Aerobotics has signed a binding agreement with Solar Dron: It will develop a system of skimmers that will wash solar panels

Aerobotics has signed a binding agreement with Solar Dron, under which Aerobotics will develop a system of skimmers that will wash solar panels in full automation. The system will operate in short ranges in the first phase and will include the ability to replace batteries, cleaning fluid and docking stations.
Aerobotics is traded at a market value of NIS 100 million, and its largest shareholders are a number of venture capital funds headed by Orcrowd. The company was issued on the stock exchange in September after a failed attempt and reduced its value to NIS 100 million before the money in the issue.
Solar Dron is controlled by Adv. Shmuel Yanai, brother of Ofer Yanai, CEO and founder of Nofar Energy. The two companies aim to leverage the shared knowledge in the glider field and expect revenue of $ 10 million in the first 3 years of the agreement.
The ambition of both companies is to enter, in addition to the field of panel cleaning, also the field of cleaning roofs and buildings using skimmers. The solar panel washing market is growing alongside the increase in the use of solar energy and the establishment of new projects in the field. Dust, mud and animal droppings impair the cleanliness of the solar panels and the quality of their activity and they need to be cleaned once a period. The cleaning methods for the panels are varied and Israeli companies active in the field are Akopia, Air Touch and Blade Ranger. All three have been declining since the IPO due to the high cost of the initial installation.