Fully autonomous cleaning for utility-scale solar
Utility-scale panels kept clean continuously by a resident autonomous system. No crews to mobilise, no people or vehicles on live arrays, and every clean measured, so peak output is proven, not assumed.
The cost of soiling
In the desert, soiling is the loss you can actually stop
In arid and desert regions, soiling is the single largest recoverable loss on a solar asset. Dust and sand build between cleans, output falls continuously, and unlike heat or sunlight it is entirely within your control. Left unmeasured, it stays invisible until it has already cost you.
Output lost to soiling within 30 days between cleans in the Arabian desert. Fully recovered after washing.
Sources: KAUST (Rub' al Khali), NREL, QEERI. Indicative industry ranges for arid environments, not Solagains performance claims.
Current cleaning methods
Solar scaled. Cleaning didn't.
At utility scale, cleaning panels by hand or with mobile crews is slow, costly and risky, and it only works for a moment. It is the wrong tool for a multi-gigawatt asset.
Booked, mobilised and slow
A single plant can take days to clean by hand, and crews have to be scheduled and brought to site.
People and vehicles on live arrays
Manual cleaning puts workers and vehicles onto energised, high-voltage panels, in heat and at height. Real safety exposure, liability and insurance cost.
Water you cannot spare
Manual and mobile washing consumes large volumes of water, scarce and expensive in exactly the regions that need cleaning most, and cold water on hot glass risks cracking the panels.
Clean for a moment
However often a crew cleans, soiling starts rebuilding the day they leave. You pay for a peak you only hold briefly.
Solagains changes the equation. Panels stay clean continuously, cleaned autonomously, and always performing at their peak.
A better operating model
Condition-based cleaning vs time-based cleaning
Most cleaning runs on a fixed calendar and is never verified. Solagains cleans on measured soiling and performance-loss thresholds, and proves the result on every run.
| Attribute | Time-based cleaning (typical) | Solagains, condition-based |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | Fixed calendar schedule | Measured soiling or performance-loss threshold |
| Verification | Assumed | Sensor-verified, pre and post, at micron level |
| Data output | None or manual | Module to portfolio soiling dataset |
| Unnecessary cleans | Common | None. We clean only on measured need |
| Yield basis | Estimated | Evidenced |
Soiling intelligence
Verified yield, not assumed cleaning
Solagains measures panel condition before and after every clean at micron level, so you see actual performance recovery rather than assumed results. Every run produces module, string, site and portfolio-level soiling data, turning cleaning from a cost line into a source of yield intelligence.
- Quantified effectiveness on every run Cleaning recovery is measured, not estimated.
- Condition-based, not calendar-based Clean when soiling crosses a threshold, not on a fixed date.
- Feeds the decisions that matter Yield modelling, O&M planning, and investment and insurance cases.
Engineered to hold panels at 99.6% of clean output, continuously.
Built for the asset lifecycle
What the data means for owners, operators and investors
Predictable yield
Recover lost generation and protect long-term asset performance with an evidenced cleaning record.
Fewer interventions
Condition-based scheduling cuts unnecessary cleans and reduces callouts across the portfolio.
De-risked returns
Measured performance recovery supports P50 confidence and stronger yield modelling.
Verified maintenance
A traceable, sensor-backed cleaning history supports warranty and underwriting confidence.
Engineered for harsh environments
Precision-engineered and built in the UK, not assembled to a price
Solagains is designed and manufactured in the UK on precision 5-axis CNC machinery, from aerospace-grade materials, with full traceability on every component. Infrastructure-grade engineering, built to outlast the asset, not assembled to a price and replaced.
In arid regions, air-blast cleaning keeps panels clean without water, removing the biggest cost and constraint of desert cleaning. A controlled water system is available for UK, European and coastal sites where wet cleaning is needed (for example bird soiling).
Track-based movement spreads the load and avoids the point-loading, foot traffic and high-pressure washing that damage panels and shorten their life. Protects panel warranty and long-term output.
Harvests its own energy to operate, with no reliance on site power. Autonomous running on remote and infrastructure-constrained sites, powered by the same sun it protects.
One machine, three kilometres of continuous cleaning. Fewer units, less to manage, more array covered by every machine you deploy.
Built to a standard
Machined in the UK on precision 5-axis CNC centres, from aerospace-grade aluminium and alloys, and CMM-measured for consistency unit to unit.
Material certifications and job packs accompany every component, with complete logs from raw stock to finished machine. Built for audit, warranty and due diligence.
A controlled manufacturing process with in-process and final inspection, and documented corrective action.
Drawing on decades of precision-engineering experience, including Formula 1 and harsh-environment systems.
Built to keep running
Built to just work
A solar cleaning robot is only as valuable as its uptime. In the desert, a breakdown means lost cleaning, lost yield, and a difficult recovery in punishing conditions. Solagains is engineered for the opposite: continuous, unattended operation in dust, heat and extreme climate, built to keep working when cheaper machines fail.
Operating life of the asset.
Built for the life of the asset
A solar farm is built to run for 25 years and more. Solagains is engineered to run alongside it for that full life, not replaced every few years like lower-cost systems that break down and get binned. One system, aligned to your asset's lifecycle.
Sealed against the environment
IP67 and IP69 rated against dust, water and high-pressure wash-down, so grit and moisture cannot get in and cause failures.
Built to last in harsh climates
European engineering, materials and tolerances chosen for a long operating life in high heat, high dust and high UV.
Less maintenance, less downtime
Robust, thoughtfully engineered mechanics mean shorter, less frequent maintenance and more time cleaning. Lower O&M burden across the fleet, and less downtime on every site.
Continuous, unattended operation
Engineered to run day after day without intervention, so cleaning never stops and yield keeps flowing.
The result is a machine you can install and rely on, not one more asset to maintain.
Flexible commercial models
Own the system, or share the upside
Capital purchase & service
Acquire the system outright with a long-term service and support agreement. Full ownership of the asset and its soiling-intelligence dataset.
Funded, performance-based
Deploy with no upfront capital outlay.
Solagains funds, installs and maintains the system and shares in the additional, verified yield it recovers. Returns are earned against measured performance, not estimates.
A system you replace every few years is just another liability. Solagains is engineered to last the life of the asset, so you invest once in a partner, not repeatedly in a stopgap.
Answers
Frequently asked questions
How much energy do solar panels lose to soiling?
Soiling losses are highly site-specific. NREL research puts average annual soiling losses across US ranges at up to around 7%, and even a 4% average loss equates to roughly 10 GW of lost generation and about $2bn in lost revenue worldwide each year. In arid and high-dust environments such as the Gulf, losses are materially higher, which is why continuous, measured cleaning matters most at utility scale.
What is condition-based solar panel cleaning?
Condition-based cleaning triggers a clean when measured soiling or performance loss crosses a defined threshold, rather than on a fixed calendar schedule. It removes unnecessary cleaning cycles, targets effort where it is needed, and cleans on evidence rather than assumption.
Can robotic solar cleaning verify cleaning effectiveness?
Yes. Solagains integrates micron-level soiling sensors that measure panel condition before and after each clean, producing a verified record of performance recovery on every run rather than an assumed result. This supports condition-based cleaning, performance-based commercial models and enterprise-grade reporting.
What size of solar farm is Solagains designed for?
Solagains is built for utility-scale solar, from single-site projects to large multi-gigawatt portfolios. The system is designed for long array runs, frequent cleaning cycles and portfolio-level operational visibility across many machines and sites.
Which regions does Solagains serve?
Solagains targets utility-scale solar globally, with particular focus on arid, high-soiling regions including Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East, alongside markets such as Spain and the United States where soiling and yield predictability are critical to returns.
How do I work with Solagains?
Solagains partners with utility-scale asset owners, operators and investors to keep solar performing at its peak. Reach out and we will set up a conversation about your portfolio.
Partner with Solagains
Maximise the performance of your solar assets
Solagains works with utility-scale asset owners, operators, developers and investors to protect and improve the performance of solar assets at scale. Contact us to discuss your portfolio.
Tell us about your assets and what you are looking to achieve. We will respond within one working day.