It is projected that an additional $235 billion will be invested into solar projects in the United States between now and 2030 – more than natural gas and wind combined. But with this rapid growth comes new challenges in operations, labor, and asset performance. To understand how companies are planning on adapting their businesses, Raptor Maps recently released our inaugural State of Solar Robotics Report, based on a first-of-its-kind survey of developers, EPCs, asset owners, and O&M providers.
The findings offer a candid look at how robotics and automation are being deployed today, where companies are seeing value, and what barriers remain to wider adoption. Below are some of our team’s key takeaways from the report.
If you would like to see the full report – download it here.
1. Stakeholders Highlighted two Main Value Drivers for their Robotics: Labor Savings and Energy Gains
When asked to name the single biggest value of robotics, respondents were split between two priorities: reducing labor costs (31%) and boosting energy production (36%). That divergence reflects the different pain points across the solar value chain.
Asset owners tended to prioritize higher energy yield as their biggest value driver from robotics (56% of asset owners chose this response), since even small percentage energy gains translate into major revenue on utility scale sites.
O&M providers more often highlighted labor cost savings (60% of O&M providers chose this response) as their biggest value driver, as staffing shortages and rising wages put pressure on their business models.
What’s clear is that robotics is being recognized for its ability to deliver efficiency on multiple fronts — making solar projects more profitable and sustainable to operate.
Source: 2025 State of Solar Robotics
2. Technology Stacks Are Growing More Complex
As solar farms expand, their digital ecosystems are expanding too. On average, survey respondents reported using five different software tools weekly to manage operations.
That complexity explains why AI and machine learning emerged as one of the most exciting technologies respondents cited for future integration. Many see these tools as the key to unifying data flows from inspections, SCADA, and field operations into actionable insights rather than siloed information.
Source: 2025 State of Solar Robotics
3. Half of respondents say that robotics are already positively affecting business margins today
A slight majority of respondents believe robotics are already improving their margins. It was exciting for us to see the impacts that robotics are having on our respondent’s companies given that many of the solutions on the market are quite new.
However, there were still a substantial portion of respondents who were unsure on the return on their investment. For robotics and automation providers, this statistic underscores the importance of continuing to build more evidence that substantiates their value. Companies want proof that robotics doesn’t just add capabilities but also pays for itself in measurable ways.
Source: 2025 State of Solar Robotics
4. Optimism for the Future of Automation is Strong
Despite some ambiguity around ROI today, the outlook for robotics from our respondents looking ahead was overwhelmingly positive. Nearly 80% of respondents expect their investments in robotics to grow moderately or significantly over the next three to five years.
Interestingly, respondents were excited about a range of future technologies – at least five categories of robotics each received strong support when we asked participants to indicate which technologies they were excited about looking forward to. That diversity of interest suggests the industry is entering a period of rapid experimentation and adoption.
Source: 2025 State of Solar Robotics
The Bigger Picture
The solar industry is facing challenges. According to Raptor Maps’ 2025 Global Solar Report, the average annual underperformance on solar assets last year was 5.77%, a 214% rise since 2020. As more solar gets developed and bigger farms are constructed, robotics will move from a novel concept to a business necessity.
Robotics can help solve some of the industry’s most pressing challenges:
Labor shortages, by augmenting each worker’s productivity.
Underperformance, by enabling faster and more frequent remediation.
Operational complexity, by integrating with digital platforms for better decision-making.
The State of Solar Robotics Report provides a data-backed snapshot of how these technologies are being deployed and perceived today. If the responses are any indication, the next five years could bring a step-change in how solar projects are built, operated, and maintained — with robotics at the center of that transformation.
Next steps
From the civil engineering on your site down to the wiring on the back of your panels, the Raptor Solar platform provides you detailed, up-to-date data on the conditions and performance of your solar fleet so that your team has the intel they need to do their jobs effectively, quickly, and safely.
