO d’Ecoppia

«Nous sommes fiers de coopérer avec des entreprises de pointe comme ENGIE dans ce qui représente une véritable révolution dans les énergies renouvelables. En assurant la propreté des panneaux quotidiennement, nous avons créé un nouveau standard de production qui modifie la façon dont les opérateurs, les investisseurs et les gouvernements perçoivent les avantages de l’énergie solaire», conclut Eran Meller, CEO d’Ecoppia.
Traduction/adaptation Esther Amar pour Israël Science Info

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-hFoZaQojY[:en]Benefits of Ecoppia‘s automated, robotic, water-free solar panel cleaning system facilitate successful tender in India’s cutting-edge Bhadla Solar Park

Ecoppia, the world-leading developer of robotic, water-free photovoltaic solar panel cleaning solutions, announced today an agreement with Solairedirect India, subsidiary of energy multinational ENGIE Group to deploy its automated system in the 10,000-hectare, 2,255 MW Bhadla Solar Park in Jodhpur, Rajasthan India.

Continuing Ecoppia‘s commitment to cooperation with large multinational energy conglomerates and its specific focus on the Indian market, the company’s solution will be deployed on a production capacity of 168MWp out of the total 190MWp capacity.

Located in a vast desert area, Bhadla Solar Park is prone to frequent dust storms, which can reduce energy generation by as much as 40% in a matter of minutes. Traditional labor-intensive, water-based panel cleaning solutions are neither cost-effective nor timely when immediate recovery from sandstorms is mission-critical to maintain LCOE.

Parc Bhadla Solar

To alleviate the production loss associated with soiling and maintain panels at peak performance year-round, Engie’s site in Bhadla will be cleaned nightly by Ecoppia robots.

Ecoppia is the only solution able to maintain peak energy production and restore panels post-storm in just hours – without water or external electricity consumption. Moreover, when concerns about availability of water and increasing labor costs play a key role in strategic decision-making, only Ecoppia can provide clear visibility over O&M costs for a 25-year timespan.

With the deployment of Ecoppia across its site, ENGIE is expected to save over 1.5 billion of liters of water, and reduce its operating expenses drastically.

Cleaning over 70 million solar panels to date, leveraging experience gained working with leading energy conglomerates like Adani Power, SunEdison and NTPC, Ecoppia cooperated closely with ENGIE throughout the design and deployment process to maximize rollout efficiency and optimize return on investment. The announcement also comes on the heels of Ecoppia’s recent shift of its assembly facilities to India, as well as the opening of its new Asia headquarters in Gurgaon, India.

« We expect to harness Ecoppia‘s revolutionary cleaning system to dramatically raise output and lower costs. This type of technological breakthrough not only benefits our own business interests, but the solar energy sector as a whole, » said Gaurav Sood, Managing Director of Solairedirect India. « We are proud to be one of the world’s first solar energy providers to adopt Ecoppia’s cutting-edge, autonomous robotic panel cleaning paradigm, » he concluded.

Eran Meller, CEO of Ecoppia

« We’re proud to cooperate with forward-thinking companies like ENGIE in what is truly a true revolution in renewable energy, » said Eran Meller, CEO of Ecoppia. « By ensuring cost-effective panel cleanliness on a day-to-day basis, we’ve created a new standard of plant output that is changing the way operators, investors and governments view the benefits of solar power, » he continued.

About ENGIE

ENGIE develops its businesses (power, natural gas, energy services) around a model based on responsible growth to take on the major challenges of energy’s transition to a low-carbon economy: access to sustainable energy, climate-change mitigation and adaptation and the rational use of resources. The Group provides individuals, cities and businesses with highly efficient and innovative solutions largely based on its expertise in four key sectors: renewable energy, energy efficiency, liquefied natural gas and digital technology. ENGIE employs 154,950 people worldwide and achieved revenues of €69.9 billion in 2015. The Group is listed on the Paris and Brussels stock exchanges (ENGI) and is represented in the main international indices: CAC 40, BEL 20, DJ Euro Stoxx 50, Euronext 100, FTSE Eurotop 100, MSCI Europe, DJSI World, DJSI Europe and Euronext Vigeo (World 120, Eurozone 120, Europe 120 and France 20).

http://www.engie.com/en/group.

About Ecoppia

Ecoppia designs and produces innovative photovoltaic panel cleaning solutions to cost-effectively maximize the performance of utility-scale installations. The company’s water-free, automated technology removes dust from panels on a daily basis to ensure peak output, even in the toughest desert conditions. Privately held organization backed by prominent and experienced international investment funds, Ecoppia works with the largest energy companies globally, cleaning millions of solar panels every month. For more information about Ecoppia, please visit http://www.ecoppia.com.[:]