Bladeranger (TASE: BLRN), which has developed software for monitoring and analyzing solar energy fields, has announced signing an exclusive distribution and cooperation agreement with Israeli company Propeller Drones for marketing and distributing its remote controlled, automatic drone system. Bladeranger’s system monitors, controls and cleans solar panels. The agreement is for three years.
This system is based on the system developed by Solar Drone, which last meek merged into Bladeranger. Solar Drone has developed a specially designed payload for drones which is for cleaning solar panels in complex locations. The company, which was founded in 2021, is a pioneer and world leader in the development of “Drone in a Box” systems based on advanced technology including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and more that significantly increases the efficiency of solar facilities, optimizes the operation of assets, saves manpower, cuts costs and increases profitability.
Bladeranger has developed the DeepSolar software, which provides monitoring and analyses services for solar energy fields. The merger with Solar Drone allows technological integration between the software and cleaning drone, and will make it possible to sell a more comprehensive service package to each customer. According to Bladeranger, Solar Drone’s drone technology along with DeepSolar software will lead the field in maximizing production of green energy from solar panels, through cleaning by drones, monitoring and diagnostics.
The importance of the agreement lies with Propeller Drones positioning in the Israeli market. Propeller Drones is one of the leading drone service companies in Israel, operating nationwide and providing services to over 200 companies and organizations from diverse sectors and fields of activity such as technology, real estate, infrastructure, agriculture, renewable energy, security and defense. Propeller will be the sole marketer of Bladeranger’s system in Israel. The exclusivity is subject to Propeller meeting annual revenue targets.
Under the terms of the agreement between Bladeranger and Propeller, in the first stage Bladeranger, will make available to Propeller, at no direct cost, three unique cleaning systems (payloads for the drone), technical support and the software infrastructure required to operate the system and spare parts. Propeller will distribute and market the system to its own customers within Israel, and will be responsible for the manpower to fly the drones included in the system.
BladeRanger will receive 30% of total gross revenue that Propeller produces from the sale of the system to customers and the provision of related services.
The merger between Bladeranger and Solar Drone, and as a result the collaboration with Propeller, is designed to solve a substantial problem in the solar energy market. A significant part of energy production is lost as a result of dirt accumulating on solar panels and poor maintenance, especially in solar farms located in complex topographies where it is difficult to clean panels properly, either manually or with robot systems, such as farms in flooded fields, on mountain sides, on commercial roofs, and agricultural fields used to produce solar energy. The cleaning market is worth an estimated $1 billion annually.
Propellor Drones Founder and CEO Itamar Kohali said, “I welcome the cooperation with Bladeranger, which brings with it a significant combination and multiplies the power between the impressive technological capability of the remote-controlled automatic drones with the strong performance and operational capability of Propeller Drones to provide monitoring, control and cleaning services for solar fields in a professional and efficient manner, which produces major economic value for developers and the solar energy companies. This cooperation is another significant pillar in the fulfillment of Propeller Drones’ vision to distribute and make drone and UAV capabilities available to its customers as a service that significantly improves business and operational processes in the various industries in general and the renewable energy industry in particular.”
Bladeranger CEO Oded Fruchtman added, “I welcome the cooperation with Propeller Drones, the leading drone company in Israel that will operate the Bladeranger specially designed payload on solar energy fields and help distribute this innovative technology in Israel, in order to maximize the production of solar energy from farms in complex locations, which today have no other alternatives for cleaning. In this way, I hope, we will bring the good news to these farms and allow them to reduce the energy loss that is created as a result of dirt and difficulty in effective maintenance due to their location.”
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on July 1, 2024.
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