In October 2026, a new waterless photovoltaic cleaning robot developed by a leading domestic environmental protection equipment company completed testing and entered pilot trials. Designed to meet the cleaning needs of photovoltaic power stations in arid regions, the equipment uses polymer flexible roller brushes and intelligent path-planning technology. A single unit can clean more than 2,000 photovoltaic modules per hour without using water.

For power stations in arid regions, the direct value of waterless cleaning lies in reducing the cleaning operation’s dependence on water supplies. If the equipment can maintain stable cleaning performance in actual operation, the benefits are likely to be seen first in reduced water use and associated operating activities, while giving power stations greater flexibility in scheduling cleaning tasks.

Cleaning more than 2,000 modules per hour demonstrates the equipment’s operating efficiency, but this figure alone does not directly translate into overall power station O&M efficiency or cost reductions. Actual results will still depend on module specifications, array layout, dust accumulation, and cleaning performance during continuous operation. Assessing its economics also requires taking into account equipment investment, energy consumption, roller brush replacement, and routine maintenance, and determining whether savings in water use and operating costs can deliver sustained benefits.

Now that the equipment has entered pilot trials, it will be important to see whether cleaning efficiency, cleaning performance, and surface protection of the modules can all be maintained. Wear on the flexible roller brushes during repeated operation, their ability to remove dust under different conditions, and how well the path-planning system adapts to on-site arrays will all affect the equipment’s potential for wider adoption. At this stage, this development offers photovoltaic power stations in arid regions a new cleaning equipment option. Its range of applications and actual cost reductions will require further assessment based on the results of subsequent pilot trials.