As solar project sizes increase and developers focus more closely on lifetime energy yield and the levelized cost of energy, technologies such as solar trackers and robotic module cleaning systems are gaining importance in India.

Stakeholders say higher module prices, the growing deployment of bifacial modules, increasing demand for round-the-clock (RTC) renewable energy, and the need to reduce water and labor requirements are strengthening the case for these technologies.

Solar trackers can deliver 15-20% higher generation compared with fixed-tilt systems.

Mayank Mishra, Senior Sales Director at Nextpower India, said tracker economics are becoming more attractive because developers can use fewer modules to achieve a given generation target.

Bifacial modules can generate additional power from sunlight reflected onto their rear surface, and trackers can help developers capture this additional generation.

Around 40% of India’s utility-scale solar projects currently use trackers. Mishra expects adoption to increase to around 70% over the next few years.

Customers have reported achieving tracker installation rates of up to 15 MW/day on large-scale projects.

Developers are increasingly evaluating trackers based on overall project returns rather than simply comparing their upfront costs with fixed-tilt structures.

Mishra said the economics vary considerably depending on the project’s tariff, module prices, site conditions, engineering, and the developer’s investment horizon. Trackers have a standard payback period of seven years.

Adapting Trackers to Difficult Terrain

As solar projects increasingly move into locations with challenging terrain and soil conditions, tracker design is also becoming more site-specific. Mishra said designers must consider wind speeds, soil conditions, topography, and other geographical factors during the design stage.

Terrain-following tracker technologies can reduce the need for extensive grading and cut-and-fill work.

Nextpower’s terrain-following tracker allows adjustments between individual columns and has reduced cut-and-fill requirements by as much as 70-90% at some projects.

Slow Robotic Cleaning Adoption

Robotic module cleaning is seeing slow adoption even though it can help increase solar generation and reduce labor costs.

For a 5 MW solar project requiring weekly cleaning, Karan Dangayach, Director at Accura Resources, said robotic cleaning solutions can cost as little as ₹250,000 (~$2,622), depending on the project configuration.

Robotic cleaning can become economically viable for projects above 2-3 MW, although the economics depend on project configuration. The usual payback period for a robotic cleaning system is less than 2.5 years.

Dangayach said Accura has supplied around 5,000 robots across more than 3.5 GW of solar projects in India.

He added that waterless robotic systems can extend module life and reduce water consumption.

Dangayach pointed out that groundwater in several solar-rich regions can be substantially harder, and repeated cleaning with hard water can leave mineral deposits on modules. Mineral deposits can affect the module’s anti-reflective coatings over time and create microcracks.

Robotic module cleaning solution providers say the integration of robotic module cleaning solutions must be considered during the solar project’s design stage rather than retrofitted after commissioning. Retrofitting can become difficult because robotic systems depend on factors such as row spacing, block layouts, terrain, module mounting structures, and breaks between module tables.

AI-enabled robotic systems can integrate with sensors that measure dust accumulation and initiate cleaning based on actual site conditions, Dangayach said. Such systems are already being deployed at large solar projects, although their economics remain more challenging for smaller installations.

Integration between trackers and robotic cleaning systems could further automate solar O&M by moving into predetermined positions to allow cleaning robots to operate across the arrays.

The issues were discussed at Mercom India’s RE Buyer-Seller Meet held in Hyderabad recently.

Mercom India hosts the RE Buyer-Seller Events to give solar installers and distributor communities a platform to engage directly with carefully selected vendors offering localized, high-quality solar solutions. The next event will be held on October 8, 2026, in Lucknow. You can register for the event here.