Solar panel positioning robots

Published 2014-04

Products and services using Solar panel positioning robots are generally available around 2017

Verdict

missTwo blind graders agree (D7, rule D37). The auditor agent confirmed it (D11).

Grader A: miss
Grader B: miss
agrees with A, without seeing its verdict
Audit: confirmed
in the fixed audit sample (D11)
Published: miss

Grader A: miss

The leading firm, QBotix (SolBot rail robots), shut down in August 2015 after single-axis trackers became cheaper; its licensing attempt failed and no successor product appeared by 2022. Abandoned.

Test: D37 Horizons: robotic panel-positioning products buyable by solar operators outside pilots by 2019 for a hit; miss if not available by 2022 or abandoned.

As a Valley solar startup shuts down, the solar sector booms (Fortune) (2015-09-22): QBotix, the robotic solar-tracking startup, shut down in 2015.

Grader B: miss

QBotix, the leading robotic tracker company, shut down in Aug 2015 after failing to win customers; conventional single-axis trackers won. No such product on the market by 2022.

Test: Robotic panel-positioning products could be bought by 2019; partial if limited or by 2020-2022; miss if not by 2022.

As a Valley solar startup shuts down, the solar sector booms (2015-09-22): QBotix robotic tracker startup closed.
Robotic solar tracker startup QBotix closes shop (2015-09-24): Approach abandoned commercially.

All captured fields

id: hz-2014-074
category: Energy technologies
kind: technology
target year: 2017
placed year: 2017
milestones: {"scientifically_viable":2014,"mainstream":2016,"financially_viable":2017}
confidence: high
note: Numbered dot (mainstream point) at 2016.1, on the 2016 line (read as 2016). Bar from 2013.8 to 2016.7: scientifically viable ~2014, financially viable ~2017. The bar reaches the inner edge of the grid (~2014), so scientific viability may be at or before the chart start. Sub-area: Electricity generation.