China’s Photovoltaic Industry Enters Uncharted Territory with Advanced Robot Maintenance
Date: March 17, 2025
The recent National People’s Congress highlighted the significant integration of renewable energy and technology, with the photovoltaic (PV) sector taking center stage. Industry leaders emphasized the need for enhanced original technology research and collaboration within the supply chain. Zhong Baoshen, Chairman of Longi Green Energy, noted that the Chinese photovoltaic industry has now entered an “uncharted territory,” where only independent technology can lead to breakthroughs.
What does “uncharted territory” mean? It suggests a place where even exhaust emissions are imperceptible, symbolizing a shift in China’s energy sector from scale expansion to a focus on technological supremacy.
A Milestone in Embodied Intelligence and Physical-Digital Integration
The signals coming from the 2025 Congress are clear: the government will establish mechanisms for investment growth in future industries while promoting technological implementation through an “AI +” initiative. Notably, the concept of “embodied intelligence” has entered the national strategic technology catalog alongside 6G and quantum technology, with the State Council describing it as a “milestone in physical-digital integration.” This indicates a commitment to a tangible intelligent revolution, ensuring that the photovoltaic industry will undergo a “smart restructuring” at the national level.
So, what is embodied intelligence? Its essence lies in “physicalized intelligence,” which can be simplified as equipping AI with sensory and motor capabilities, allowing machines to interact with their environment like humans and tackle complex challenges. As embodied intelligence is elevated to national strategic technology, the challenge is to convert it into a lever for industrial upgrade. This transformation is evident in the rapidly expanding renewable energy landscape; by 2025, China’s total installed PV capacity is expected to exceed 800 GW, with ultra-high voltage transmission lines tripling in length since 2020. The surge in scale exposes the limitations of traditional manual inspections, hazards associated with high-risk operations, and losses in energy generation due to dust accumulation on solar panels.
Smart Empowerment in PV Operations
Currently, the State Grid’s latest deployment, the “Tiangong Power Inspection Robot,” is actively utilized in ultra-high voltage maintenance inspections. This robot is equipped with multimodal sensors and AI models, allowing it to move adeptly in unstructured environments like substations and distribution rooms. It can climb stairs, navigate narrow passages, and accurately locate equipment. Its coordinated upper and lower limb control system enables tasks such as local discharge detection and precise operations like circuit switching, significantly enhancing efficiency and safety in hazardous environments.
The application of the “Tiangong Power Inspection Robot” has multiplied inspection efficiency and constructed a digital twin of the power grid through real-time data transmission, supporting hazard warnings and maintenance decisions. Moreover, the extension of embodied intelligence to the PV sector is reshaping operational models. In terms of drone-assisted inspection and repair, this technology can utilize infrared thermal imaging to identify thermal anomalies and enable robotic arms to repair damaged solar components, addressing the inefficiencies and risks of traditional manual inspections.
For routine cleaning, embodied intelligence can deploy multimodal sensors (visual, tactile, and dust detection) to dynamically adjust cleaning methods based on panel contamination levels and weather conditions, conserving water resources and prolonging equipment lifespan. In the realm of intelligent diagnostics and predictive maintenance, embodied intelligence can integrate with IoT-based perception, big data, and AI decision-making systems, exemplified by the independently developed NiOS™ intelligent maintenance system by Nenghuanbao, which collects power generation data with minute-level precision, predicts failures, and manages task assignment through cloud-based tracking.
Empowering the Energy Sector through Innovation
In February 2025, the National Private Enterprise Conference showcased a significant shift in participating companies compared to the same event in 2018. Tech-driven firms like Yun Shen Chu, Yushu Technology, and Deep Exploration have become prominent. This change reflects a transition of leading tech enterprises from “market followers” to “technology definers,” simultaneously opening up global markets while reinvigorating the energy sector with innovative solutions.
This synchronization of national policy strategies and technology-driven enterprises is evident through various initiatives, such as Deep Exploration’s open-source large model promoting AI accessibility, Yushu Technology’s consumer robotics expansion, and Nenghuanbao’s application of the NiOS™ system in commercial PV projects. Major players like Longi and Trina Solar are also beginning to implement integrated solutions combining hardware, software, AI, and internet technologies to drive technological breakthroughs in the renewable energy sector.
Looking Ahead
As we look back from the spring of 2025, what once seemed like “science fiction”—zero-carbon parks, 6G networks, and the industrialization of embodied intelligence—is materializing at an astonishing pace. While Western nations continue to debate carbon emissions, China’s combination of “green electricity + AI” is nurturing the next trillion-dollar market. The synergy between renewable installation goals and AI technology is propelling the energy system towards a more intelligent paradigm.
In exploring this “uncharted territory,” only the footprints of innovators will serve as markers. China stands not just as a participant but as a key player in shaping the new energy system: advancing without depleting resources or relying on outdated technologies, achieving continuous breakthroughs to elevate its photovoltaic sector from a manufacturing hub to a center of innovation.
